Mayor Craig Greenberg has plans to build a new fire station in his latest budget proposal, with female firefighters being a priority.Greenberg said that, with Derby over, the city's focus is intensified on the upcoming budget. You can see the mayor and fire chief's full statements in the player below.Included in the proposed budget will be funding toward a new fire station for Louisville Fire Department Engine 23 in the Iroquois neighborhood.Three million dollars toward the new firehouse construction would be in the 2025 budget, with another $3 million to come in the 2026 budget."They're willing to put their safety and their lives at risk to help protect others. And for far too long in our city, Louisville Fire Department has been underfunded and our firehouses have been in disrepair," said Greenberg. The main reason for the new firehouse is that the current one cannot house female firefighters.Louisville Fire Chief Brian O'Neill said it was unacceptable to have a fire station that can't support female firefighters living there."We need facilities that contribute to the daily health and wellness of our firefighters," said O'Neill. "If you think about your firefighters, we work a schedule that's 24 hours on, 48 hours off. So, one third of our lives is spent here serving the community. And we want those to be modern facilities that contribute to their health and well-being."O'Neill emphasized that gender-neutral areas such as unisex bedrooms and bathrooms are needed to properly house all firefighters.Engine 23 became a focus because of the age and size of the building, which was built in the early 1950s. "We've got a lot of problems when it comes with our facilities," said O'Neill. "The Louisville Fire Department is the third oldest professional fire department in the United States. That comes with a lot of history. We're very proud of that. But that also comes with a lot of age, a lot of wear and tear. We have six of our stations that are older than 100 years."Architectural designs and location procurement will be part of the process. Plus, O'Neill said computer software will be used to determine the exact best spot for the new firehouse that will keep operations as efficient as possible.He thanked Greenberg for the new station and existing station improvements being included in the budget."We're seeing great improvements," said O'Neill. "I invite you to please come down to our fire station, at 18th and Garland to see the improvements there. It's impressive. If you go by Floyd and Jefferson, the new windows that are up there, it's impressive. we're making changes, and we're continuing to press forward."The city is also directing some of the last budget's surplus to new fire engines, a new truck and building improvements at four firehouses.Budget hearings for the mayor's more than $1 billion proposal are supposed to start this week.