'More than just a building': Augusta officials break ground for new fire station

City officials and Augusta firefighters gathered with shovels Wednesday at the new location of Fire Station 3 on Powell Road for a groundbreaking ceremony, expressing their excitement about the addition to the community.

The project, which is funded by SPLOST, was introduced prior to Fire Chief Antonio Burden's tenure. After taking over, he prioritized the project, breaking it out of the holding pattern.

"We were able to pick up the baton if you will, and ensure that things got moving," Burden said. "This new fire station is more than just a building. This is a testament to our dedication to the wellbeing of both our firefighters and our community."

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson, Interim Administrator Takiyah Douse, Commissioner Catherine McKnight and Commissioner Bobby Williams were some of those at the ceremony who spoke about ongoing efforts and enthusiasm about the project going forward.

"As a native of Augusta, I recall many years driving down Gordon Highway and nothing, I mean nothing, was over here," Douse said. "But now, as we stand in 2024, we can see the growth that has occurred in this area. Thousands of homes are right up the street, a super Kroger is coming right here on Belair Road. I am extremely excited and elated to be a part of this experience. I'm excited to shovel the dirt and see what Station 3 will bring to this district."

Augusta Fire responded to more than 26,000 calls for service in 2023, with an average response time of eight minutes and 12 seconds.

Burden said the new station will lower the average response time across the board and allow for quicker fire and medical service to those living nearby.

"Of those 26,000 calls, a little over 60% of them are emergency medical calls," he said. "Our system is based on redundancy design in that it is not one fire station, but it's a total all fire stations that help protect the city and they're strategically located to provide that protection. ... In thinking about response times, distance and time are synonymous. Having a resource closer to a community, helps lower those response times."

The station will feature a designated fitness room, separated storage for turn-out gear, a community room and a dedicated area for firefighter decontamination.

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"The vision behind both concepts incorporated into our fire station is health and safety – the safety of our community and the health of our firefighters," Burden said. "Having a community room really creates a way of partnership between the department and the community. I say it all the time, 'Our house is your house.' Our firehouse belongs to the citizens of this community."

While not a new concept, Burden said Augusta Fire dove into medical research while planning for the decontamination area.

"With the research that we now know today, firefighters are more likely to contract cancer than the general public through the risks that we take every day," he said. "This allows us to really prioritize their health by doing everything that we can and putting those protections in place to directly affect their health."

While the department is incorporating the decontamination tools into all of its stations, Burden said firefighters at other stations will be able to utilize the new Station 3 decontamination area.

The community room will be open to residents for meetings, events and educational programs.

"We believe in the power of collaboration," Burden said. "We envision this room as a home for shared ideas, relationship building and forging partnerships. Together, we harness the power of unity to create a safer and stronger Augusta."

Currently, the department is in a request for proposal process, where contractors can place bids for the project – so the estimated cost has not been disclosed.

However, Burden said he has an aggressive timeline.

"It's probably [going to take] a lot longer than I would like, but my hope is that we're having that ribbon cutting by Summer 2025," he said. "That is my hope."

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta Fire Department breaks ground for new fire station