Fire stations often feel like home because they are staffed 24/7. The newest fire station in Folsom is no different. It has a large, commercial-type kitchen, tidy dorms and and areas for relaxing between calls. It also has features not seen in most area fire stations. The glass doors open from the sides which allow faster response times, the layout of the station puts the vehicle bay in the middle of living and sleeping quarters, which also allows faster "turn out" times for firefighters.
What really caught my eye on my visit was the sauna near the weight room. The sauna is nice luxury for sure but I didn't know it also is proven to lower cancer risk for firefighters. I've had two good firefighter friends who fought and succumbed to cancer after decades of exposure to chemicals and debris on the job.
Although breathing apparatus protects the lungs, the sauna, actually pulls contaminants from the skin. Firefighters can do multiple rounds of sauna treatments after a call and reduce their cancer risk. Many Canadian fire agencies use infrared saunas.
There is also special meaning to the color of station 39. Its bright red in remembrance of the firefighters who died on 9-1-1. Take a look around station 39!