Columbia Fire Department opts out of north side service center
A fire department official said the spot of a north side service center is too close to other stations for it be a “priority” spot for them.
Assistant Fire Chief Brad Fraizer told ABC 17 News the city’s planned municipal service center at the corner of Rangeline Street and International Drive would not have as great an impact on response times as opposed to other parts of town.
“That piece of land is right in between two fire stations – Fire Station 9 and Fire Station 4. So it wouldn’t be a first priority for us for apparatus placement,” Fraizer said.
The Columbia City Council approved the purchase of 8.5 acres of land on the north side of the city Monday night. City outreach director Steve Sapp said as of now, the police department will use the center, with the potential for further city services to add on in the future.
Fraizer said factors like call volume, the road network and population growth guide their priority list for new stations. Station 4, located at 2300 Oakland Gravel Road, and Station 9 at the corner of Providence and Blue Ridge Road are only a few miles south of the north side site. Fraizer said the areas north and west, directly east and southwest of town interest the department as potential sites for the department.
“Put fire stations in areas that will have the most positive impact on response times,” Fraizer said. “It’s really about getting to the emergency scene as quick as we can.”
Sapp said the city will hire an architect to design the new police station later this year, with construction potentially starting in 2018. He said the city would also speak with residents in the area to see what other city services they may want.
