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New West Olathe Station 1156 opens with solar array, public art and room for growth
Summary
Captain Joe Folsom of MED ACT described the new West Olathe Station 1156, highlighting three drive-through ambulance bays, a 73-kilowatt roof solar array that offsets on-site power use (with no storage or sell-back), 20 commissioned interior artworks and six bunk rooms for current staffing and future expansion.
Captain Joe Folsom, a captain with MED ACT, led a presentation on the new West Olathe Station 1156, outlining the facility’s design, public-art program, energy setup and operational staffing plans. "Today, we're gonna take a look at the new West Olathe Station 1156," Folsom said.
Folsom said the station’s exterior features commissioned sculptures by local artist Beth Nybeck. "They are entitled Guardian," he said, explaining the pieces are intended to represent first responders as "the guardians of the residents of Johnson County." Inside, the station will display 20 pieces commissioned through the Johnson County Developmental Supports Emerging Artist Program.
The apparatus bay area includes three drive-through bays. Folsom explained that ambulances will pull around the back and drive through those bays, saying that setup is safer than backing in from the front entrance.
On the roof, the station has a 73-kilowatt solar array. "This solar system provides power real time to the station," Folsom said, adding, "We do not store the power on-site, and we also do not sell the power back to the power company." He said overall power use at the station will be offset by what the arrays can produce.
Folsom described the station’s sleeping and staffing arrangements: it includes six bunk rooms and will initially host one ambulance at the location 24 hours a day. He said the additional bunk space is intended to accommodate future growth or to house an extra ambulance during periods of high system demand.
The presentation focused on facility features and operational intent; no formal actions, votes or implementation timelines were announced during the remarks.
