| In
2004, Mr. & Mrs. Carlton Tyson donated a tract of land located at 6628
Millgrove Road to the Hemby Bridge Volunteer Fire Department for the
purpose of relocation, and new construction of a station house.
In 2005 construction began, and in early 2007, apparatus and equipment was moved from 7604 Secrest Short Cut Road to the new location on Millgrove Road. |
This is your new fire station. In this view, the left end shows where the service-maintenance and light servicing of the apparatus will take place. To the right of the service bay, is storage and tooling area, and then an adequate bay area with necessary height area for the tallness of Ladder 23 and other trucks. With drive through bays, entry and exit of these big trucks is accommodated for now and in the future, as well as room for all apparatus in one section of the building. Bays are outfitted with adequate ventilation for exhaust from the diesel and gas engines during warm-up times.
This is allot different from our humblest of beginnings, but many changes, (and some drastic) have changed the molding and shaping of Hemby Bridge Fire Department. Though the station is still considered "volunteer", the area we serve has brought us to the point to have staffing on-site during daylight hours, and we soon may require 24 hours staffing, in order to meet the needs of the communities we serve. That in part, has brought about the need to accommodate our staffing (bunking area / showers, etc...), and also provide emergency sheltering on site.
Here is a few other views of your new station.
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The right end of our building houses the training room facility, where mandatory hours are spent every year. |
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An aerial view of Station 23 and apparatus |
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This is the training classroom which will soon be outfitted with tables and chairs. Adequate white boards, and overhead projection tops out the rooms' capabilities. |
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A place our personnel can relax, and share ideas with each other. |
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This is a very unique table, and please ask to see it when visiting your new fire station. Photographs from the past are layered inside the urethane coating of the unit. |
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This is the new kitchen of the station, adequate for the shifts which now occupy the station. |
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This is the bay area for housing the apparatus for Station 23. |
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Another bay view showing exhaust systems and adequacies of new roofline. |
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The rear of your fire station shows that the facility is outfitted with a fully-serviceable "generator" to run the station in case of loss of power. Also notice the upstairs, where adequate bunking accommodates those needing to sleep during a lengthy shift. |
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We had a special visit from Sparky, here pictured with Mike
Watts and Chuck Porter.
This portrait is very special to the Hemby Bridge VFD family, as it shows our dear friend Mike Watts (far left in picture)."Smiling" was not uncommon for this man, who loved life, kids, and helping people any chance he could. We miss Mike terribly - please look at our memorial page for more details. |