DeKalb County broke ground Wednesday on a $5-million project to replace a fire station built 76 years ago.
The county is constructing a new No. 7 fire station at 1712 Columbia Drive. The two-story, 15,000-square foot building will include new design layouts to better protect firefighters from cross contamination of carcinogens while on the job.
Built in 1945, the current No. 7 fire station lacks space for modern firetrucks, doesn’t include facilities for women and is beginning to deteriorate. Fire Chief Darnell Fullum said the station, which is located at 1776 Derrill Drive, cost $13,000 to construct at the time.
Credit: DeKalb County Fire Rescue
Credit: DeKalb County Fire Rescue
In addition to a facility upgrade for first responders, the new station will also include a community and exercise room.
“Stations, especially today, are more than just a place to house firefighters and firetrucks,” Fullum said Wednesday at a news conference, adding that a nearby church used to use the previous fire station for services.
The new No. 7 station is the first of several the county will build using Special Purpose Local Optional Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds, according to a news release. The county currently operates 26 fire stations.
DeKalb received roughly $388 million in SPLOST revenue over a six-year period, which will be used to improve county infrastructure, parks, public safety and roads. More than $101 million was allocated for police, court and fire department projects.
More information on those projects is available at dekalbsplost.com.
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