Liberty County ESD 7, also known as Hardin Fire and Rescue, celebrated a milestone on Sunday, April 14, with a ceremonial groundbreaking for its new fire station in Moss Hill. The new fire station is located on SH 105 just east of the SH 146 intersection.
Five years ago, the ESD celebrated the generous donation of land for a new fire station, which was initially planned to be located just east of the current site. The decision to relocate stemmed from the previous location’s not being able to meet the expanding needs of the fire department.
Richey Ewing, president of the ESD Board, said, “The other site was too small for what we needed for our sewer system and buildings. There also wasn’t enough room for the size culvert we need, so this site actually works out better.”
Passersby might have noticed the ongoing work at the new two-acre site over the past few weeks, as Andco Construction’s earth movers prepared the pad for the fire station. The process involved clearing some of the black gumbo soil and replacing it with a more suitable blend for efficient drainage.
The two-acre tract for the new fire station was generously donated by Bill and Tammie Wingfield, residents of Moss Hill and owners of Wingfield Construction, Maci Feed, and 2830 Storage. The Wingfields expressed their hope that the new station will enable firefighters to respond more promptly to emergencies in the Moss Hill area. Bill Wingfield also serves as a commissioner on the ESD 7 board.
Fire Chief Nic Nelson highlighted that the new fire station will be a valuable asset to the community, saying, “We are going to end up putting a fire engine, booster truck, and tanker here. Once everything is finalized, we hope to redo our ISO rating to help residents in the Moss Hill area see a reduction in their home insurance rates.”
The upcoming fire station, a 60 x 80 enclosed steel building, is a significant development for the Moss Hill area. While the new fire station may not be manned around the clock initially, Nelson aspires for full-time staffing in the future. Funding for the construction of the $500,000 fire station is derived from the sales tax collected within the emergency services district.
Ewing expressed gratitude to Bill and Tammie for their generous donation and emphasized the prolonged journey to reach this moment. He said, “This fire station has been a long time coming. The original land was donated years ago. As everyone understands, with the government, there was a lot of red tape we had to go through to get to this point today.”
Weather permitting, construction of the building is set to commence soon, with the completion date targeted for the latter part of July 2024. The community eagerly anticipates the positive impact of this modern fire station and the enhanced emergency response capabilities in the Moss Hill area.
Future plans call for a helipad and a buildout of the fire station to include sleeping quarters, a kitchen and recreation area for firefighters manning the station.
To see a video of the progress, click here: https://videos.files.wordpress.com/ub3OWx8J/hardingroundbreak.mov