BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
LAKE BUTLER—The long-awaited Union County Fire Station will soon be a reality as the funding for the project is in place, and some work has already been done.
The idea of placing a fire station in Providence originated about the same time as the county’s special assessment for fire and rescue services. The Providence area has grown since the assessment was put in place, and with that growth, the need has increased.
The area is the farthest distance from the Lake Butler-based fire department, which does not have some sort of station.
There are small satellite stations in Lulu, Worthington Springs, and Raiford that, while not fully equipped, can get at least some equipment to their surrounding areas more quickly to get started on a fire while the main units are en route.
The property for the new station was purchased through the efforts of then-County Commissioner Lacey Cannon and County Coordinator Jimmy Williams several years ago – located on County Road 238 near County Road 791.
Permitting delays project
According to Union County Fire and Rescue Director Toby Witt, the property has been cleared, the site prep done, and the architecture and engineering phases of the project are complete.
The property will serve two purposes – a fire/EMS station and a lay-down yard for the road department where lime rock and other materials that can be piled outside can be stored, and equipment may be parked.
The funding for the construction of the station is already in county coffers – $750,000 that cannot be legally diverted elsewhere.
The hold-up has been permitting through the Suwannee River Water Management District and the Florida Department of Transportation. The water management district permit has finally been granted, while there are still a few points to be cleared up with the FDOT concerning the location of the driveways, but Witt said this should be cleared up soon and the permit secured.
“The building is designed, the plans drawn, and the project is ready to be put out for bid as soon as the FDOT permit comes in,” Witt said.
Manned 24/7
Once a call for bids is advertised, the bidding process will take 30 days, meaning the construction project could begin in two months.
“We may be done by the end of the first quarter of next year, allowing for the usual holidays and the delays often associated with them,” Witt said.
Union County Fire and Rescue is ready to set up shop as soon as the building is complete. Witt reports that the services have enough staff, all that the departments can afford, and all of the equipment is ready to go.
The building will be a three-bay facility, housing two fire trucks and a rescue unit. It will contain complete living quarters for personnel and will be manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Getting ready for something like this takes time,” Witt said. “It is not like pre-COVID times. For example, if a new ambulance or fire truck is ordered today, it will be 24 months until delivery. Shortages in labor and the supply chain of materials are much different in the post-COVID world. The construction industry is also suffering from the cost of labor and materials, and those materials have very fluid prices, sometimes changing from day to day.”
Providence response time improved
“This station will decrease our response time to Providence greatly,” Witt continued. “The station and equipment will be state-of-the-art. It will be a long time before we get anything like this again.”
County Coordinator Jimmy Williams agreed, adding, “We are ready for this much-needed station to be open and, rest assured, we have the staff and equipment to serve it and another one in the future should we be able to get the funding to build one.”
