Bulldozers begin to clear the land for the new 19,148 Riner fire station that is slated to be ready a year from now. County officials said that the department has long outgrown its current facility.
Montgomery County celebrated the start of the yearlong project that will result in a new station for the Riner Fire Department.
Citizens, county officials and of course, firefighters—some of which were called to duty just before the festivities began—were on hand to celebrate the clearing of the land on Riner Road where the 19,148-sqaure-foot facility will reside this time next year.
As bulldozers cleared part of the 46-acre plot, county officials wearing fire hats “broke ground” with ceremonial red shovels.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Chris Tuck lauded the volunteers that make up the emergency services in the county, praising their service as an asset to the county in more ways than one.
“If we didn’t have volunteer EMS, we would need a 17-cent tax increase to afford their services,” he said.
The county bought the farmland for $375,000 and the new facility that will be double the size of the current one will cost $4,816,400.
Riner Fire Chief Jerry Saul said his department has needed a bigger facility for at least a decade.
“We have greatly exceeded capacity at the current station,” said Riner Fire Chief Jerry Saul. “This new building will meet our growing needs and allow us to better serve the Riner community.”
Saul and all eight of his officers currently share a 400-square-foot office. In addition to each officer getting their own office, the new station will also house all fire apparatus, include a work room for equipment, training and meeting space, a positive pressure turnout gear room and a decontamination room.
The department has 35 volunteer received 166 calls last year, and according to Tuck, those numbers are likely to increase.
“The new Riner Fire Station is one of the projects in our County’s strategic long-term plan,” Tuck said in a press release. “The Riner area is growing and it’s necessary that we plan accordingly.”
According to county spokesperson Jennifer Harris, the county approved the project in October 2016 and appropriated county funds for the project without having to take on any debt.
The Riner Rescue Squad will move into the old fire station once construction is complete.