Saving the north side: Opelika, Ala., welcomes new fire station

After a great deal of anticipation, Opelika, Ala.’s Fire Department opened the doors to its new fire station facilities in January 2013.

The Fire Station is nestled back off of the Oak Bowery Road on Opelika’s North Side, the main road that leads from Opelika’s downtown area to the Robert Trent Jones Golf course at Grand National.    

Because the city planned to locate the facilities in the middle of residential areas, architects took care to make the building an attractive addition to the homes and offices already constructed in the surrounding area, with special attention given to the landscaping around the building. 

Chief Terry Adkins says the opening, “was a very exciting time” for Opelika.
“Our city has grown a lot over the past few years, and that includes an increased number of residential and commercial buildings on the North Side. This growth factor created the need for the relocation of a fire station in order for us to continue to respond to emergencies in a timely manner. This new fire station has allowed us to better serve the public’s needs for fire and emergency medical responses extremely well.”

The numbers prove Adkins’ hopes for the new station were not unfounded. In its first year of service to the public, “Fire Station 3” has responded to 107 calls.  And, because of its location, the average amount of time it took emergency personnel to arrive at the North Side location, once the 9-1-1 call was made, has been less than five minutes.

 “The Opelika Fire Department has a proud history dating back to 1885,” Mayor Gary Fuller says, adding, “This new fire house is critical for us to maintain our low fire insurance rates.”

The fire station, a modern, state-of-the-art facility, represents an investment of a little over $1.7 million dollars. Having this new facility in this area will help Opelika maintain and improve response times to the growing areas on the north side including National Village, The Marriott Hotel and Conference Center and the Grand National Clubhouse, which is a part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama.

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