Elected officials, volunteer firefighters and local residents gathered Thursday night for a dedication ceremony to open the new fire station located on Highway 30.

Fire station No. 2 has been fully equipped and in operation for a couple weeks, but Thursday was an opportunity for residents to see the new facility.

Lafayette County Fire Coordinator Jerry Johnson recognized several local officials and others who played a role in making fire station No. 2 possible. But he especially thanked the Jim Cregar family for its generous donation of the land on which the facility is located.

“You’re on our team now and you’re part of this department,” Johnson told the Cregar family, who also were presented a plaque that will be placed in the fire station.

Increased coverage

County officials are excited about increasing the county’s emergency services coverage with the new fire station.

District 2 Supervisor Jeff Busby was especially pleased and thanked the volunteers for their hours of service.

“Safety is my first priority in making sure the residents of this county are safe and I thank all of you for all you do for Lafayette County,” Busby told the crowd during the ceremony.

“We are real excited,” Johnson said. “It will be a great functional station for the next 30 or 40 years, we hope.”

Johnson said the station is planned with the future in mind and has the capability to be a manned station.

“It’s not just a place to house fire trucks,” Johnson said. “We hope the community comes and takes a look. We’re proud of it.”

The fire station, which took nearly six months to complete and cost almost $400,000, is similar to the fire station located on County Road 109 and Highway 6. It brings the total number of fire stations in the county to 14.

Heritage Builders in Oxford did the construction.

The fire station has three bays and contains a 1995 1,200-gallon tanker truck and a 2007 1,000-gallon pumper truck.

Johnson said there are “no frills” with the station, which includes living quarters, a small kitchen, bathroom with showers and a storage area.

“We wanted an operational station and that’s what we’ve got,” Johnson said.