DUBLIN, Ga. — The city of Dublin said their third fire station has been in the works for about 50 years, and on Monday, they finally broke ground on it.
They said they hope to open the new Northside Fire Station in May 2025, at 1317 North Jefferson Street.
The main message at Monday's groundbreaking was: it's about time!
"It's gonna be a huge impact," Dublin Fire Chief Matthew Cutler said. "[For] us to be able to get to an area that we have been struggling to get here on time - because in an emergency, seconds count."
He said quick response times could literally save lives, and with how the city's population has grown in the north end of town, there's a lot of room for improvement.
"Because we've got on one side, we've got railroad tracks and the congestion of downtown from southside. And then coming from Shamrock Station on the westside, we have two school zones that we have to maneuver," Cutler said. "So depending on traffic, the response times are seven to nine minutes and that's just too long."
When you see fire trucks rolling down the street, they're answering a lot more than just fire calls. Cutler said the greatest number of calls they get are for car wrecks, but they help with all kinds of emergencies.
"We respond to wires that go down, trees that go down during storms. If there's a child or someone that's locked in a vehicle," Cutler said.
Juanita Drew lives in the north end of town and said she's excited to see another station not too far from her house.
"I think it's gonna be safe. We're gonna be safer, much safer," Drew said.
She said just being closer to a station gives her more peace of mind.
"Not all that long ago, the house right across the street from me did catch on fire. And there was a quick, very quick response time by the fire department. But it could've been a lot worse," Drew said.
Cutler said it's their goal with the new fire station to make their response times less than half of what it currently is for northside residents.
"We want all residential areas to have similar response times. And that's the biggest, the biggest thing that this station will do," Cutler said.
Joletha Dixon is the administrative assistant to the fire chief, and has worked for Dublin's Fire Department for 44 years. She said everyone at work is excited about a new fire station, because firefighters spend so much of their time at work.
"It is a family bond, because like I say, we - the firemen - they work like 24 on, and 48 off, but for a third of their lives, they're at the fire department," Dixon said.
The new station will cost $3,065,340. The city received a grant from Sen. Jon Ossoff for $1.82 million dollars to cover part of it, and they plan to cover the rest with SPLOST funds.
The station will be a 6,500 square foot build, with room for up to four fire vehicles. It will have living and sleeping space for six firefighters, along with offices and a radio room. It will also include a kitchen, dining space, and a weight and exercise room.