Statement: Jackson Fire District 2 was deeded property from Jackson Township recently and we are looking to construct a new firehouse on the property.

The property, on West Veterans Highway next to the Justice Complex, is near the Township offices and JPD making it more convenient for the residents seeking assistance with their various needs. It will allow Fire District services to respond quickly anywhere in town.

With the sudden drop in volunteer staff, we already have moved to 24-hour career staff in the Whitesville area of the District to ensure service to our residents. Our last firehouse was constructed over 40 years ago and, like our other stations, was not constructed with 24-hour staffing in mind.

Additionally, our Fire Bureau has outgrown the small office atmosphere it is currently operating in. The new firehouse will include office space for our Administrative and Bureau staff.

This new station is planned to ultimately house our volunteer staff, two fully staffed pieces of fire apparatus, an on-duty Chief, along with Jackson EMS, as one part of our long-term plan includes having Jackson EMS become a division within Jackson Fire. We will also be able to store specialty pieces of equipment that can be staffed quickly when needed.

There will be a lecture style training room for all the township’s emergency service organizations use.

The property is a little over 12 acres and we are foreseeing this new firehouse as the initial phase of development on this property. Future planning includes an outdoor training area, again that would be open to all the township’s emergency services, and then, in the final phase, a maintenance building to allow for preventive maintenance and minor repairs to apparatus and equipment.

The estimate costs for this first phase, which includes development of the property, construction, and outfitting the proposed station is not to exceed $18,500,000. As you know everything is expensive these days. We are looking to finance the project through notes and bonds which will spread the cost out over many years and minimize the cost to the taxpayer. This building and property are being planned to last for fifty plus years.

As Jackson continues to renew itself, Jackson Fire is also. This property is being looked at as the headquarters of the fire service here in the Township as we continue to grow at a fast pace. Fire District 2 continues to work towards consolidation with the other Districts within the Township.

We are asking all Jackson Fire District 2 area residents (Whitesville and Cassville areas) to please come out and vote in favor of this important project on Thursday September 11th between 2:00 pm and 10:00 pm at our Miller Avenue Station at 785 Miller Avenue.