Groundbreaking ceremony held for new Bovina Volunteer Fire Department location

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday for the new Bovina Volunteer Fire Department location located at 175 Interplex Circle.

The new location will serve as a satellite station for the Bovina Volunteer Fire Department and allow for quicker response to the Ceres Industrial Park and surrounding residents.

Bovina fire groundbreaking ceremony. (Photo by David Day)

“This has been a collaborative effort that’s been going on for five years. My predecessor, Chief Whittington, started this process probably seven years ago and it’s taken us up to this point to be able to get a station out here,” stated Bovina Volunteer Fire Department Chief Chris Kennedy.

Kennedy went on to state that the Port Commission and the Board of Supervisors aided in securing the property for the new location.

Future site of the new Bovina Volunteer Fire Station. (Photo by David Day)

“Our fire brigade here in Warren County is an unpaid fire brigade and they do an incredible job, but we can always use reinforcements. So being out here with a physical presence in the satellite facility will allow some of the business partners to get engaged in fire protection,” stated Board of Supervisor President Kelle Barfield.

Supervisor Edward Herring mentioned that residents on that end of the county currently have no fire rating.

“The presence of a station here offers that 6-7 rating on the fire system for their homeowners insurance to greatly be affected in a positive way. We look forward to that for the everyday resident as well,” stated Herring.

The station will initially be a smaller one, housing only a couple of firetrucks. However, plans are to grow the facility over time.

“Right now we’re just going to put up a small station to house two trucks to get it started. We’re building with the intent of adding on at some point; living quarters, bathrooms, that type of facility,” stated Warren County Fire Coordinator Jerry Briggs. “But right now we’re just going to get a station up, get some trucks out here, start the process with response times and with the insurance savings the community will get. As that grows, hopefully our partnership will grow with the industrial park and we’ll get more interest in it and then we can expand from that point.”