Local News - November 2003

Boger City dedicates new fire department

By ALICE SMITH, Staff Writer

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Boger City firefighters held a dedication ceremony Sunday on a facility that is expected to last them at least 50 years.

“It’s been a long road to where we are today,” said Ken Saine, chairman of the Boger City Volunteer Fire Department Board of Directors. “It took a lot of barbecues, a lot of cake sales, a lot of knocking on doors and a lot of raffles, but we made it.”

About 200 people turned out for the open house and dedication Sunday afternoon.

Firemen moved into the new facility in May.

It features four 90-foot bays to hold the department’s trucks, Assistant Chief Mike Grice said during a tour. There’s also a maintenance bay which doubles as a training room.

The building’s shining floors and bright white walls provide a comfortable home for firefighters who spend long hours at the station.

Small bedrooms give firemen a place to rest, and a kitchen, several laundry rooms and a lounge area offer the amenities of home.

The brick station is built on four acres of land on McAllister Road. Condominiums were almost built on the property.

Residents who live near the fire station are happy to have it beside them.

“They’re real good neighbors,” Gary Reynolds said. He and his wife, Betty, toured the facility Sunday afternoon.

 The station started out as a “wish list” about 10 years ago when the department started acquiring larger trucks, fire Chief Mike Hill said. The department used the last station for 44 years.

“We knew then that we were going to have to have a larger building,” Hill said.

Hill thanked the City of Lincolnton, the Lincolnton Fire Department and the community for their support throughout the years.

The dedication ceremony was bittersweet for some firefighters. Todd McConnell, assistant chief, who died last year, spearheaded the project.

“It wouldn’t have turned out the way it is if it weren’t for him,” Hill said. “What we have here today, he’s a big part of it. I know he’s looking down on us.”

Tim Finger, a member of the fire department, presented Rodney Emmett with a fireman’s helmet in honor of the work he did on the building.

Emmett oversaw the project from the day they started bring in dirt to the day the department got the keys, Finger said.

Hill recognized firefighters with 20 years or more of service and also thanked the new members who are expected to make a lasting impression.

“I’m extremely proud of all the guys in here,” he said.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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