Ground to be broken soon for new fire station

Ground is expected to be broken for the construction of , which will be built on Cooper Lake Road near the intersection of the East West Connector, according to Smyrna Deputy Fire Chief Roy Acree.

Acree said that while an exact date for the groundbreaking has not yet been selected, he is hopeful construction will begin sometime around the end of summer. If all goes as planned, the new fire station would then be ready for operation by late spring or early summer of 2012.

The City of Smyrna recently posted an update about the progress made on Fire Station No. 5 on its website. According to the update, design documents based upon the committee-approved schematic site plan are nearly complete. Progress is also being made on completion of the architectural (including mechanical, electrical and plumbing) and civil design documents for submission for approval and construction.

Acree said that a design and engineering meeting was recently held that finalized some of the project details, including the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. According to information provided on its website, LEED is an internationally-recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

“It is basically a process you follow to get a certification on a type of green building,” Acree explained. “It is unique compared to anything we’ve done in the past. There is a lot more engineering that goes into this because of the LEED requirements.”

In order to be considered a “green building,” Fire Station No. 5 will likely have a certain percentage of hot water being heated by solar energy and use paint and adhesives that are low on volatile organic compounds, which are thought to cause sickness. A rain water runoff is also possible for the use of washing fire department vehicles.

“The more we learn about this the more it becomes practically applicable,” Acree said. “Lets face it; it’s the right thing to do. It is a way to build a building and keep the environment in mind.”

If all goes well with the new fire station, the LEED certified building could become the model for future development in Smyrna. Acree also said he envisions it becoming commonplace all over the metro Atlanta area.

No studies have been done to confirm the financial benefits of Fire Station No. 5 going green, but Acree does expect a difference. Data will likely be measured during the building’s first year of operation, he said.

“By nature it is going to be more efficient financially but there are no figures available to show that.”

Much like the City of Smyrna updated the public with a progress report on Fire Station No. 5, Acree hopes to keep the public informed through the fire department’s website with photos of the construction as it progresses. 

“We’d love to keep them as updated on the progress as possible,” he said.