Summit Breaks Ground On New Fire Department Headquarters

SUMMIT, NJ —Summit officials broke ground on Thursday on the new fire headquarters at 301 Broad St.

The 32,000 sq. ft. building is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete and will include eight equipment bays, training classrooms and streetscape simulation areas, decontamination zones, Emergency Operations Center, and a history room.

“The breaking of ground for a new fire headquarters is a significant moment in the history of the Summit Fire Department,” says Summit Mayor Nora Radest. “They are not just physically moving to a new location a few blocks away on Broad Street. The Summit Fire Department is moving forward. The new building will enable them to expand resources and educational opportunities, ensuring the department is stronger and better prepared as we move into the future.”

Research for the project began in 2012 and a final concept for a new fire headquarters was approved by Summit Common Council in 2019. It was designed by architects LeMay, Erickson, and Wilcox. Construction will be completed by Brahma Construction.

“We went through an extremely in-depth value-engineering process during concept development to ensure taxpayers dollar were spent wisely and designs stayed within budget,” explains Fire Chief Eric Evers. “Our new fire headquarters will be constructed with many features that are essential in a modern-day fire station. Today, fires burn hotter, faster and are more dangerous than ever. Having the ability to train on site with training props incorporated into the building design, will give our firefighters the flexibility to pursue training activities that are geared towards successfully handling and surviving those challenges.”