Crews Move Into Medford’s New Fire Station 15

Fire crews have officially moved into Medford’s rebuilt Fire Station 15, marking a major milestone in a multiyear effort to modernize the city’s busiest firehouse and expand emergency medical coverage on the city’s east side.

A Milestone in Medford’s Public Safety Buildout

Recent coverage indicates that firefighters began operating out of the new Fire Station 15 during the week of July 8, 2026, as construction entered its final phase. The move places a full engine company and a dedicated medical squad inside the upgraded facility while remaining site work and finishing touches continue around them.

The new station replaces a building that opened in 1975 and served the community for roughly five decades. Publicly available budget documents describe the former facility as facing significant maintenance issues and accessibility challenges, prompting city leaders to prioritize a replacement as the first phase of a broader fire facilities plan.

City financial records show the Fire Station 15 rebuild as a funded capital project with a scheduled completion date in late 2026. Moving crews into the building ahead of that final date reflects a phased approach, allowing front-line operations to transition into the upgraded space even as exterior work and ancillary improvements continue.

Reports on the project describe Fire Station 15 as one of the highest-volume response hubs in Medford, a factor that helped move it to the top of the city’s facilities schedule. The new layout is intended to improve workflows, reduce response times and provide adequate room for modern firefighting and medical equipment.

Funding Mix Draws on Reserves, Fees and Local Taxes

Publicly available information shows that the Fire Station 15 project is supported by a combination of city reserves, utility fees and dedicated tax revenues. Recent coverage notes that the city committed several million dollars from general reserves, supplemented by a modest increase to the municipal utility fee, to move the rebuild forward without a voter-approved bond specific to the station.

Budget documents detail a total project cost in the multi-million-dollar range, with existing revenue streams identified as the primary source. The financing structure fits within a long-term facilities strategy that also relies on limited tax revenue bonds for broader fire system upgrades, while targeting cash and fees toward the most urgent station needs.

Reports also indicate that annual revenue from local marijuana taxes is helping cover ongoing costs associated with staffing and operating the new station. The use of this funding source reflects Medford’s wider approach of channeling portions of emerging tax streams into public safety and community infrastructure.

City planning materials suggest that consolidating funding for the Fire Station 15 rebuild was viewed as a way to address a critical asset while maintaining flexibility for subsequent phases, including a new downtown fire station and updates to older facilities across the city.

Engine Crew and EMS Squad Expand Capacity

Coverage of the move-in describes the new Fire Station 15 as housing a four-person engine crew alongside a two-person Emergency Medical Services squad. That configuration aligns with Medford’s broader EMS Squad Program, first launched several years ago to address rising call volumes with smaller, more agile units dedicated to medical and low-acuity incidents.

According to earlier city announcements on the EMS initiative, squad units are designed to handle a high proportion of medical and “good intent” calls that do not require a full fire engine response. By assigning this work to two-person squads, the department can keep engines available for fires, complex rescues and other high-risk events.

Recent reporting on the Fire Station 15 relocation notes that the station will be one of three Medford facilities to host an EMS squad. Public information from the city describes how each squad absorbs a substantial portion of medical call volume, reducing wear on larger apparatus and extending their service life while maintaining coverage citywide.

The presence of both an engine and a squad at the rebuilt station is expected to increase the department’s capacity to manage simultaneous incidents in the fast-growing east Medford area, particularly during peak hours when medical calls can cluster.

Designed for Growth, Safety and Modern Operations

City budget narratives portray the Fire Station 15 rebuild as an opportunity to correct functional shortcomings in the previous building and accommodate long-term population growth. The new facility is described as larger, with a reconfigured apparatus bay, updated living quarters and improved support spaces that reflect contemporary fire service standards.

Planning documents emphasize the need for safer, more efficient circulation patterns within the station, including better separation between living areas and equipment bays, modern decontamination spaces and improved accessibility. These features are increasingly common in replacement stations across the United States, as departments respond to evolving guidance on firefighter health and workplace safety.

Reports on Medford’s overall fire facilities plan highlight Fire Station 15 as an early test of a phased strategy that will eventually include additional stations and a consolidated fire administration and emergency operations center. Lessons learned during the design and construction of Station 15 are expected to inform those future projects, particularly around space planning and integration of EMS units.

The new station’s location, on the same general site as its predecessor, keeps familiar coverage patterns in place while providing upgraded infrastructure. Public information indicates that the department aims to leverage this continuity to maintain response times during the transition period as crews adjust to the new building.

Part of a Broader Push to Strengthen Community Safety

The move into Fire Station 15 comes as Medford continues to highlight public safety as a core priority in strategic plans and town hall discussions. Recent community events, as described in city summaries, have included updates on the station project alongside other investments in policing, parks and transportation.

News releases from the city over the past year have drawn attention to fully staffed fire crews, successful responses to simultaneous incidents and multiple cases where fire sprinklers and alarms limited property damage. The rebuilt Station 15 is expected to reinforce those trends by giving firefighters and paramedics an upgraded base in one of Medford’s busier service areas.

Regional fire seasons in southern Oregon continue to shape local discussions about readiness and resilience. While Station 15’s primary mission is all-hazards response within city limits, the enhanced facility and staffing model may also support the department’s role in mutual aid and wildland-urban interface incidents during peak summer months.

As work on the surrounding site and final construction details moves forward toward the projected late-2026 completion date, the start of daily operations inside the new Fire Station 15 marks a visible step in Medford’s larger plan to modernize its emergency response network and keep pace with a growing community.