Jackson fire station

Recently Jackson city and fire officials broke ground on a new satellite fire station which, if weather permits, should be completed by March.

The station, the second for the city, is on Old Orchard Road and will house three firefighters at all times, according to Jackson fire chief Jason Mouser.

In addition to providing added assurance to residents by doubling the number of on-duty firefighters and reducing response times, the new station will also help maintain more manageable insurance property rates.

In 2010 Jackson's lone fire station received 1,364 calls, and Mouser said there were 80 instances when a crew received multiple calls at the same time.

While the Jackson Board of Aldermen allocated the funds to cover the $900,000 facility, city voters were asked to approve a sales tax increase in April to cover the station's operations, including personnel and equipment. The tax was passed by a margin of 3,073 votes to 1,788 votes.

The additional fire station has been needed for several years, and while there was some dispute about where it should be located, the bottom line is that the station, once completed, will be a major asset to residents and better equip the city as it continues to grow.