by Wesley Harris
Ruston’s new Fire Station No. 2 at 1609 West California Avenue is nearing completion after city officials conducted a final walk-through of the facility this week.
Mayor Ronny Walker said only a few items remain, including the arrival of furniture, and the city expects to announce an opening date soon.
The new facility will replace an obsolete station built in 1949 at 1010 West California that is too small to accommodate modern fire trucks. The old station has only one bay, leaving no room for multiple fire trucks or an ambulance.
The new facility of 10,000 square feet was built with $4.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, often referred to as “COVID money.”
The new station will include ambulance service. Currently, ambulances responding to southwest Ruston come from the main station on East Georgia Avenue.
Walker said the number of firefighters assigned to the station will be determined by the fire chief but six or seven bunks are available for personnel.
Alderman Bruce Siegmund said the station should provide quicker emergency response, place an ambulance closer to the surrounding neighborhood, and potentially help with fire insurance rates.
“It’s nothing but a win,” Siegmund said.
The new station will be dedicated in honor of the late Fire Chief Chris Womack who passed away November 18, 2025 following a battle with cancer. Womack began his career with the Ruston Fire Department in the early 1990s and steadily worked his way up the ladder, ultimately holding the position of Fire Chief for more than a decade.
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