TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – The department is not calling it a full closure, but a Toledo Fire station will no longer have 24/7 coverage and emergency response.
Fire department leaders said this comes after a new contract with its union members. Those union members say it’s actually going to become a safety issue.
The major changes are happening near Point Place on Chase Street near Suder Avenue. With new ambulances coming into service, Toledo’s fire chief said a shift needed to happen.
The Toledo Fire and Rescue Department opened Station 12 in 2015. In 2025, it will no longer have 24/7 staffing or emergency response from there on Chase Street.
The I-TEAM asked Chief Allison Armstrong if it was tough to close a station that is only 10 years old.
“I don’t like to use the word close, right? We are redeploying that apparatus, so now there will not be a 24-hour response from that station. Well, it’s not an emergency response station, but we are using the station,” said Chief Armstrong.
With two more ambulances coming into service after the city’s newest contract with its fire union, Chief Armstrong is pulling personnel and fire apparatus from Station 12.
“It’s a balancing act of trying to deploy the resources I have throughout the city of Toledo to provide the best coverage possible for the entire community,” said Chief Armstrong.
Chief Armstrong said data shows this station had the lowest run volume and that the entire area around that station has lower numbers. Neighboring fire stations will provide emergency response when anyone calls 911.
The department also said one of the complicating factors of the station on Chase is the train tracks that are just down on Suder. The department said there are times when their engines and their rigs cannot get past the train. The I-TEAM asked Chief Armstrong if it was a good spot to put a fire station.
“I was not here when that station was built. I don’t have all the background information on that project. I don’t know what was assessed or not assessed,” said Chief Armstrong. “I am not going to second-guess another chief or another city administration.”
Toledo’s firefighter union criticized the move in a statement, saying this move brings them down from 18 fire engines to 17. The union said in that statement: “The issue the public needs to know is the danger that this brings onto them.”
If the department hits the staffing number of 117 each day, then Station 12 will be manned. Chief Armstrong said it will still be used for training and administrative offices. They’re not locking the doors, but on most days, no one will be responding to a 911 call from Station 12.
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-09-30 18:33:00
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