Until about 50 years ago, Atlanta’s fire stations served as mini-community centers — places for kids’ birthday parties, bridal showers and marathon shoot-the-bull sessions.
Much of that intimacy was lost as the city grew.
But not at Station 19 in Virginia-Highland, built in 1925 and the oldest Atlanta firehouse still in operation. When firefighters there aren’t putting out blazes or administering CPR, they are reading to kids, installing car seats, screening blood pressure and, of course, shooting the bull with the neighbors.
They also are trying to raise donations to restore the 85-year-old firehouse to its previous glory — a goal the city’s budget cannot handle. The fireman leading the restoration effort is Sgt. Ian Allum, a 23-year veteran of Atlanta Fire Rescue.
We recently caught up with the 45-year-old Allum between rescue calls at Station 19 to talk about his labor of love.
Q: What is so cool about Station 19?
A: This is the Mayberry firehouse or the Norman Rockwell firehouse. It is like going back in time. There is no other station like it — that is still in service, I should say.
Q: What makes it different?
A: It is a very community-oriented station. They love us. And we in turn care about them, too, from doing story time and ice cream Sundays to welcoming college kids coming in here on scavenger hunts. This is the station you want to come to in Atlanta.
Q: Can you tell me more about your relationship with the community?
A: You always feel welcome when you come to this firehouse. Whatever you need, we are going to help you out, one way or another.
Q: How much of your job involves fighting fires?
A: Only about 15 percent of our runs are actually fire. Most are rescue calls. When someone calls 911, often we can get to the scene faster than an ambulance. Over the years, the job has gotten progressively more medical related.
Q: What needs to be done to restore this station?
A: There is no insulation in any of the walls. There is no drain on the floor in the in the bay — people can slip and fall. One out of three of the sinks works. We don’t have hot water in one of the bathrooms because the pipes are corroding. We’d like to bring back the original brick arch that used to be in the front.
Q: But it looks great from the outside.
A: This past year, the city had enough money to paint the outside and replace boarding that was rotting. But then you come into the station and you start pointing things out, like the windows that look like they’ve been frosted for Christmas only they’ve lost their seals.
Q: Do you need volunteers to help do the work?
A: No. We need money.
Q: How much?
A: Half a million. For people who want to make donations of $15 or more, they can get a t-shirt, or coffee mug. But it would take us 100 years in t-shirt sales to get this station restored. It is going to take corporate donations. That is the only way this is going to happen.
Q: Why did you and the other firefighters here decide to take on this restoration project?
A: This is our legacy. We don’t want anything for it. We just want to say we helped restore this station.
Q: Isn’t restoring it awfully expensive?
A: To build a new station would cost $2 million to $3 million. We can restore it at $500,000 and make it the newest oldest. It’s a no-brainer.
Q: Say the station is restored. What does that mean to the firefighters who work here?
A: It will increase morale. And it would be nice if this had a steamroll effect. Let’s say 19 is now restored. What’s the next station on the list?
Q: What if you don’t get it?
A: You can reach a point where you ask have to ask: Is it worth restoring the station or just building a new one? We don’t ever want to lose the Mayberry firehouse.
To learn more about the restoration effort of Station 19 in Virginia-Highland, or to make a donation, visit www.vhfirecompany.com. For other ways to contribute to Atlanta Fire Rescue, visit atlantafirefoundation.com.
The Sunday conversation is edited for length and clarity. Writer Ann Hardie can be reached by e-mail at ann.hardie@ymail.com.
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