New Fire Station Construction Underway In Austonio

AUSTONIO - After years of operating out of only 1,200 square feet of a second-hand tin building, Austonio’s Volunteer Fire Department will soon have a new station.

Fire Chief Russell Jenkins said thankfully Houston County’s Emergency Service District No. 2 stepped up to help meet the department’s needs by using tax dollars set aside for fire service, safety equipment or stations. Once construction is completed, he said they’ll see the department’s five year plan completed in four years.

“It’s been a three year project for me,” Jenkins said. “I’ve tried getting grants through FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), with stacks of paperwork involved.”

Volunteers worked to disassemble Austonio’s community center in 2010 to make room for the new 6,000 square foot facility - which will include a kitchen area, a men and women’s section with a shower, an office, multi purpose media area for training and meetings and a four-door truck bay capable of holding seven trucks.

The current station, which was added onto about 15 years ago, is slowly disintegrating on the inside, not effectively weatherproofed and doesn’t have enough room to store the department’s fleet, Jenkins said.

Construction crews work Friday on the interior of Austonio’s new fire department.

“It’s a constant battle. That equipment in there is not protected very well,” he said.

However, he does hope to overhaul the inside and ‘re-skin’ it from top to bottom to use it for loose equipment storage after they’re able to move into the new station. Local contractor Jimmy McMillan is overseeing the project, so the community will have something that lasts.

“This doesn’t belong to us. We are just stewards of the facility and equipment,” Jenkins said. “It belongs to you, the public.”

The department serves more than 1,750 people in the Austonio, Pearsons Chapel, Mapelton, Sand Ridge and Vistulia communities.

Jenkins said the public has been supportive of the department through fundraisers or fish fries, which covers costs of new appliances, tables and chairs to match the ESD’s contribution.

While Jenkins doesn’t know an exact completion date, he’s thinks construction could be finalized by April. Initial dirt work started in December, and pouring concrete and putting up steel started in in January of this year

Carpenters worked to put the inside frame walls up Wednesday, and installed cabinets Friday. Plumbing and electrical work is soon to follow.

“We just want something the community can be proud of, and we’ll invite them out once it’s completed,” Jenkins said.

While waiting, he said the community can track the progress of the project by visiting the Austonio VFD Facebook page.

Rachael Riley may be reached via e-mail at Riley_Rachael@yahoo.com