News & Notices

Huntington firefighters, city officials and local residents celebrated a major milestone in the construction of the Flaxmill Road fire station with a beam-topping ceremony on Tuesday, June 16.

A beam-topping ceremony is a long-standing construction tradition that marks the placement of a building’s highest structural beam. Historically, a small evergreen tree and American flag are affixed to the beam to symbolize good luck and safety – both for the construction workers and the future occupants of the building.

The practice of placing an evergreen on the top beam traces its roots over centuries to Northern Europe. One explanation of the origin is that the tree’s needles would fall in due time, which indicated the wood in the structure had dried sufficiently to enclose the new building.

Immigrants brought the tradition to America, where an American flag is often placed next to the evergreen tree to symbolize national pride. The Huntington Fire Department added a special touch by having firefighters and city officials sign the beam before it was lifted into place during Tuesday morning’s ceremony.

With the final beam set, the station’s structural framework is essentially complete and construction can move into its next phases. Roofing, windows and interior structures are next in line.

“From here on, the project’s really going to get moving,” Fire Chief Tony Johnson said.

The department broke ground on the new station in September 2025 at 1005 Flaxmill Road. The two-story, approximately 17,750-square-foot structure is designed with a focus on firefighter safety, rapid response and advanced training.

Features will include:

• A location near major thoroughfares and growing industrial areas, improving response times citywide.
• Advanced air filtration and decontamination systems to protect firefighters returning from emergency calls.
• Positive pressure air locks to separate the fire bay from living quarters, minimizing firefighters’ exposure to contaminants.
• A dedicated training tower for realistic fire and rescue simulations.
• Expanded, modernized living quarters, administrative offices and community meeting spaces.

“This new station will enable our dedicated firefighters to respond to our growing north side with greater speed and efficiency, while still maintaining quick access to our downtown and east side neighborhoods,” Chief Johnson said.

Progress continues to move ahead toward a 2026 opening. The Huntington Fire Department anticipates beginning operations on Flaxmill Road by late fall or early winter.

When it opens, the Flaxmill Road station will replace the aging Condit Street station, which is nearly 50 years old. The department will also continue operating the Etna Avenue station on the south side.