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An artist’s rendering shows the expected final construction for Putnam County’s new Station 10, where an open house will be held Monday. PUTNAM COUNTY’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Next Monday, Oct. 30, the three-building, $6.5 million, two-years-under-construction complex for Putnam County fire, emergency medical, and coroner services will be dedicated and opened for visitors.
The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m., followed by an open-door opportunity until 4 p.m. for the public to wander and wonder at the new facility and what equipment lies within.
During the preview walkthrough next week, firefighters and EMTs will be on hand to answer questions, Putnam County Fire Chief Thomas McClain said.
It is probably safe to say that most people would rather see the various trucks, ambulances, and coroner’s vans in the new facility and not in front of their homes. One can hope never to need some of these items, but this is where they will be if or when the need arises.
Responding to all kinds of quirky, even strange, accidents and disasters requires not only personnel and training, but also some quirky equipment, such as a dive truck for underwater searches, hazmat gear for chemical fires, extra-tall ladders, and extra fuel available in a tank trailer.
The new main building facing the street houses the headquarters, featuring a six-bay area in the middle that houses various vehicles, plus what amounts to a dormitory for overnighting firefighters on the opposite side.
The main draw for visitors likely will be the specialized vehicles in the six bays – the two new fire and rescue boats dubbed Oconee 1 and Sinclair 1 (temporarily housed there), the monster $1.4 million ladder truck, and the variety of equipment on a typical pumper truck – 1,000 gallons of water, a couple of hundred yards of a firehose, axes, chain saws and shovels amidst various other firefighting tools.
Visitors should be advised, however, that there is more to see than the big shiny objects, starting with the small battery chargers dangling from the ceiling or the boxy air scrubbers, also in the ceiling.
Some of the smaller rooms contain air compressors to fill air tanks, a strange-looking apparatus that washes and dries dirty, possibly contaminated turn-out gear, a classroom with one fancy, multitasking whiteboard, and the large dayroom/kitchen.
Putnam County firefighters and EMTs work a 24-hour shift and then are off for two days.
“If they are not out on call, they will spend one-third of their lives in this building,” McClain said. It’s all part of a 10-year plan to beef up the county’s emergency services, the obviously proud fire chief added. “I hope this place is good for the next 50 years.”