LORAIN, Ohio — Lorain firefighters are trading in their fire hoses for hammers and nails to help rebuild Garfield Park next to station number four, which was built in 2019.
“It's been here probably the last 50 years. The only thing the park had in it was an old swing bay,” said Lori Garcia, Lorain Director of Public Property.
Garcia says shortly after the station’s build, Mayor Jack Bradley approved grant money from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that fueled the idea to build the park.
“[We] thought what would be cooler other than a playground that is totally fireman themed to go with about the fire station?”
The park will include an actual fire truck, a fire station pole, a teeter-totter and an interactive fireman control board with a fire station radio, lights and a siren.
“Kids can pretend to be a fireman,” Garcia said.
Bradley added, “by getting children, interacting with fire equipment in a playground atmosphere, maybe we can recruit some firefighters to come to the city of Lorain and help protect our citizens.”
While this park build is all about fun and building relationships, Bradley says it’s also a way to help beautify and strengthen the community.
“We haven't had a real park department for 14 years in the city of Lorain,” he said. “We’re going to not only improve our parks, but we're going to have activities and make our parks like they used to be in the good old days when I was growing up.”
Phase two of the Garfield Park project is scheduled to start next year, which will include a parking lot, picnic tables and grills.
