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12Centralto stayThe iconic Wellington Central station is to geta $1 million refit, rather than a new stationbeing built elsewhere.Area commander Peter Dempsey said one ofthe problems engineers found was that thebuilding was too rigid. “They need to breakit into three chunks to make it flex in anearthquake.”Under the council’s earthquake-pronebuildings policy, the station currently meetsonly 30% of the building code. The ArtDeco structure was opened on Dec 1, 1937 ,costing £90,000. Originally it was designed tohold nine fire appliances ( they were smaller,then) and to provide accommodation for 12married firefighters and their families, and 33single men.It replaced the station that had been wherethe Michael Fowler Centre now stands. Itsurvived the shaking of the Magnitude 7.2and 5.2 Wairarapa earthquakes of 1942 withno damage reported to the structure.serviceserviceserviceIt has been home to many volunteers fromall over the country who have become careerstaff.Crews and appliances will be placed at otherfire stations while the work is being done.According to career veterans, this is what a real fire station looks like:a Landrover, two pumps, a snorkel and a ladder. It also used to house the CFO’s official car.Photo – Jim Tait.K1