The new station, located on Tuson Street, includes four vehicle bays, new safety features, and automatic doors.

Brigade captain Rob Starrick said the needs of the station over the next 50 years were factored into the precinct's design.

"When we designed it we looked at anything that we might need in the next 50 years," he said.

"This is the third time we've had a new station in Ararat and the last one lasted 50 years. We're hoping this one will last 50 years too."

Some of those features that will help it last include safety beacons on the footpath that warn pedestrians and drivers a truck is about to drive out.

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"It gives us automatic doors out the front with red beacons so people can stop when they light up and people can see the doors are opening and a truck is coming out," Mr Starrick said.

"People will also hear the siren that's back up and running, and they will know when there's a fire in the area."

An unexpected advantage of the larger facility is that it makes social distancing easier to practice.

"It's given us more space with COVID-19," Mr Starrick said.

"We're setting up two different areas where we put our gear so we can eliminate close contact as much as possible," he said.

"With COVID-19 it's only a certain amount of members that can turn up. Just because we have this bigger station it doesn't mean we can have more people.

"We're only putting four in a truck and two in the vehciles, so social distancing is still a part of things down there."

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