Station 5 opened its doors on Dec. 7 to celebrate 130 years of service with rare behind-the-scenes tours. The firehouse’s historic character was evident throughout, from the wooden newel post on the stairway to the old tower room, which is typically closed to the public.
Senior Deputy Chief Mike Ferreira emphasized the strategic placement of the Touro Street station, noting that its location allows crews to respond quickly to calls on both the north and south ends of Newport.
“In 1895, firefighters would be stationed up in the tower room, watching for fires across the city,” Ferreira explained. Although the tower’s windows have been restored, the interior walls remain unfinished. Ferreira also noted that the original bathrooms were “crude,” built at a time when the department was entirely male. Today, with two female firefighters and the chief’s assistant serving on the 96-member department, the facilities have been modernized.
When Station 5 first opened, horse-drawn apparatuses were the norm. Ferreira pointed out where the hopper for hay feed was located as the tour moved through the first floor past the gear room. Firefighter Nick Insana explained that the stairs were designed to be steep so horses wouldn’t wander up to the second floor. Insana also demonstrated how fire poles provide a much faster way to get from the second floor to the first.
A 2nd-floor room now houses fitness equipment, computers for online training, and a TV. During each shift, firefighters conduct two drills, along with cleaning and maintenance between calls. The department responds to about 7,000 calls each year.
One of Ferreira’s proudest updates involved the department’s innovative team-based CPR approach, which has significantly improved patient outcomes. “Forty percent of our CPR patients are now walking out of the hospital,” he said. “It might not sound impressive, but considering most were DOA, it is really something.”
On Dec. 10, several members of the shift — including Insana, Michael Page, and Kevin Kosinski — were recognized in a ceremony for their life-saving efforts in two cardiac arrest cases.
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