Dallas Fire Rescue has finished rebuilding a station that was destroyed in a tornado in 2019. In October 2019, the National Weather Service confirmed a dozen tornadoes touched down across Texas during an outbreak.
One of the tornadoes hit northern areas of Dallas and Richardson. The tornado caused EF-3 damage, hitting dozens of homes and two schools.
"That night was unreal," says Dallas Fire Chief Dominique Artis. "To have such a devastating tornado that ripped from one side of our city to another, but we didn't lose a single person that night."
The tornado also destroyed Fire Station #41 on Royal Lane east of the Dallas North Tollway.
"Our dispatchers were telling us we were hit," Artis says. "Immediately, we went into, 'How is everybody? Is everybody safe?' We had to pull mangled pieces of debris off the truck. Just to know our firefighters were safe was truly a blessing from God. We're thankful for that as well as not having any civilian casualties.
Dirk Nowitzki, who wore #41 when he played for the Dallas Mavericks, attended the opening of the station Thursday.
"I saw the devastation firsthand, not only to this fire station but to the entire area," Nowitzki says. "I'm happy to stand here today and thank all the fire rescue guys and women who keep our community safe and do so much for us. It's a great thing to make Dallas a better and safer place."
Fire Station #41 was first built in 1958. Artis says the replacement is built with the latest technology to aid in firefighters' physical and emotional health. The station was the sixth in Dallas built with a decontamination transition zone.
Firefighters can use the transition zones to shower and leave equipment that may be contaminated with toxins they may encounter on a call before they enter clear spaces.
Artis says the updated station gives firefighters the tools they need to keep serving the community, saying they are grateful to live among neighbors who donated items like towels, food, pots and pans after the storm.
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