Station Three and Station 16 were celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Station 16 is located at 4209 Shirley Road.
Station 16 is the first new station since 2008. Insurance rates for homeowners in the area began doubling and even tripling, since there was no fire station in the area.
Commissioner Scott Gibbs says that while the new station helps the insurance rates for those who live within five miles, it does a little bit more for the whole county. "Countywide, it helps on the rating," said Gibbs. "And so every time we build a new station, it makes the rating go further down."
Aside from lowering insurance rates for residents in the area, it has a brand new tower truck.
"This is the first one of this type," said Fire Chief David Kimbrell. "We have a straight stick ladder truck... this one is called a tower truck because it has a bucket on the end of it.... You can actually rescue people with this."
Kimbrell said Station 16 had the new tower truck because of tall building in that are in the area. "Probably one of our largest life-loss potentials is that Lanier Village Estates, which is a six and in some areas, seven story building. Our current ladder truck that we've had since 1999 would not reach all of those areas."
Station 16 cost roughly $1.6 million to build.
On Monday afternoon, a new and improved Station Three, located on 4660 Ledan Extension, was also dedicated.
The new fire station
Fire Chief David Kimbrell tries out the new tower truck
Wyatt Gowan, his mother and his father, a fire fighter, get to go up in the tower truck.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2014/4/274341