RINGGOLD, Ga. - An architect will plan a new fire station off Old Alabama Highway.
Catoosa County commissioners approved a $31,650 contract with Jack Killian of KCP Architects during a meeting Tuesday night. Killian will draw up plans for a fire station next to the Woodstation Community Center in the south end of the county.
Fire Chief Randy Camp brought the proposal two weeks ago, but the commissioners tabled a vote at the time. Commission Chairman Steven Henry said they wanted to make sure they picked the right spot for the station. (Commissioner Bobby Winters said he hadn't even heard of the plans until Camp presented them.)
Prior to accepting the job of Catoosa County Fire Chief, Randy Camp worked for 15 years as the chief of neighboring Walker County.After Tuesday's meeting, Henry said the spot Camp proposed made sense. County workers performed a soil test to make sure the new property is safe and they could install field lines to support a new water system.
"We're a little more comfortable with it," Henry said.
The new station will be in the middle of a walking track outside of the community center. It will be across East Nickajack Road from the current station, where firefighters are posted only during the daytime.
The county wants to staff that station around the clock. But the building doesn't have showers, and the plot of land is only about a quarter of an acre. That is not big enough to run field lines to support the showers.
In addition, the fire station will include living quarters for men and women, as well as a kitchen and a day room. Overall, Camp projects the project will cost about $1.3 million.
He plans to draw from the 2014 special purpose local option sales tax fund, which holds about $1 million in it right now that is designated for fire facilities in the county. That part of the fund is also collecting about $34,000 a month.
This is the second fire station project that the commissioners approved this year. In January, the commissioners signed off on renovating Fire Station 3, which is in the Graysville community.
Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at 423-757-6476 or tjett@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @LetsJett.