Aug. 07--It was a ribbon-cutting of sorts. But instead of ribbon, Fire Chief Barry Turner and a retired firefighter unclasped a yellow fire hose -- marking the official opening Tuesday of the Bluffton Township Fire District's new station.
The $2.2 million Station 30 at the corner of Burnt Church and Ulmer roads replaces the district's oldest firehouse, built in 1979 just a few hundred feet away on Bridge Street.
"It's a little bittersweet for firefighters leaving the older station because they are leaving a building with a lot of memories and character," Capt. Randy Hunter said. "But this new fire station is really important, not only to the fire district but for the community, as well."
The new 7,200-square-foot station was dedicated Tuesday to former Fire Chief Hugh Ulmer, who has been a member of the fire department since the mid-1970s. A plaque noting the dedication will be placed at the station's front door.
Ulmer could not be at the ceremony due to illness. His longtime friend Jeffery Robinowich, who accepted the honor for Ulmer, said Ulmer hopes to see the new building soon.
The station was completed in less than 10 months after the Oct. 9 groundbreaking. The district began saving for its construction five years ago, and it was funded entirely from its reserves, requiring no tax increase, Hunter said.
Deputy Fire Chief John Thompson said the project ran on schedule and a little under budget, though he could not say by how much.
"I am very excited that it went as smooth as it did and the project is done," Thompson said. "Looking at the old station and moving into this one, it is a big change, and it needed to happen."
The old station had structural problems that made it unsafe during major storms, according to a 2010 engineering study. Ownership of the property reverts to the Beaufort County School District.
The new station -- built of brick, stucco and tabby -- has energy-efficient features and will need little maintenance, Thompson said. It will house an engine company and an ambulance, along with a Beaufort County EMS squad.
Thompson said firefighters lent their ideas to the design.
"Everything about this building is designed to increase the firefighter's ability to get to the trucks and get to the emergency," Thompson said.
The station is using three acres of the 9.2-acre site. A maintenance facility and training areas might be added later, Thompson said.
Turner, who spoke at Tuesday's ceremony, said the new firehouse will be the prototype for the district's future and remodeled stations.
"To me, this station brings us into a new era of state-of-the-art fire stations and better response procedures," Turner said.
Follow reporter Sarah Bowman on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Sarah.
Copyright 2013 - The Island Packet (Hilton Head Island, S.C.)
