Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Mountain Brook Fire Chief Chris Mullins speaks during a ceremonial groundbreaking of the new Mountain Brook Fire Station No. 2 at the site on , June 10.
Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch said that the new fire station No. 2 is a dream that's been in the making for years.
“We are so happy today to see the beginning of this dream coming to fruition,” Welch said at a groundbreaking event held on June 10. “The old fire station served us well for the past 50 years, and we’ve outgrown it.”
Welch said the city found “a perfect piece of property right near the old fire station.” He said this location is a safer spot for the fire department, so when they're exiting during an emergency, both the fire vehicles and oncoming drivers will have better lines of sight.
“There's all new technology and best practices around fire stations, and we're going to be able to do that for our firemen and our community,” Welch said.
He thanked the members of the city council for their support of the project, along with city manager Sam Gaston and assistant city manager and Finance Director Steve Boone.
Mountain Brook City Council member Virginia Smith said that one of the city’s greatest achievements is its top-notch first responders, and the city and council receive many emails and texts for all they do for the community.
Fire Chief Chris Mullins said it was a very special day for him and a once-in-a-career event to open a new station as a fire chief.
“I'm very proud to be part of this project,” Mullins said. “For me personally, this is a day of gratitude. We started discussing a new fire station five years ago and asked the mayor and council to put it on the radar. After much discussion, justification, very careful consideration and thorough planning, here we are today.”
Mullins thanked all the members of the MBFD and said they make decisions as a family and they were able to give input on what the station would be.
The future site of Fire Station No. 2 will be 3100 Overton Road. Construction began on May 7 and is expected to take one year, Welch said.
“This project is for our first responders, and we want to thank you for your continuous professional excellence,” Welch said. “We look forward to having you move into your new home, and we thank you for supporting this project.”
