Ankeny's building a new fire station on the city's north side. City officials broke ground for Fire Stateion No. 3 this (Wednesday) morning on the new station.
"We've had a lot of people move into Ankeny over the past 10 years, and so we're going to get a brand new station, with a brand new ambulance, brand new engine, and a bunch of brand new firefighters," said Fire Chief Jim Clack.
Chief Jim Clack tells Channel 13, WHO-TV they really need it, because the city has grown so much.
Ankeny is the fastest growing city in the Midwest and the 14th fastest growing city in the US.
The new station will be west of I-35, near NE 36th and NE Otter Creek Drive. Chief Clack says last year, they were called out more than 4,000 times, which is a 50-percent increase over their calls from 2009, when the city last built a new station.
Ankeny residents passed a bond referendum in May with an 86 percent approval in support of the project.
“We are proud to break ground today on such an important project for the community,” says Mayor Gary Lorenz. “Building a third fire station is a milestone for Ankeny and a pivotal point in the growth of our city. Public safety is a priority for the Ankeny City Council and by adding a new fire station on the north side of town, we are able to continue to our efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of the entire Ankeny community.”