AUGUSTA (AP) — Construction work began last week at the site of what will be Augusta’s first new fire station since Lyndon B. Johnson was president.
The Kennebec Journal reports an official groundbreaking ceremony for the roughly $4 million station is scheduled for Thursday in north Augusta.
The last time Augusta had a new fire station, the Augusta Fire Department responded to 500 fire calls a year. The department now responds to 1,300 fire calls in addition to 4,500 calls requesting emergency medical service.
Chief Roger Audette says the new station will provide more room for firefighters, trucks, ambulances and other equipment.
Construction is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2017. It will not be finished by the time Augusta’s new multipurpose ladder firetruck is expected to arrive in November.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less