FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va, – People in Franklin County are continuing to speak out against proposed new plans for a volunteer fire station.
The Glade Hill Volunteer Fire Station is over 50 years old, causing issues for the firefighters.
“It doesn’t meet the current truck sizes that are being built and they won’t fit in the station. It’s a bad location for sight distance trying to get out of the road in an emergency vehicle. It’s outgrown and outdated,” said President of the Franklin County Volunteer Fire Association, Morris Ledbetter.
As a result, the Franklin County Board of Supervisors has been working on new plans since 2007 and voted to begin putting the project out for bids just last month. But during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Ledbetter shared why he and the 13 area volunteer fire organizations he represents, don’t approve of the plans.
“What is proposed or estimated as $5.2 million into one station kind of takes away funds from other projects that we need just as bad if not worse than just this station,” said Ledbetter.
Projects like updates in firefighting equipment and other outdated stations across the county.
“We 100% support the county helping Glade Hill Fire Department with their station but we don’t support this station, the way it is designed and proposed,” he said.
Although the board will not vote on the new fire station proposal plans until August, Chairman Ronnie Thompson released a statement after Ledbetter’s speech. The statement said he’s heard of people’s apprehensions and as a result the board will offer a work session come September to discuss operational needs and concerns in more detail.