Metuchen Breaks Ground On Emergency Services Hub For Fire, EMS

METUCHEN – After decades of discussion and years of detailed planning, borough officials broke ground Tuesday on a new Emergency Services Center in Metuchen that will consolidate the fire department, EMS, and Office of Emergency Management under one roof.

The 14,000-square-foot facility at One Safety Place will replace the aging firehouse on Middlesex Avenue, which has served the community for more than a century despite never being designed for that purpose.

"This project quickly became one of our top priorities, and with good reason," Mayor Jonathan Busch said at the groundbreaking ceremony. "For decades, generations of mayors, council members, borough employees and volunteers recognized the need for a new, modern home for our fire department, and worked tirelessly to make it happen."

The current firehouse was built in 1916 as a private garage, later expanded and converted to a Department of Public Works facility before the fire department gradually took over the space. At 107 years old, the structure is literally crumbling, according to Busch.

"Its outer walls made from red clay tile instead of concrete crumble whenever water penetrates," the mayor explained. "The electrical and plumbing systems are failing, the roof is deteriorating, and the building simply cannot meet the demand of an emergency service operation."

The former EMS building that once stood at the new site also showed severe deterioration, flooding multiple times over the years before officials determined that piecemeal repairs wouldn't suffice.

Rather than simply replacing the firehouse, borough leaders decided on a more comprehensive approach - bringing all emergency services together in one modern facility.

"The smartest and most forward-looking solution wasn't just to replace the firehouse, but to bring all of our emergency services together under one roof," Busch said.

The search for the right location examined at least half a dozen possible sites before officials settled on the former EMS building location.

Designed by H2M Architects and Engineers from Colliers Engineering and Design, and built by GPC, the new center will feature modern apparatus bays, decontamination areas, training and fitness spaces, and a dedicated emergency operations center.

The project received critical financial support from the state's 18th legislative district delegation. Sen. Patrick Diegnan, Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak, and Assemblyman Sterley Stanley secured $2 million during the 2023 budget cycle.

"This is what happens when all three branches of government come together," Stanley said at the ceremony, noting collaboration between municipal, county, and state levels. "As elected leaders, the main goal of what we do is to make sure that our residents are safe."

Karabinchak emphasized the project's continuity through multiple administrations. "The idea never left Metuchen," he said. "This building is going to be something that's going to be here for perpetuity... for our children's children's children in the future."

Fire Chief Rob Donnan, who has championed the project for approximately 25 years, expressed gratitude for the community's investment.

"We hope this will be a new home for the department that will thrive into the future," Donnell said. "We'll be able to train in-house and have better storage, better generators, all of the modern amenities that we really look forward to."

While celebrating the groundbreaking, Donnan noted that the ribbon-cutting ceremony upon completion will be the most meaningful milestone. "Stay safe and thank you," he concluded.

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