Hattiesburg, Mississippi – After 12 months of construction, the hose has been cut to celebrate the completion of the Hattiesburg Fire Department’s Station #9, located at the intersection of Hwy 49 North and Irby Road.
On Tuesday, May 25, Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker was joined by Ward 1 Councilman Jeffrey George, Ward 4 Councilwoman Mary Dryden, Hattiesburg Fire Chief Sherrocko Stewart, Hattiesburg Assistant Fire Chief Danny Wade and members of the Hattiesburg Fire Department were joined by Shane Germany of Landry Lewis Germany Architects, P.A. and Stephen Bridges with HANCO Construction to commemorate the occasion.
Fire Station #9 will service Northern Hattiesburg. It is approximately 10,000 square feet, accommodating two fire trucks (ladder and pumper), a swift water rescue boat and a battalion chief truck. It sleeps eight with room for growth and expansion if needed. Future plans also include a substation for the Hattiesburg Police Department, to add an additional touchpoint for police response to the northern part of Hattiesburg.
“Station #9 highlights our community’s ability to rise to the occasion, even in tough seasons, and it marks yet another achievement for the best fire department in the state of Mississippi,” said Barker. “We came out COVID-19 stronger and better positioned to advance our city on every front. Today demonstrates our city’s willingness, boldness and habit of going after big things and getting them.”
This project began 10 years ago when the City of Hattiesburg received notice from the State Fire Rating Bureau that a ninth fire station servicing the North Hwy 49 area would be necessary to maintain its Class 4 rating. Shortly after breaking ground on the project, the department received notification that it had moved from a Class 4 to a Class 3.
“This is a great day for the Hattiesburg Fire Department, but also for the citizens of Hattiesburg,” said Stewart. “It will help us increase our capacity to serve residents who live in North Hattiesburg and continue our trajectory as the best fire department in the State of Mississippi.”
Benefits for a new station servicing north Hattiesburg include:
- Better insurance rates for businesses.
- Decrease response times to under 5 minutes (currently, it averages between 6-12 minutes).
“This station will provide quicker response times to emergencies and a better fire rating which will result in lower insurance,” said Wade. “Cutting a ribbon signifies the beginning of something new; and today, Chief Stewart cutting a section of 3-inch fire hose with an extrication tool that our firefighters use each and every day to save lives brings the purpose of today closer to home. It’s a good day, and it’s another example of our community’s commitment to taking everything to the next level.”
The financing for this project began in 2018 with the announcement of a 3-mill increase for the Fiscal Year 2018 budget – one of which was obligated to pay for Fire Station #9. Since that time, city administrative officials have worked diligently to find a location, create specs that match the needs of the Hattiesburg Fire Department, navigate the design and construction bidding processes and bringing the project to completion.
The total cost for Fire Station #9 is $2.3 million, financed on a 5-year note, with debt service coming from the millage increase passed in the Fiscal Year 2018 budget.
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REFERENCE LINKS
- May 2020: Hattiesburg Breaks Ground on Ninth Fire Station
- January 2021: Fire Station #9 on Track to Open Spring 2021
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