Goodwater VFD to have satellite station in Mt. Olive
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Goodwater Fire Chief Elmore Unbehant; members of the Goodwater Volunteer Fire Department; County commissioners Bertha K. McElrath, Lamar Daugherty and John Forbus; and others break ground at the satellite fire station being constructed in the Mt. Olive community. Photo submitted
Special to the News
Goodwater Fire Chief Elmore Unbehant is pleased to announce a partnership between the Goodwater Volunteer Fire Department and the Coosa County Commission.
Tuesday afternoon a groundbreaking ceremony was held, and Unbehant said construction had already begun on a satellite fire station being built at the intersection of County roads 49 and 123 in the Mt. Olive community.
This satellite station will allow for accessible fire protection equipment within reach of all of the residents in the area. The Mt. Olive area has been primarily covered by the Goodwater VFD with mutual aid from Hollins, Stewartville and Hanover.
The building will be a 3-bay structure, approximately 60-by-60-feet, with plans to house a fire truck and EMS unit.
In addition to serving as a satellite fire station, the building will also double as a community center and polling place for the community.
Completion of the structure is scheduled for December.
“A satellite station has been a dream of mine for over 20 years,” said Goodwater Fire Chief Elmore Unbehant. “We cover this area, but it has always been a great distance away from our main station, making response times greater. I have commitments from residents in the area to begin training to man this station directly. This is such an asset for Coosa County. I’m proud of this partnership with the Commission and with Commissioner McElrath, who dedicated $100,000 of ARPA funds for use in her district toward this project.”
County Commission Chair Lamar Daugherty stated, “As chairman of the Coosa County Commission, I want to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to Commissioner Bertha McElrath and Chief Elmore Unbehant, and the Goodwater VFD, for establishing another branch of their department into the Mt. Olive community. This department is a collaborative effort of Goodwater VFD and the Coosa County Commission, and it will not only provide fire protection for the community and surrounding areas, but it will also provide an ADA facility that will be more convenient and safe for the voters in the area. Commissioner McElrath worked closely with Chief Unbehant on this project, and I am looking forward to the finished product.”
