DALLAS — A grand opening was held Monday for the new Dallas Fire Station 36, located at 2300 Singleton Blvd., less than a mile away from the original fire house on North Hampton Road.
The new building is twice the size – 13,000 square feet – with all the up-to-date tools needed for emergency response. The apparatus bay was filled with people on Monday, celebrating the new landmark in West Dallas.
Elaine Page was at the grand opening, standing at the new station because her husband can’t. She is the widow of a Dallas firefighter.
"I wish he were here to see it," Page said.
In 2018, Lieutenant Dennis Page died of colon cancer caused by his job. Occupational cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters, according to the CDC and the International Association of Firefighters.
Dennis Page’s last call was at the old Station 36, which was built in 1954.
In 2019, Lieutenant John Blume of Station 36 also died of occupational cancer.
"They both had cancer at the same time, and they fought the battle together," said Elaine Page.
The new building now focuses on cancer prevention. An extractor, which is an industrial machine to clean bunker gear, is installed. Washing machines and decontamination showers are in a transition zone next to the bay to keep carcinogens out of the living quarters.
Dallas Fire-Rescue is one of the first departments in the nation to have transition rooms as a safety feature.
While Dennis Page and John Blume are gone, their legacies protect their family at Station 36.
"I know that [Dennis Page is] watching over the station. I know he's watching over the men and women of the Dallas Fire Department. I know he's keeping them safe," Elaine Page told WFAA.
Station 36 was funded by a bond package that voters approved in a 2017 Bond Program for the design and construction of a replacement facility.
Station 58 has also been fitted with a new transition zone. Station 19 and 41 are next to get the update.
May 6 marks National Fallen Firefighters Week. From May 4 to May 7, landmarks, fire and community organizations, and homes are asked to light up red to remember fallen firefighters.
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