GREENFIELD — Residents and firefighters gathered with local and state officials Monday morning to celebrate the opening of the new Fire Station at 41 Main St., an approximately $21.7 million project that took more than two years to complete.

A crowd of roughly 50 cheered as Mayor Ginny Desorgher and Fire Chief Robert Strahan stood next to firefighters to cut the ribbon at their new station, putting an end to the department’s 920-day stay at its temporary station on Hope Street.

“This station stands as a powerful testament to our commitment to public safety in Greenfield,” Desorgher said. “Our Fire Department, along with our police and first responders, are a courageous force and do great work every day in our community. When there is danger, they are the courageous force that rushes in with a helping hand.”

Many of the station’s design elements, such as the keystones in the front entrance arch and a few windows on the station’s facade, were taken from the department’s original 412 Main St. station. Strahan mentioned the Fire Department even changed the new location’s address from 39 to 41 Main St., as an homage to the original station.

Speaking before the crowd, Strahan said that while the “state-of-the-art” facility honors the past, it also features modern upgrades such as an emergency command center, training wall and Zoom-capable dispatch office. He noted that the station’s design prioritized firefighter safety, featuring a decontamination center where firefighters can cleanse themselves of the carcinogenic chemicals they’re exposed to on the job.

Strahan mentioned that while most residents refer to Greenfield Fire Department’s new headquarters as a fire station, firefighters call it the “firehouse,” as most firefighters spend more time at the station than they do at their own homes.

“The fire service is rich with tradition and we pay our respect to the brave men and women who came before us. The firehouse is a physical representation of our firefighters — a station like a firehouse is strong and steadfast, it never wavers and stands proud even during difficult times. It’s a place that you can count on,” Strahan said. “The design of this building reduces the effects of cancer-causing products that are seen in our profession by limiting contaminants that enter the living space.”

Other stakeholders in the construction project, such as Fire Station Building Committee Co-Chair Butch Hawkins, Construction Monitoring Services Project Manager Neil Joyce, Public Safety Committee Chair David Moscaritolo, and Koby Gardner-Levine, regional manager for U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, spoke of the project’s completion as a testament to the community’s strength and collaborative effort. Additionally, City Council President John Bottomley, David Goodsell of D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc., and Dennis Ross of the architectural engineering firm H2M made brief remarks celebrating the project’s completion.

“We are not a wealthy city, yet we prove that we can still do big things. Thank you to Chief Strahan and all of those who worked hard to make this possible. On behalf of the Greenfield City Council, congratulations,” Bottomley said.

Before officials cut the ribbon and the crowd made its way to Giorgio’s Pizza for a catered lunch, the Rev. Michael Pierz blessed the station, the Fire Department and all of the residents present.

“You are the answer to many prayers,” Pierz said, addressing the firefighters.

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.