New Fire Stations Almost Ready For Use

Putnam County hopes to open two new fire stations early this year.

Mayor Randy Porter said construction will remain on schedule if the weather permits.

“The one on Monterey Highway was the first one we started and that one is almost complete,” Mayor Porter said. “Our goal is to be able to have the fire station open sometime early part of February. The one on Clarkrange Highway, that’ll be the second one built, [construction] is usually about a 90 day process so we’re probably looking at early spring before that one’s open.”

The current Monterey Fire Station, located in the city limits, will move to the new location for greater area coverage, Mayor Porter said.

The stations will mostly have part-time positions open, as well as volunteers. However, their new program allows college students a chance to help the community.

“We have a new program that we’re working on that seems to be very successful so far is getting Tech students that are going to college and we let them live in the fire station, free of charge, as long as they man it in their off time. There’ll be times that they’ll be folks manned in it, but there’ll be other times that it’ll just be a station where we’ll have the trucks where the volunteers can come pick them up,” Mayor Porter said.

Mayor Porter is in the process of acquiring land in Gainesboro Grade for another fire station to be constructed.