News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County Fire Department hoping to include a new fire station in the Gentry area in the upcoming budget.
Chief Tom Brown said there used to be a portable building next to the convenience center that housed a truck for several years until it fell by the wayside. He said at the time they did not have a truck or enough help to cover that area.
Brown said about a year ago they had been approved for a CDBG grant for a new truck, and now need a building to house it. He said he asked the county to budget approximately $165,000 in the upcoming budget.
“The existing Gentry community center, which is in really really bad repair the only thing being stored there is a radio repeater for 911,” Brown said. “So we’ll consolidate that into the station.”
Brown said the new building will have two truck bays, sleeping quarters, a kitchen and living room area. He said they will be able to save money by constructing a pole barn and having county employees outfit it to be a complete building.
Brown said for the time being the station will be unmanned and utilize volunteer help for response. He said the next area they would like to address will be the Nash community, which will be included in next year’s capital improvements budget. Having a fire truck in the area will help with insurance rates for nearby homeowners.
“If you live within five miles of an accredited fire station, which is a station with a Class A pumper or tankard, your insurance rating is reduced,” Brown said. “If you live within five miles of an accredited station and within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant, it’s reduced even more. So that’s our goal, was to provide that type of equipment ni those areas so we can start knocking that insurance rate down a little bit.”
Brown said they are also working to finish the interior of the Gainesboro Grade station.
