By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor

Firefighter Rod Dickmann climbs from the fire engine at Shelbyville Fire Station No. 3 in Shelbyville, Ind. He is part of a two-man crew assigned to this station, which has 1 million gallons of water stored above the living quarters. (Indianapolis Star photo) | ZOOM |

DUBLIN, Ohio - When the alarm sounds inside Fire Station 95 in this Columbus suburb, some of the firefighters ride down a two-story tube slide rather than a pole.

The twisting slide, built because of an abnormally tall vehicle storage bay, isn't the building's most unusual feature, however. That would be the 2 million gallons of water above the firefighters' quarters in the building - a combination water tower/fire station. It's an idea that's catching on nationally as communities struggle to locate services amid sprawling development.

"You just wouldn't know it's a fire station," said Washington Township Fire Chief Al Woo.

Officials in Union Township, Clermont County, were so intrigued by the idea that they're considering building a similar one near Veterans Park, giving the township and county more bang for the buck.

County commissioners recently approved a site for a 2-million-gallon water tower on township-owned land at Glen Este-Withamsville Road and Clough Pike. The $2.5-million tower will replace an old one at the site and will be equipped so that a firehouse, paid for by a recently approved safety services levy, can be put inside if township officials determine that's the most economical solution.

Township and county officials like the unusual structure for several reasons. Vacant land is growing scarce where the fire station is needed. More retail development is coming in the sprawling Eastgate area nearby. And the combination building will save tax dollars.

This tubular slide replaces the more traditional fireman's pole in the Washington Township Water Tower Fire Station. (Jester Jones Schifer Architects LTD photo) | ZOOM |

Township leaders say the new fire station is needed in the central portion because traffic congestion in the Eastgate area has slowed response times from the Summerside station.

Dublin's first in Ohio

Dublin's water tower/fire station combo was the first of its kind in Ohio, modeled after structures in Chicago and Texas, said Cristie Kellar, a spokeswoman for the city of Dublin.

"The community was very supportive of the idea because it was a good example of tax dollars being used efficiently," she said.

Chief Woo said the water tower/fire station answered the same challenges that Union Township faces. Growth and traffic problems (busy Tuttle Mall is nearby) and prohibitive land costs forced officials to be creative.

"At the time, that area of Dublin was rapidly developing and there was just no easy way (for fire crews) to get to that part of town," Chief Woo said.

Win-win for taxpayers

The water tower is owned by Dublin, stores water for Columbus Water Works and is leased to the Washington Township Fire Department for $1 a year, Ms. Kellar said. The township provides fire protection for the city.

The fire station, which houses seven 24-hour crew members, a medic unit and a fire engine, has drawn a lot of attention since its 1998 opening. Visitors from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois have come to see it to get information about building one of their own.

Firefighters in Shelbyville, Ind., also share quarters with a water tower. Theirs is smaller - it houses two or three firefighters and a 1-million-gallon tank - and was built in the 1980s in an area where industrial growth was anticipated. The area today is largely residential.

"It's been all right for us, and it was a nice way to save money," Shelbyville Fire Capt. Mike Thomas said.

Living under 2 million gallons of water hasn't posed any problem for Dublin firefighters, Chief Woo said.

"We haven't had any condensation or water leakage from the storage tank itself, although it can get a little loud when they drain the water for maintenance or to repaint."

And the 2‡-story tube slide, while it might delight kids at a playground, isn't for everyone, the chief said. For those firefighters, there's always the steps.