Des Moines Fire Department Celebrates Grand Opening of New Northside Fire Station #4

Des Moines, Iowa - Friday, May 22, 2026 - After two years of construction, the Des Moines Fire Department honored its past and looked to the future with the grand opening of its new Fire Station #4 building today.

The project, identified by DMFD as the department's highest priority station replacement, brought together City leaders, firefighters past and present, students from King Elementary, and members of the surrounding neighborhood to celebrate the station's grand opening and honor the department's 140-year legacy.

"It's exciting to see this station open and in use," Mayor Connie Boesen said. "This facility not only replaces an outdated fire station, but it will also improve response times and emphasizes firefighter health and safety to improve the quality of life and working conditions for our firefighters."

The state-of-the-art training tower, which is integrated into the building, is a four-story tactical training facility designed to provide on-site, year-round opportunities to better prepare firefighters today and for generations to come.

In addition to improving response times, the new Fire Station #4, located at 1505 Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, was built with technology designed to reduce exposure to carcinogens, enhance decontamination procedures, and support healthier sleep conditions for firefighters during their 24-hour shifts.

"In the short time this station has been operational, it has already proven to be a game changer in helping our crews improve response times to calls and provide better service to our residents," Des Moines Fire Department Chief Jonathan Lund said. "Between the number of safety improvements for our firefighters and the new training tower, this station represents the next generation of firefighter health, safety, and training design."

The station is also equipped with high-performance mechanical and electrical systems designed for long-term resilience and energy efficiency. A geothermal heat pump system will provide efficient year-round heating and cooling, and high-efficiency LED lighting and sensors will reduce energy consumption. Additional design features include a vehicle exhaust capture system, a rooftop designed to accommodate future solar photovoltaic panels, and a design goal of achieving LEED Silver certification.

Contact
Devin Perry
Communications Specialist III, City Manager's Office
(515) 210-3966
[email protected]

About the City of Des Moines
The City of Des Moines is Iowa's capital, and our 17 departments serve more than 214,000 residents and 46 neighborhood associations. Des Moines is a leader in sustainability and provides its residents with vibrant neighborhoods, an active downtown, and abundant leisure opportunities.

Des Moines continuously improves neighborhoods, public safety, and quality of life by offering exceptional city services and reliable infrastructure while fostering an involved and compassionate community for all who visit and live there. Visit DSM.city, Facebook, and X for more information.