The fire rating within the Nicholson Volunteer Fire Department improved, and now that a second station was constructed in the district, all residents in that area will continue to see fire insurance premium discounts.
That second station was built at the intersection of Jackson Landing Road and Huey Stockstill Road, said Fire Chief Bobby Robbins. To celebrate, the department will hold an open house this Saturday.
The open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a ceremony beginning at 10.
Robbins said the station was built because some of the residents in the fire district were in jeopardy of losing their fire rating, and therefore the discount they receive on their fire insurance, because they were outside the five-mile radius of the original station.
The public is invited to attend the event and tour the station. Robbins said. Shallow Creek Band will provide live music from 1 to 2 p.m. and residents can get a look at the department’s new Class A fire truck.
Robbins said that the department financed truck for about $400,000, which he expects to be able to pay off in about two years.
The station is complete and has been operational for the past three months. The $97,000 facility has three truck bays. Robbins said the new station was built debt free because the department paid for it as it was built and the Huey Stockstill family donated the land.
According to the sign in front of the station, it was dedicated to the memory of Huey Stockstill Sr.
The sign also denotes the years the department moved up in class rankings. All fire departments are ranked on a scale of one to 10, with one being the highest. Fire stations ranked as a one provide the best fire protection, and therefore better fire insurance premium discounts.
Robbins said Nicholson Volunteer Fire Department is currently ranked as a seven, achieving that new status this year.
The new station is almost identical to the department’s first station, which was built in 1992 at a cost of $65,000. The first station currently houses two Class A fire trucks.