Natick Fire Chief Jason Ferschke and his team proudly showed off Fire Station #4 in West Natick on Saturday morning at a long overdue open house & dedication ceremony.

We were lucky enough to get a tour of West Natick Fire Station #4 at 268 Speen St. when it was completed in July 2021. Michael Lentini, the chief at the time, walked us through the 17,000 square-foot station, showing off the brand-new ADA-compliant building and all its bells and whistles including the five double-deep apparatus bays; training areas; enhanced safety measures; and more.

But with COVID-19 protocols still tight back then, a bigger public gathering was delayed.

Select Board member Michael Hickey couldn’t take that much longer, and made a plea at a recent meeting to get the dedication done by year-end. Mission accomplished.

Even after a date was set the timing proved to be a challenge: The firefighters were competing for the local public’s attention vs. the United States men’s soccer team World Cup game on a rainy Saturday morning.

That game, a 3-1 defeat to The Netherlands, didn’t come close to going into extra time. Fortunately, the fire department graciously added extra time to its schedule and accommodated those of us who scrambled over after the match was done (the game could actually be viewed in the cafeteria, Chief Ferschke told me). Oh well, missed the speeches…but did catch up with the fire staff and town leaders.

Visitors toured the station, kids climbed on the vehicles and donned plastic firefighter helmets, and treats were doled out with a bit of holiday decorating mixed in.

#Natick's new(ish) fire station finally has its day https://t.co/WdlOe0x6gJ @NatickFire @Town_of_Natick pic.twitter.com/rdsmZrgghv

— Natick Report (@NatickReport) December 3, 2022