New fire station opens its doors in Soldotna
Published 4:30 am Friday, July 31, 2026
The Kenai Peninsula Borough celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week for its new citizen-supported Central Emergency Services (CES) Fire Station 1.
The celebration took place July 24 at the new facility located at 265 Wilson Lane in Soldotna, and featured an open house which allowed the public to tour the building and meet CES personnel. Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche and Fire Chief Roy Browning spoke prior the the ribbon cutting and CES chaplain Frank Alioto delivered the invocation.
“Today isn’t just about opening a new fire station. It is about honoring nearly 70 years of people who made this day possible,” said Browning. “On behalf of the men and women of Central Emergency Services, thank you for joining us as we dedicate and commission our new Station #1 headquarters.”
The event marked an important moment in the community’s history, as the 26,665-square-foot facility will serve 25,000 residents, as well as visitors. The station has 10 sleeping units for crews and includes 10 bays for fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.
“As citizens, you have expressed your support for fire and EMS services clearly through the years while wisely fighting to keep this government lean and mean, providing only priority services that you have asked for with your precious tax dollars,” Micciche said in his opening remarks.
“This facility is yours — we are only here to serve you and we are deeply grateful to you for your active support in the construction of this functional, beautiful CES Station.”
Micciche added that his government’s motto is to provide the best quality services that the community has requested at the lowest cost possible to tax payers.
The previous CES headquarters was originally built as a community hall in the late 1950s before being expanded in the early ‘80s. The service area’s growing EMS needs had outgrown the small and aging facility, which was also expensive to maintain.
The new station houses up to 12 EMS personnel — three times as many as the previous building. Station 1 also includes additional storage or equipment and supplies used by four other stations across the expansive fire service area.
“Thank you for believing in your fire department, thank you for supporting this project, and thank you for placing your trust in us,” said Browning. “We understand the responsibility that comes with that trust, and we will continue working every day to earn it.”
The facility also has additional parking that accommodates the station’s vehicles, crew, and the public, which is a much-needed upgrade from the old space which was inadequate and shared with the Soldotna Police Department.
Blazy Construction was the lowest bidder and built the fire station for approximately $18 million, which was funded through a bond approved by voters in October 2022, while local architectural firm K&A Design Studio designed the facility.
CES covers the majority of the central peninsula from Kasilof through Soldotna and past Sterling, as well as the entire Funny River Road area, and responds to approximately 2,000 emergency called per year.
