Our video tour of the new Viroqua fire station with Fire Chief Chad Buros ahead of ribbon cutting/open house.

Nov. 5, 2025

VIROQUA, Wis. — After a three-year journey, the City of Viroqua Fire Department will celebrate the completion of its new $9.5 million facility with a Ribbon Cutting and Open House on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.. The new 26,000-square-foot station, located at 911 Nelson Parkway, represents a major upgrade designed to meet the growing safety and operational needs of the community and surrounding townships.

Last month, just about a week before the fire department moved into the new building we took a tour with Fire Chief Chad Buros.

Addressing capacity and safety

The necessity for a new fire station stemmed from the Viroqua Fire Department outgrowing its former facility, which began its life as a beer distributor’s warehouse. While volunteers utilized the old building for decades, it eventually proved insufficient, particularly as the department’s call volume doubled in recent years.

You can watch our interview with Chief Buros from Oct or 2023 at the old fire station here.

Viroqua Fire Chief Chad Buros emphasized that the existing station had deficiencies, including capacity issues stemming from the equipment needed to serve the city and the three neighboring townships (Franklin, Jefferson, and Viroqua).

Furthermore, the lack of proper separation and ventilation in the old facility posed a severe “health and safety” issue for firefighters returning from calls with contaminated gear. With the city expecting significant housing growth, including the Northpointe workforce housing project and other developments, the department required a building prepared for the future.

A complex funding and construction process

The project, which began in 2022, faced financial hurdles that required extensive collaboration and creativity. The final approved budget for the project was $9,527,000.

Key points in the financing process include:

• Federal Grant: The city secured a $5.25 million USDA Community Facilities Grant through Congressionally Directed Spending funds through Senator Tammy Baldwins office, which provided the crucial initial investment.
• Township Partnership: To bridge the funding gap, the fire department successfully approached the three townships it serves—Viroqua, Franklin, and Jefferson—who collectively contributed $900,000, equally split.
• City Contribution: The City of Viroqua was responsible for covering the remaining $3.3 million.

Crews, led by architect and construction manager Keller, Inc., began moving dirt in late July 2024. Despite the complexities of construction, Chief Buros noted there were “no major delays” as Keller was adept at “changing things up, so we didn’t lose time”. The physical move-in process began recently, with trucks and gear being relocated, and the department started responding out of the new location last month.

Focus on functionality and the future

Chief Buros described the new facility as the “first building that was designed as a fire station to accommodate modern technology, larger equipment and include features to keep firefighters safe”. The structure was intentionally planned for the long haul: “We’re building not to replace for today, it’s to be prepared for 50, 60, 70 years”.

Key features and benefits highlighted by Chief Buros include:

• Improved Safety and Efficiency: The new station features a specialized room for gear, better washrooms, and superior ventilation to handle contaminants, addressing previous health and safety concerns. The larger apparatus bays, featuring doors on both sides, eliminate the issue of stacking vehicles, ensuring faster response times. Buros stated the operational improvements are a huge relief, noting: “There’s good excitement about the functionality. No squeegeeing the floor, no worries about clipping mirrors while leaving or entering the equipment bay”.
• Focus on Functionality: The design committee focused heavily on practical use, with Buros saying, “We concentrated on functionality. We wanted to spend money on function … and help members do their job”. Reducing the stress of minor operational issues “makes room for the real stress of going on calls”.
• Training and Recruitment: The expanded space includes a larger training room and integrated onsite training in collaboration with Western Technical College. Furthermore, the station includes sleeping rooms, preparing Viroqua for potential growth toward a full-time department, while helping maximize the use of volunteers for as long as possible.
• Community Asset: The new station includes a public welcome center and space for other city departments, like zoning and building inspection. The chief emphasized that the open house is for the community, saying, “Our house is their house”.

The front entryway of the new station will feature a piece of local history: a 1947 American La France engine—one of the city’s first motorized engines—which will be a center focus visible through the windows. The Chief views the station as vital for the city’s future, stating, “It’s a new chapter… The city is growing … and there will be changes”.