Boston: Mayor Wu, Fire Commissioner Burke Cut Ribbon On Engine 17 Firehouse

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BOSTON - Friday, September 27, 2024 – Today, Mayor Michelle Wu joined Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke, elected officials, the City's Public Facilities Department, and Dorchester community members at the official ribbon cutting of the newly constructed Engine 17 Firehouse. Located on historic Meetinghouse Hill in Dorchester, Engine 17 responds to incidents in Dorchester and Roxbury and parts of South Boston. The new firehouse was built in a former parking lot next to the old firehouse, and is designed to benefit firefighters' health and wellness on the job. The original building opened in 1928. The City allocated $30 million toward its design, construction, and public art to be displayed in the new building.

Today's event also served as a memorial dedication to the late Marie Conley, a mother and traffic supervisor from Dorchester. She served the community at the intersection of Parish and Winter Streets, steps from Engine 17 and the Mather School. On October 21, 2008, Marie shielded a student from an on-coming vehicle, saving their life. In doing so, Marie was critically injured and passed away from her injuries. A memorial was erected at the intersection of Parish and Winter Streets, near the sidewalk by the new firehouse, to honor her heroism. Her son, Chris Conley, now serves this community as a firefighter at Engine 17.

"The opening of Engine 17 is an investment in the wellbeing of our firefighters and the life-saving work they do for our residents," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "Just as this state of the art facility celebrates the heroism of our fire department, the new memorial for Marie Conley honors her selfless, life-saving act for all future generations to visit. I'm grateful to all our city departments and partners who helped make this firehouse and memorial a reality."

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"We are grateful that the memory of our mother not only remains strong but is now stronger with this memorial of her sacrifice to this community," said the Conley family, who were in attendance today. "We'd like to thank all those involved that made this memorial possible."

Mayor Wu attended the groundbreaking of the new Engine 17 facility in February 2023 and the topping off ceremony in June 2023. The new fire facility's design employs the Boston Fire Department's nationally recognized health and safety standards, which create red, neutral, and green hazard zones to protect firefighters from health hazards.

"This new firehouse was designed and built with the firefighters' health and safety as a top priority. Additionally, it has many energy saving features that will substantially reduce the carbon footprint of the firehouse it is replacing," said Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke. "This firehouse will be a national template for combining firefighter safety and energy efficiency protecting both the firefighters who occupy it, and the environment we live in. I would like to thank Mayor Wu for her support of this new firehouse that will serve the Boston Fire Department and residents of Boston for decades to come."

Features of the firehouse include energy-efficient boilers and two apparatus bays, one facing Winter Street and one chief's bay on Parish Street. Other features include second-floor spaces such as an open-concept kitchen and dayroom, fitness area, lockers, and sleeping and office spaces. Large windows introduce daylight into program spaces and create a welcoming entrance to the building. The design uses brick and stone to complement the surrounding area.

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"It has been inspiring to see this firehouse open, because I know that the community has been eagerly engaged in this process," said City Councilor John FitzGerald. "This project shows how successful we can be towards further improving our world class services when the city and residents work hand-in-hand. I hope that we continue to build off of this progression in order to further build more state-of-the art firehouses and other emergency response resources in order to meet the demands of our growing city."

"I was proud to push for Engine 17 to be built, and I'm thrilled to see the design and construction process pay off with this new firehouse," said City Councilor Brian Worrell. "I know the men and women of BFD all deserve a high-quality work environment and I'm hopeful this firehouse can serve as a blueprint for future firehouses across the city. Investments like these in public safety signal the importance of first responders to our neighborhoods and will help bolster our recruitment efforts across our city."

This new facility will also include a public art project as part of the Percent for Art program, which diverts one percent of the City's annual capital borrowing budget for the commissioning of public art. The artwork is currently in development and is anticipated to be completed and installed by 2026.

"The Public Facilities Department is honored to contribute to the construction of this state-of-the-art firehouse, designed with the health, safety, and well-being of our firefighters as a top priority," said Carleton Jones, Executive Director of the Public Boston Facilities Department. "We are particularly proud to commemorate the memory and legacy of Marie Conley, whose heroism and selfless dedication will forever inspire all who pass by this memorial."

This is only the second firehouse built in Boston over the last 40 years. A new Engine 42 in Egleston Square opened in 2021. The Engine 17 building was designed by Annum Architects. J&J Contractors, Inc. served as the general contractor. The Boston Fire Department and the City of Boston Public Facilities Department collaborated to make this project a reality.

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