Replacing (2) antiquated firehouses built in the 19th century, the City of Newark made a commitment to build this facility in order to give a new home to (3) fire companies. There was also a need to provide a central dispatch station responding to emergency calls. With an economy of scale, the building provides garage areas, equipment storage rooms, sleeping quarters, kitchens, eating rooms, exercise rooms and office areas. The site has sufficient space for future construction of an additional building for vehicle maintenance and equipment repair. A motor vehicle fueling center was also part of the project requirements.