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Cullowhee, Balsam fire departments celebrate new buildings
By Derek Hodges
The buildings are finished, the equipment is inside and all that's left is the party to celebrate the opening of two new fire stations in Jackson County.
The buildings, one in Willets on U.S. 23/74 and one on Caney Fork Road next to the Caney Fork Community Center, will be open to the public this weekend as each fire department holds an open house in its new digs.
The new Balsam-Willets-Ochre Hill VFD building can house six trucks. A brand-new Emergency One pumper/tanker truck holds a place inside one bay. The facility will be open to the public Saturday, Jan. 22, from 1-4 p.m. – Herald photo by Derek Hodges
The Balsam-Willets-Ochre Hill Volunteer Fire Department will hold its celebration from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22.
The new building there is a four-bay structure that can house six fire trucks and equipment for them. It also houses meeting and living space for department members.
The structure was built at a cost of $650,000. It is located just off the highway, next to Mount Pleasant Baptist Church.
"We held our first meeting and moved trucks to the new building on Nov. 22," Chief Johnny Nicholson said in a letter to area homeowners. "This is the result of months of planning and work on the part of the whole department."
While most of the construction was completed by a contractor, much of the landscaping and work on the building's outside features was completed by fire deparment members, Nicholson said.
"We are thrilled to be a part of a dream come true," he said. "We have a functional, roomy and attractive facility that the community and entire county can be proud of."
Part of that dream coming true was the purchase of a new truck for the department, an Emergency One pumper/tanker truck. The vehicle, which cost almost $148,000, will help lower insurance premiums for homeowners in the area, Nicholson said.
Caney Fork's new substation has three bays and was built on donated land next to the community center. An open house will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23. – Herald photo by Derek Hodges
Those savings created by the new truck are in addition to savings that will come as a result of the expansion of the department's insurance district by 1.2 miles, Nicholson said.
More homes are now covered by the department, which can now respond to calls faster. That increased safety helps bring insurance prices down.
Nicholson said the department needs community support in meeting its financial obligations, which include 10 years of payments on the new truck.
"Continued financial support is necessary while we commit to continue to expand services and coverage to the communities served," he said.
Cullowhee Fire Department members will celebrate the opening of their new substation on Caney Fork at an open house at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23.
In his letter to residents, Cullowhee Chief Richard Frady said the new substation was a long-time dream.
"About 10 years ago the residents of the Caney Fork community, the members of the Cullowhee Fire Department and the Caney Fork Community Development Club began talking about a substation in that community," he said.
A committee was formed to find a site and seek funding for the new facility.
Steven Tucker donated 2.36 acres of land beside the CDC in memory of his grandparents, Robert and Sally Green, Frady said.
The majority of the funding for the building was provided by Jackson County.
Construction began in the spring of 2004. The three-bay building, a 48 foot by 45 foot structure fabricated by Morton Buildings Inc., is equipped to serve as an emergency shelter.
"As chief of the department, I want to thank each one that had a part in bringing this about," Frady said.
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