Crossville’s Fire Rescue team celebrating the relocation of Fire Station 2 to Cotton Patch Drive Tuesday.
Crossville Fire Chief Chris South said the new facility replaces a 30-year-old station on Industrial Boulevard that had begun to deteriorate. South said the move places the department in the heart of the city’s northern growth areas near major industries and the Interstate Drive expansion.
“Our evaluations with the growth that we’ve had in the north portion of our city, we felt that if we were going to have to put that kind of money into something, let’s put the fire station where it would be more effective for the long term of the community and better serve the community,” South said.
South said the department is hosting an open house Tuesday from 9am-4pm to welcome the community into the new space. South said the event will feature a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony with city officials at noon.
South said the previous location at 520 Industrial Boulevard was no longer the most effective site for long-term service. South said the new location on Cotton Patch Drive better positions crews to respond to the Buc-ee’s area and future developments like the northwest connector.
“It gives them the ability to, if regardless of what is going on in the business that day, they have the ability to be in different locations as necessary,” South said.
South said the station features a split-living concept that physically separates the business and training operations from the residential quarters. South said the design includes a three-bay, double-deep configuration that allows equipment to exit from both the front and back of the building.
South said the ribbon-cutting event offers a unique opportunity for community engagement and informational sessions. South said relationships formed during events like these can be invaluable during emergency situations.
“I want our community to know that the people who are coming to serve them and to, in essence, potentially put their lives on the line in effort to serve them, they consider everybody around here family,” South said. “That is what we do, because you are going to take care of your family, that is what we do, and I think that is the environment that we want to project and just be a part of.”
With the new station in a prime location in Crossville and new facilities to further support his team, South said he and his squad of firefighters are ready for future operations.
“I am extremely proud of the group of firefighters that we have, and they are just doing a great job, and we are very thankful to be able to serve our community,” South said.