City celebrates new Northside Fire Station with grand opening

The city of Dublin held a big celebration for its newest fire station with a grand opening, ribbon cutting and tour.

A big crowd of current and former members of the Dublin Fire Department, city officials and members of the public were part of pictures and the celebration of the Northside Fire Station, which went into operation on June 30. 

Dublin Fire Chief Matthew Cutler called the event a “landmark occasion.” 

Goodwyn Mills Cawood provided architectural and environmental services for the 6,500-square-foot Northside Fire Station, which was constructed across from Stanley Funeral Home on North Jefferson Street by Garbutt Construction. The new fire station has a double-loaded, two-door equipment bay for four vehicles, living and sleeping space for six firefighters, offices and a radio room. Firefighters have a kitchen and dining space, exercise room and restrooms. They also have a driveway where they can easily pull their firetrucks into the bay without having to back them in.

Cutler credited the work of city, state and federal agencies working together to make the new station happen.

“We all came together to reach this final goal,” he said. “This firehouse is physical evidence that different political parties can work together to achieve great things.” 

Cutler thanked Robert Davidson for telling him about the grant opportunity through U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock’s offices. After the city of Dublin applied for the congressional directive funds in 2022, Ossoff took to the floor in December 2022 and talked to his colleagues about the importance of the Northside Fire Station. He was able to secure $1.82 million toward this project.

Representatives from Ossoff and Warnock’s offices were at the ceremony.

“The senators made sure the funding came through for the city of Dublin,” said Dublin Mayor Joshua Kight.

The initial estimate for the fire station was $6 million. Kight said they were able to bring that down to $3.5 million, but they really needed the grant money from the senators’ offices. The rest of the funds came from a one-cent sales tax, collected from 2018 to 2024.

“It takes a big team to make this possible,” Kight said. “I want to recognize the past and present city council members and employees who worked on this project along with those worked on the grants.”

Kight thanked the firefighters for the work they do in the community.

“Your job has a lot of downtime and quiet time,” the mayor said. “But, when we need you, you are there. When the community needs you, you step up. It is only fitting and appropriate that you have the best resources, equipment, training and the best leadership that we possibly can so that we can honor and support you in doing the important job that you do for our community.” 

Pastor Gregg Soles, with Christ Chapel Dublin, knows the Northside Fire Station was designed to help make the response time to emergency shorter than it was before the firehouse was built. 

“When I think of a fire station, I think of a cross on Golgotha’s hill, that was strategically located to bridge the gap and rescue us,” Soles said. “He took the long response time out and said through my cross is peace and reconciliation with a holy God. … God has provided, and He expects us to use it well.” 

The new station had been talked about since the 1970s. The land it was built on was purchased in 1994. As long as Cutler can remember, then-Fire Chief Robert Drew talked about building a fire station there. 

“We built a fire station here because a group got together, saw a need and found a way to meet that need,” Cutler said. 

Drew passed away on Sept. 21, 2021, but he did talk to Cutler about the station on the north side when plans were kicked into motion.

“Thank you, Juanita (Drew’s wife), for being here today,” Cutler said. “He would be so proud. … There have been many twists and turns along the way, but here we are. This firehouse is a symbol in Dublin that everyone can be proud of. The citizens of Dublin, and North Dublin, now know that we are here.” 

Kight recalled something Juanita Drew recently told him about the new fire station.

“Her husband worked for many years trying to bring this fire station to reality,” Kight said. “She told me that when she drives by the fire station, especially in the evening when the lights are on, she thinks about how Chief Drew would be so proud of what this place has become. All of us elected officials and in city government and all of the firefighters are striving to make a town that we can be proud of. 

“This is a building that is part of this community, and it is important to be proud of it. The team that has put this together over decades has done something for us that we can all be part of and it has been a long time coming.” 

Within hours of the Northside Fire Station opening in late June, it responded to its first call. A firehouse is a safe place for people to go for help, receive education or look around at the equipment and building, the chief said.

“There is no question what its purpose is or why it’s here,” Cutler said. “I really feel like we have really hit a home run with this modern building with some old school looks to it.”