FIRST LOOK: Inside Cutchogue’s new $16M firehouse built for modern firefighting
The polished red floors of the Cutchogue Fire Department’s new apparatus bay, marked with bright yellow lines, reflect rows of fire trucks now housed together in one space — a far cry from the previously cramped, uneven quarters that were falling apart.
The faint smell of fresh paint still lingers inside the new $16 million headquarters, which received its certificate of occupancy in January.
Last week, The Suffolk Times got an exclusive first look during an hour-long walkthrough — from the bright, open lobby to the rooftop generator designed to keep operations running during major storms.
A large American flag hangs in the atrium of the building, which was designed with both present needs and future demands in mind.
Inside the apparatus bay, trucks now sit side by side in clearly marked lanes, with turnout gear neatly organized on rolling racks just steps away — a layout designed to get firefighters moving faster when seconds matter.
“We’re utilizing the space better now where we can move trucks closer to where the crews can get their gear quicker,” first assistant fire chief Chris Dinizio said. “Even if it’s 30 seconds faster, 30 seconds is a big deal in an emergency.”
Chief Mike Boken echoed the importance of the new layout.
“Everything is under one roof now. It’s a lot easier for us to respond in a timely fashion,” he said.
Their first call from the building came Jan. 17 — during the department’s installation dinner — with Mattituck firefighters covering the response, a moment members now joke about as they settle into the new space.
The facility replaces a building officials say had simply reached the end of its life.
“Can’t stress enough how bad the old building was,” Mr. Dinizio said during the tour.
Originally built in 1928 and expanded several times over the decades, the previous firehouse had become a patchwork of additions that no longer met modern standards.
Firefighters worked around cramped, uneven truck bays, lacked an exhaust ventilation system and dealt with persistent leaks — including in the chief’s office, which sat beneath bathrooms prone to water damage.
Every time it rained, the building leaked, with water and tar seeping through the roof into parts of the firehouse, Chief Boken recalled.
As construction began, officials said the extent of the problems became even clearer.
“There were all these unforeseen things when they took the building apart,” said Cutchogue Fire District commissioner Mike Finnican, who oversaw the project.
That included asbestos remediation, which added to both the scope and cost of the project.
The new firehouse, designed by Nemschick Silverman Architects, expands the department’s footprint from about 12,000 square feet to roughly 21,000 square feet.
Chief Boken, who became fire chief for the second time in December 2024 and has been a department volunteer since 1992, said the changes are immediately noticeable for firefighters responding to calls.
“We were running out of truck space,” he said. “The trucks are getting bigger, and we couldn’t keep everything in one building.”
The layout now features three double-wide apparatus bays that can accommodate the department’s roughly 10 emergency vehicles — including two ambulances and four fire engines — all under one roof.
During the tour, longtime volunteer John Hinton stopped by with his wife and grandson and demonstrated how firefighters suit up in turnout gear.
Safety upgrades are visible throughout the three-story brick building, from a modern exhaust ventilation system — with overhead hoses designed to capture fumes directly from trucks — to a full sprinkler system, something the old firehouse lacked.
“We were lucky to get insurance on the other building,” Mr. Finnican quipped.
The building also includes a dedicated decontamination room with a hazmat shower and washing machine, allowing firefighters to clean gear and equipment after returning from calls — a safety feature not available in the previous facility.
On the roof, a large backup generator stands ready to keep the building operational during extended outages, part of a broader effort to ensure the department can respond even during major storms.
The second floor now houses administrative offices, including dedicated space for the Ladies Auxiliary and a long-awaited office for the fire captain.
Chief Boken now has a spacious office — a notable change from the previous building — with a decorative fire ax mounted on the door. The building also includes a large meeting room for district business and community use, along with a dining hall and commercial kitchen capable of serving the department’s 162 members.
The kitchen is designed to support the large communal meals that remain a staple of department life. Officials joked that volunteer Tim Horton, known for his prime rib, will put it to good use.
Notably absent from the new firehouse is a traditional fire pole — a feature often associated with older stations but now considered a liability due to injury risks and insurance concerns, and far less common in modern firehouse design.
Touches of the department’s history remain throughout the building, including framed photographs of earlier firehouses and equipment displayed alongside modern workspaces.
The project ultimately came in slightly above the $16 million bond — narrowly approved by voters in 2022 — which Mr. Finnican attributed to weather-related construction delays and remediation work uncovered during demolition.
Recruitment remains a challenge, officials said, particularly as affordability on the North Fork continues to diminish.
“We get about one new member a month, but it comes in waves,” Mr. DiNizio said. “It’s harder getting younger members because of the cost of living out here.”
Still, officials said the upgraded space — with modern bunkrooms, gathering areas and improved working conditions — is expected to help attract and retain volunteers.
Residents got an early look at the facility on March 14 during Cutchogue’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. An official open house is planned for May, Mr. Finnican said.
“It’s all state-of-the-art for how times have changed,” Mr. Finnican said.
