By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

BLUE ASH - Besides a $6.1 million fire station, the city is adding two full-time firefighter/paramedics.

"We did authorize additional firefighters to be hired this year in anticipation of the new station," City Manager Marvin Thompson said.

One firefighter started in May, and the city earlier this month began the process to hire a second. The new employees will make between $47,200 and $54,600 annually, Thompson said.

They will bring the department's number of full-time employees to 29. They are supplemented by 14 part-time firefighters.

"With the additional (hires) that we made this year, we're able to staff both stations 24 hours a day," Thompson said. "We have been incrementally adding in anticipation of this. The two added for 2003 is the extent for 2003."

The new fire station at Kenwood and Creek roads is expected to be operating in mid-October. The station will serve the northern part of the city, while the existing station on Cooper Road will cover Blue Ash's southern area.

The new building should allow emergency response times to some parts of Blue Ash to be cut from nine minutes to about five minutes, officials say.

A fitness center, administrative offices, training classroom and emergency command center also are included in the building.

"The new station is where the majority of the equipment (will be) located," Fire Capt. Rick Brown said. "We will have two fully staffed 24/7 stations."

Minimum staffing is eight people on duty at all times between the two stations, Brown said.

The department responded to about 1,400 emergency medical service calls and 700 fire runs last year. Blue Ash is home to about 13,000 residents, but its population during business hours swells to about 80,000, Thompson said.

E-mail daveck@fuse.net