Houston County breaks ground on new fire station

Houston County broke ground Thursday morning on the first fire station to be built in 28 years.

Stumps stick up from the ground on the empty lot near the intersection of Saddle Creek Road and the Ga. 247 spur adjacent to the Perdue Farms chicken plant. But next year, the property will be home to Fire Station No. 6, which will be the county's largest station and the only one offering an around-the-clock ambulance service.

More than 75 people gathered to watch the first shovels break ground.

"We're very excited that we're being able to expand our service area and increase our protection to the citizens of Houston County," Houston County Fire Chief Jimmy Williams said of the county's eighth station.

The station will provide fire protection to the industrial complex, which includes large employers such as Perdue Farms, Frito Lay, Cemex concrete company as well as residential areas such as the Lea Glen subdivision.

Houston County Commission Chairman Tommy Stalnaker said a fire station has been long overdue in the area, but when a fire broke out in the cooking plant at Perdue Farms last year, "it was somewhat of a wake-up call."

"They have a large number of people employed at any given time because they basically operate 24/7," Stalnaker said. "The closest (fire) station to Perdue (Farms) would be either Hayneville ... or Bonaire. So you've got a pretty good distance either way."

Billowing black smoke from the July 2014 fire drew a multi-jurisdictional response though it was contained quickly and there was little damage and no injuries, Stalnaker said.

In April, commissioners accepted a deal with Perdue Foods, a subsidiary of Perdue Farms, in which the company donated 4.6 acres for the station.

Williams said the station will have three bays on the fire side. The emergency medical services section, on the opposite end, will have a bay for a Houston Healthcare ambulance as well as space for EMS personnel. The building is projected to cost about $750,000 to be paid for with special purpose local option sales tax money from 2012. International City Builders will handle construction, which Stalnaker said will begin in two to three months and take eight or nine months to complete.

"In the past, we've not designed our previous buildings to be conducive to 24-hour coverage," Williams said. "This one will have separate sleeping facilities for the firefighters for 24-hour coverage. It'll have a standard, full kitchen and day rooms and a small reception area for office work."

The county has a mostly volunteer fire department, and stations usually are staffed only during regular working hours or by one person who drives the truck to the emergency call.

Stalnaker said those living near the facility can expect to see lower insurance premiums due to an improved Insurance Services Office rating.

"There will be a significant decrease to what they're currently having to pay," Stalnaker said. "We're excited and pleased we're able to move forward with (building the station). It's long overdue, and we're anxious to get it in operation."

To contact writer Laura Corley, call 744-4334 or follow her on Twitter@Lauraecor.

This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Houston County breaks ground on new fire station ."