Farmington officials break ground for new fire station

The City of Farmington held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for the new Farmington fire station.

Farmington Mayor Stuart “Mit” Landrum spoke at the ceremony and acknowledged those who made the new fire department possible. He recognized several people including Chief Todd Mecey, former Fire Chief Phil Johnson, City Administrator Greg Beavers, members of the city council and Bill Merryman who donated $5,000 for the new flagpole.

Landrum said the current building is not safe and if a tornado would hit they might not be able to get the equipment out. The ceiling is too low and the building is unable to hold the existing equipment. The current building is 5,600 square feet.

The new building will cost $4.2 million. Brockmiller Construction began construction immediately following the groundbreaking. Construction will take roughly a year to complete. The new building will be 17,000 square feet with two stories and five equipment drive-through bays.

City Councilman Dennis Smith said this is a long time coming. He added this has been the most discussed issue in his terms on the city council.

Fire Chief Todd Mecey said the department is excited about the new building. He’s glad a local company won the bid and the money is being kept locally.

The new fire station is being built on the site formally occupied by Wohschlaeger Auto Body and Missouri Beauty Academy. When city officials were first approached about the location it was hoped the former auto dealership building could be remodeled to serve the fire department’s needs. But it was quickly decided that the existing building did not have the necessary safety measures required for an emergency services structure. At that point the city council opted to build a new structure on the site.

There has been discussion about possibly turning the police and fire stations into an emergency services complex, closing the street between the two buildings. The new fire station will also house training facilities to be utilized by the police department.