Wearing a red plastic firefighter's hat, 2-year-old William got to sit in the driver's seat of the big truck and later devour a hot dog and chips for lunch.

William and his fellow youngsters enjoyed good footing -- in addition to the good eating -- while romping on the non-skid surface as Fire Chief Bruce Pagan gave his welcoming speech.

"It's fantastic," William's father, Dave, said of the $1.2 million state-of-the-art facility on Farrington Road just off N.C. 54 and Interstate 40.

Moms were quick to put their children on the truck's massive front bumper for pictures. "I think it's great," said Keri Van Scoyoc as she prepared to take snapshots of her 2-year-old son, Karson. "We're really excited about it." Asked why children are fascinated with fire stations and trucks, she replied with a smile, "I think it's the lights." "Little boys, they love anything with wheels," said Andrea Huffman, whose 2-year-old son, Luke, also was having fun with the big rig.

Both Keri Van Scoyoc and Dave Kohn said they appreciate the main reason for the station: faster response times to their nearby homes. "We've actually been incorporated into Durham city, even though we have a Chapel Hill address," Kohn said. "So it's kind of ironic, but now we're getting some things in return," including an elementary school, he added. Construction of Fire Station No. 16 began in January and was completed in October, Pagan said.

The station was needed, Pagan said, due to rapid growth in the southwestern part of the city the past two to three years as well as solving the Fire Department's concern over increased response times.

The next closest station is Station No. 6, located at Hope Valley and Swarthmore roads, Pagan said, meaning a response time of as much as eight to 10 minutes toward the southwest. "We can just about cut that response time in half," he said, referring to Station 16.

Battalion Chief Scott Roberts was quick to point out the additional benefits and features of Station 16 for folks of all ages and walks of life.

Firefighters at Station 16 are specially trained in Urban Search & Recovery (US&R), Roberts said, meaning they can respond to man-made or natural disasters throughout the area and the rest of the Tar Heel state. Durham is grouped with Chapel Hill, Cary and Raleigh in a US&R task force.

But firefighters have plenty to keep an eye on close by: namely the sprawl of the immediate area, which includes businesses, hotels and residences. Roberts attributes the growth, both commercially and residentially, to The Streets at Southpoint mall off I-40. "There was a significant need for coverage out in this area," he said. Research Triangle Park, Cary and Raleigh aren't all that far away, either.

During the welcoming speeches, Durham City Councilman Mike Woodard said he was honored to be present and went on to praise the firefighters. "These guys and ladies are my heroes because 24-7 -- 365 -- they put their lives on the line for us citizens in Durham," he said. "So any chance I get to come and be with them and celebrate with them is a chance that I don't pass up." And the councilman said the occasion was a doubly special one. "We're always very excited in city government when we can use your tax dollars wisely -- for a change -- some of you might say," to provide an important and vital service, he said.

Trout and Riggs Construction Co. was the general contractor for the project. The station's 12 firefighters work in three different shifts, with the building constructed to house four firefighters per shift.