City Manager: No Fire Station at Abernathy, Wright Road Location

The city of Sandy Springs will not build a fire station along Abernathy Road at Wright Road.

That was the message communicated by City Manager John McDonough at the City Council’s Dec. 16 meeting.

McDonough made the comments after Council members heard a brief overview from Fire Chief Keith Sanders that spells out his department’s needs in the near future. The comments were made in response to emails and questions raised among some residents who expressed concerns about the possibility of the city constructing a station in that area.

Sanders provided the council some information on the city’s four fire stations. The average age of the city’s stations is 45 years old. McDonough added when the city acquired the stations from Fulton County, they were old, in “very very poor condition and past useful life.”

Specifically:

• Fire Station 1 at 1425 Spalding Drive opened in 1969; sits on 1.37 acres and is 9,000 square feet;
• Fire Station 2 at 135 Johnson Ferry Road opened 1968; sits on 1.26 acres and is 16,900 square feet;
• Fire Station 3 at 6025 Raider Drive opened in 2002; situated on 2.78 acres and is also 9,000 square feet; and
• Fire Station 4 at 4697 Wieuca Road opened in 1975; located on 1.37 acres and 19,000 square feet (including the basement area).

The city’s current facilities lack modern amenities conducive to providing 21st century fire protection services, such as community rooms, training rooms, individual bunk quarters for firefighters, hazardous materials rooms, Sanders stated.

Furthermore, each station’s location does not provide enough space to accommodate an expansion that would produce the space and technology needed by the agency.

Specifically Fire Station 2, which Sanders said is nearing its life expectancy, has battled a previous rodent infestation that’s undermined its foundation and suffers from poor ventilation. The station also plays host to community events and birthday parties, but has no public toilets accessible to residents, the chief said.

With Station 3, which the city refers to as its Heards Ferry station, is also limited by its location.

“There’s really not enough room on the property to really accommodate a good expansion program for the Fire Department,” the fire chief said.

To serve the city’s needs, a new or renovated station would need be a total of 24,600 square foot facility with 45 to 50 parking spaces.

Broken down, that would mean a three-bay facility with at least 7,200 square feet of industrial space serving as apparatus and vehicle maintenance areas. Another 8,300 square feet would be used for administrative offices, fire marshal’s office, storage areas, conference room and a break room.

An additional 8,800 square-feet of space would be needed to provide living quarters for firefighters, which would include co-ed dorm rooms, day room/kitchen, bathrooms, fitness area and station administrative area.

Both Sanders and McDonough said the city will continue to review different options, one of which would be the possible relocation of Fire Station 2 to the north or northeast of its current location. That new station would also serve as the department’s headquarters.

The main goal of the city would be to improve response time while providing adequate protection to all residents, McDonough stressed.

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