City officials gathered at the future site of Bristol, Tennessee’s newest fire station to break ground for its construction to begin. The station, which will be located at 1404 Hwy 11W, will be the fifth in the City, and will be in prime location to provide fire protection and EMS services to The Pinnacle retail development, Wellmont Bristol Regional Medical Center, and numerous other properties on the west end of town. This area is currently served by Station No. 3 on 17th Street, approximately 4 miles away, so the placement of the new station will cut response times dramatically.
Bristol, Tennessee Fire Chief Bob Barnes said, “The properties on this end of town represent hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of investments in retail development alone, not to mention the medical center and existing residential areas.” He continued, “Enhanced fire protection for this end of town was definitely needed, and this new station will provide that peace of mind to business owners as well as residents.”
In addition to enhanced response times, the addition of new fire protection resources could potentially improve the City’s ISO rating from a current Class 3 to a Class 2, joining Kingsport and Johnson City in the very few fire departments statewide who have achieved this rating. Better ISO ratings can potentially decrease the cost to insure properties within the community protected by the fire department.
“Our fire department has always been dedicated to providing the highest quality fire protection and emergency medical services possible to protect our community,” said Bristol, Tennessee Mayor Chad Keen. “That high level of service and success is due to the professionally trained members of the department, and we want to provide them with all of the tools and technology necessary to respond to any emergency that may arise within our City’s corporate limits,” he added.
The estimated cost for construction of the roughly 10,000 square foot station will be approximately $2.4 million. Additionally, 9 new full-time fire fighters will be hired to staff the station, and new equipment purchases will include an ambulance and a 75 foot quint, which serves the dual purpose of an engine and a ladder truck. Built-in training features will also be incorporated into the facility. The principal contractor for the project is JA Street and Associates, and construction is anticipated to be complete by the end of summer 2017.
For more information, contact Fire Chief Bob Barnes at 423-989-5701 or email [email protected]
