Members of the Nappanee Fire and EMS departments too part in the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Nappanee fire station, which is scheduled to be completed in September 2025.
Pictured in the front row with the shovels are from left Gus Bautista, Capt. Sandra Witt, Pat Neibert, Assistant Chief Nick Lechlitner, Brandon Collins, Fire Chief Don Lehman, Assistant EMS Chief Steve Heckathorn, Capt. Nate Yoder, Alec Chapman, and Capt. Marvin Stalter.
In the second row are Chris Yoder, Lindsey Yoder, Nick Gaff, Bryce Abel, Michael George and Phil Sumpter. InkFreeNews photos by Keith Knepp.

By Keith Knepp
InkFreeNews

NAPPANEE — If all goes according to schedule, the city of Nappanee will have a new, state-of-the-art fire station in the next 18 months.

City leaders, firefighters and others involved in the planning and building of the new fire station came together on the north side of Nappanee to ceremonially break ground on the multi-million dollar facility, which will replace the existing station, which has become obsolete for the current needs of the department.

The current fire station, which came into service 54 years ago, is attached to city hall. The facility also housed the police and EMS departments until 1991 when a separate building was constructed across Lincoln Street for those two entities.

According to Nappanee Mayor Phil Jenkins, there has been a 67% increase in calls since the fire department moved in to the building in 1970. He pointed out that changes in technology and equipment of both departments necessitate more direct interaction.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Jenkins. “Seven years ago we started looking at how we could merge the fire and EMS into one department and what that facility might look like. We’ve taken several trips to other area fire stations to get an idea of what we wanted in Nappanee.”

The new fire station will be built on North Main Street in the vacant lot to the south of Grace Point Church. It’s pastor, Tom Nelson provided a dedication prayer during the ground-breaking ceremony and also said a few words about the project.

“We are excited about this, and we get to have a new neighbor,” said Nelson. “I’ve had people ask me, ‘what are you going to do on Sunday mornings when the fire alarms go off in the middle of church?’ My answer, of course, is ‘we’re going to do what we always do, we’re going to stop, and we’re going to pray.’”

Jenkins thanked many people who had a hand in the project, including the technical review committee, which worked to select the design/build team. The committee consisted of Todd Nunemaker, city planner; Don Lehman, fire chief; Steve Heckathorn, assistant EMS chief; Jeff Knight, Nappanee clerk-treasurer; and Doug Berger, local engineer.

“Their dedication to find the right team to put this together was done well, and it’s been a joy to see the partnership come together as we build this new fire station,” Jenkins said.

“Today marks a significant milestone in our community’s journey toward enhanced public safety and service,” said Nunemaker. “We are embarking on a project that will greatly benefit our city. … The path of this moment was paved with thorough planning, community engagement and collaborative effort. Our journey began with the identification of 16 potential building sites. Each site was carefully evaluated based on accessibility, community impact and logistic feasibility. … Together we are building a safer, stronger future for our city.”

Lehman talked about the features of the new station, which will include a training tower. It will allow the department to do a variety of simulation exercises. He said there also will be eight dorms in the station for full-time firefighters, as well as a training room that will be able to host outside departments to use for continuing education.

“We will have five apparatus bays that are two-deep,” said Lehman. “We will have a state-of-the-art ventilation system, which we don’t have now. There have been a lot of studies about cancer research, that we as firefighters get in to, including from the diesel fumes. … We’ll have the diesel fumes and contaminants we bring back from fires that will be able to be vented out the building. It will be a safer environment for us.”

Additionally, there will be a “baby box” installed in the back part of the building. It will be one of the only locations in the southern part of Elkhart County for the safe, anonymous surrendering of unwanted babies.

“This is a big day for the city of Nappanee,” said Jenkins. “We continue to grow, and we continue to thrive here in a small community.

The city is hoping the fire station will be ready for operation Sept. 30, 2025.

A sign featuring an artist’s rendering of the new Nappanee Fire Station sits in front of a piece of heavy equipment during the ground-breaking ceremony for the new facility, which will be located on SR 19 next to Grace Point Church.