Third Fire Station to Expand CLT Safety

The City of Charlotte has broken ground on a third fire station at CLT, with an official ceremony held on May 27.

The new Station 47 will be in the 3800 block of Yorkmont Road, at the southern portion of the airfield, and will join existing Stations 41 and 17 at the Airport.

Approximately 80-100 Charlotte Fire Department personnel are assigned specifically to CLT.

The five-bay facility will house Engine 47, Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) trucks, administrative offices, 22 sleeping rooms, training rooms, a kitchen, a fitness area and more.

“At CLT, our mission is rooted in people, partnerships and productivity – and Firehouse 47 is a powerful example of that mission in action,” said CLT Chief Executive Officer Haley Gentry. “It represents our shared commitment to safety, operational resiliency, and serving the millions of passengers and employees who rely on this Airport every day.”

Enhanced Safety, Response Times

The nearly 54,000-square-foot facility is being built to meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements in preparation for the new Fourth Parallel Runway, which is under construction and scheduled to open in fall 2027.

The Charlotte Fire Department will use Station 47 for both aircraft and structural fire rescue. Its strategic location (closest to what will become the two easternmost runways) will optimize response times and enhance safety on the growing airfield and terminal by eliminating the need for responders to cross active runways.

The FAA specifies a response time of three minutes or less for the first piece of equipment and under four minutes for the second.

“It comes down to safety,” said CLT Airport Division Chief Justin Field. “If there’s an emergency at the terminal, these folks have direct access.”

“When emergencies happen at an Airport, seconds matter, access matters, coordination matters,” added CFD Fire Chief Reginald T. Johnson. “This is a major step forward for firefighter safety and Airport operations. The firefighters who serve here will train every day for highly complex incidents that require skill, teamwork and precision under pressure.”

Here’s how CLT will split its fire station coverage:

Station	Runways	Terminal	Vehicles
47	1R-19L, 18-36	Primary Responder	Battalion 8, Engine 47, 3 ARFF Trucks
41	1L-19R, 1C-19C (new)	As Needed	Home to Air Natl. Guard (ANG), 3 ARFF Trucks
17	Surrounding Area	As Needed	ANG Engine, Ladder Truck, RAMP 17 Rapid Action Multi-Purpose Truck

RAMP 17 In Action

A new firefighting apparatus developed entirely in-house at CLT is already being put to the test.

The RAMP 17 truck is an innovative tool for tackling parking-deck, electric-vehicle and restricted-area fires. It was recently used to extinguish a tug fire in the baggage-processing area under the terminal.

This F-350 can be operated by a single firefighter and has been custom retrofitted with a 60-gallon compressed-air foam system, eight car-fire blankets (each weighing 65 pounds), hose couplings and fittings, fire extinguishers, a specialized EV undercarriage nozzle and an EV-safe plug.