The old station, built in 1981 and located around the corner on State Road 19, was a simple square building with cramped living and working areas.
“It was tight. We had to park the truck outside, that’s how cramped we were,” said Fire Chief Jim Dickerson.
The old building was originally a school board maintenance building and later became a fire station.
Built specifically as a fire station, the new building can withstand hurricane-force winds and includes an emergency generator and energy-efficient LED lighting.
“It’s a hardened facility,” Dickerson said. “It should be a 50-year building. Now, we don’t have to evacuate during a storm.”
With the emergency generator, firefighters can man the facility if power goes out. The comfort level for firefighters is also greater with large bedrooms, a day room including comfortable recliners and a full kitchen.