Rockdale BOC awards contracts for two new fire stations

The Rockdale Board of Commissioners on Aug. 8 awarded contracts to Sunbelt Builders, Inc. for the construction of two new fire stations that will replace antiquated facilities.

The 2011 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) will fund the projects. Officials said $1,787,043 is allocated for Fire Station #2, which will be built at 778 Bell Road S.E. in South Rockdale. The new station is being moved from Troup Street Road.

Fire Station #3 will be torn down and rebuilt at its current location on Old Salem Road in the central part of the county at a cost of $1,795,122, said Bill Hughey, who chairs the SPOST oversight committee.

“We’ve needed to replace the stations for years. They are antiquated and not energy efficient,” said Hughey. “Station #2 sits in a flood plane and has mold and mildew. The move will address that area and also provide a better response time in the area, which has grown over the years.”

The county is using experienced builders for the project. Sunbelt Builders has built fire stations in Newton County and throughout Georgia, Hughey said.

“We’re going to be using the same plans for both stations. That will save us a lot of money,” Hughey said.

Hughey said it’s too early to project completion dates for the project. He said the award of the contract is the first step in a long process, which also will include relocation of the fire personnel and trucks and equipment once the work gets under way. And Hughey said county officials also must still decide if the work will be done on both fire stations at the same time or if they will be built at different times.

Rockdale Fire Chief Dan Morgan has said he is looking at several options including temporarily setting up a trailer at the sites while construction is under way. Morgan said regardless of the option decided upon, firefighters would remain in the service area.

Rockdale has nine fire stations.