Marion City Council approved the just over $1 million purchase of a 5.56 acre property on the north side of Marion to build a new fire station. The Marion Fire Department has long lobbied for a third station to increase safety after a 2015 study by the Center for Public Safety found the department's performance "less than satisfactory". "As we grow, we can't meet those standards, and we need to meet those standards," Deb Krebill, Marion Fire Chief said. "Life and death can depend on seconds, and seconds count." Krebill is especially looking forward to improving response times on the north side where many neighborhoods are covered by fire protection but will take longer to get to in case of an emergency.