MIDWAY — The engines have been rolling out of Liberty County’s newest fire station for several weeks, even with Friday’s ribbon cutting of the station and new administration building.

County officials showed off the nearly 25,000 square foot facility, which cost approximately $8.8 million, ushering in an achievement almost two decades in the making.

“This is the day we’ve been waiting for,” County Administrator Joey Brown said. “This completes what started as a fire department capital building build up program many, many years ago. It took a long time to get here. It is truly a team effort.”

First District Commissioner Marion Stevens, in whose district the new Miller Park station lies and who was a volunteer firefighter for 37 years, said commissioners first broached a countywide fire department 18 years ago.

“Fire service is not cheap,” he said. “Growth is here and it is growing to continue to come. So we have to provide and we have to step up what we do.”

County Fire Chief Brian Darby said the goal of a countywide fire department began with his predecessor, James Ashdown.

“This is a huge milestone for Liberty County Fire and for the Liberty County Board of Commissioners,” Darby said. “This has been a long time coming.”

Designed by McCall and Associates and built by R.W. Allen Construction out of Augusta, ground was broken on the new fire station and administration headquarters in August 2022.

The building can sleep up to 24 fire fighters, leaving 12 on duty, and has bays for five vehicles. It also houses the county fire services headquarters and it was designed for the fire services to have space to accommodate growth.

“What is more significant is the area it serves,” Chief Darby said. “The area has had very delayed fire response. It has had a very high ISO rating. That has changed. Folks within five road miles can start to see a reduction in their insurance premiums.”

The Miller Park station, which has two engines and a ladder truck, will cover unincorporated area of the county from Fleming to the City of Flemington and to just north and south of Midway.

The station was built primarily with proceeds from the special local option sales tax, which commissioners and Chief Darby wholeheartedly endorsed.

“SPLOST has helped out tremendously,” the chief said. “SPLOST has been huge for fire services. It is not just the taxpaying citizens of Liberty County. Everybody is contributing to the building of this station.”

Commission Chairman Donald Lovette said the new Miller Park fire station and headquarters was an example of “first-class facilities for a first-class community.”

“This would not have been built without the one-cent sales tax,” Commissioner Stevens added. “So keep on spending.”

Stevens lauded Darby for his leadership of the fire services department, which is also providing coverage for Midway currently. Darby has put together a proposal for Midway’s fire protection to be come under the county’s umbrella.

“Chief Darby is one of the youngest fire chiefs in the state of Georgia and he has done an excellent job,” he said.

County leaders also praised the fire department for its efforts during Hurricane Helene. Brown said Helene was the worst disaster countywide, but even as wind speeds reached dangerous levels for public safety vehicles, fire fighters were reluctant to return to base.

“They have to be dragged off the roads,” Brown said.

Chairman Lovette said the community will recover from Helene but also urged that hurricane season continues.

“Let’s be vigilant as storm season is not over. Storm season is not over,” he said.