It’s been 51 years since the city’s newest fire station was built on Hospital Street, and Audette said because of the growth in the area and the increase in fire department calls to north Augusta, this station is overdue.

A study by the Matrix Consulting Group in 2008 recommended the department build a new station in the area of Civic Center Drive near Interstate 95. The area is home to the Marketplace at Augusta, a hospital and an under-construction National Guard headquarters, along with several businesses, organizations and public agencies.

The building should last for between 70 and 90 years, Audette said, and it was designed to be expanded if there was a need because of the continued growth in north Augusta.

“It’s highly likely they’ll want to do that down the road,” the chief said. “Look how much has changed in the last 15 or 20 years.”

The majority of the exterior work on the structure, which will have space for the city’s new ladder truck, ambulances, a fire engine and a support vehicle, is complete, and Audette said the inside of the building is starting to take shape.

The new substation will have living quarters including several bedrooms, separate bathrooms for men and women, an exercise area, a kitchen and will provide much-needed space, which is something lacking at the city’s other stations.

"This whole wall is filled with pictures of the station over the years. It's over 100 years old," Mihalyi said.

Since then the technology has evolved, thankfully, but the building remains the same. It's one of the few stations left in the city with a fireman's pole.

This Thanksgiving, between alarms, crews enjoyed one of the best tasting traditions.

"We take great pride that we make everything from scratch, so we bring in turkeys down; we take the carcass, we start making the stock the day before," said Patrick McElroy, the executive chef of the Warwick Hotel.

For more than a decade, staff at the four-star restaurant have prepared a special Thanksgiving feast for the fire crews at Station 11.

"We need to give thanks to the people that have voluntarily stepped away from their families to take care of us, and I think we really need to recognize that," McElroy said.

The proposal will be up for a final vote at the Dec. 13 council meeting.

In a memo to the council sent Nov. 8, Brown identified the potential surplus vehicles as a 1991 Ford tanker, and a 1996 Smeal pumper. Once declared surplus vehicles, Brown and the department are expected to bid the vehicles out for a minimum of $17,500 and a minimum of $10,000 respectively to cover some costs for a new truck.

Brown also intends to place the surplus tag on the department’s 2003 Ford Crown Victoria. The car is a retired Clinton Police Department squad car, and has been used as a CFD training vehicle, according to Brown. After numerous recent trips in the car, Brown doesn’t feel that it can adequately perform at highway speeds, should it need to.

“It’s time to get rid of these vehicles,” Brown told the council Tuesday night. “The market for these trucks is just really not there, but we do have some local interest in them, with two different local fire departments that would like to bid on them. The plan is to put them out to bid, and we’ll accept sealed bids on each vehicle.”

The new trucks were purchased through state rebate money for around $1.1 million, and was planned after the city paid off the Starkville Fire Department's main ladder engine last year.

The introduction of the trucks saw a housing ceremony; a symbolic water transfer from the decommissioned engines; a blessing of the new engines and a call to service with emergency management officials. The new vehicles were anointed by Charlie F. Barnes, and the blessing was given by Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins.

"It's been a long process, but this is awesome," said SFD Chief Charles Yarbrough. "It's the first time since I've been here that we welcomed two new trucks at the same it. It's special."

"This is a banner day for SFD and a banner day for the city," added Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman. "It truly is special to take part in this ceremony for our whole community. Fire trucks are a symbol of civic pride, and I think that's for many different reasons. I think we are filled with pride because they also represent symbols of growing and prosperity. It is the fire service that allows us to grow and prosper as businesses and residences alike feel that Starkville is a safe place to build and have the structures protected by SFD."

As part of his departmental plan, Yarbrough implemented new changes to SFD policies, ranging from revamping the recruitment and hiring process to streamlining the building inspection guidelines and purchasing new equipment on a consistent basis to improve the department.

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