After a year of construction and four years of planning, Station 3 of the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department opened the doors to its new facility in Apison during a grand opening ceremony Nov. 3.
The $2.3 million project is another testament to the rapid growth occurring in the East Hamilton area. As the county has grown over the past few years, so has the number of calls the volunteer fire department’s five stations have received.
In 2007, the Tri-Community department received 1,127 emergency calls. By 2011, that number had jumped to 2,143, according to the Tennessee Fire Prevention Division of the Department of Commerce and Insurance. This year, Tri-Community Fire Chief Duane Pitts estimates the department will receive at least 2,400 calls.
“This station is responding to more and more calls all the time,” he added.
In order to accommodate that increase, Station 3 needed to expand its services, as well.