VIDEO: On April 14, crews officially moved out of Shawnee Heights Fire Station 21 so it could be reconstructed, leaving behind a plethora of memories within those walls. The Sterbenz family is feeling bittersweet about it. The station, formerly Topeka-Tecumseh Fire District, used to house dispatch families. D.C. Sterbenz was born to a TTFD dispatcher in 1981 and lived at Station 21.
During the demolition process, Sterbenz was surprised with a special piece of the building that built himโa concrete slab with his and his sister Heatherโs childhood handprints. When Sterbenz was 3-years-old and his sister was eight, the station had to pull up concrete for plumbing repairs. When the concrete was going back in, the siblings left their marks.
Shawnee Heights Fire Chief Kevin Flory surprised him with the sentimental slab. โWe have so many fond memories of being out there as a kid,โ Sterbenz explained. โI joke with people that Iโm pretty sure at this point in my life, I was convinced that everyone had fire trucks in their garage. I didnโt know any different.โ
A representation of the place that shaped him. โIt was formative to me because obviously I followed the path and I became a firefighter full time,โ Sterbenz explained. Since 2006, it has been sentimental to his wife, Courtney Sterbenz, as well. For 19 years, she has served as an office manager, and ironically, her office was his old bedroom.
So, even though itโs hard to say goodbye, they now have a tangible reminder of the love, the happiness, and the memories of those still here and those who arenโt. โItโs a piece of history, and I think about those folks every time I see this.โ
