Details From Groundbreaking on new Gadsden Fire Station 8
GADSDEN — City leaders, firefighters, and community members gathered Friday, April 10, for a groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction on the new Gadsden Fire Station 8, to be located at the corner of Riley Street and Rainbow Drive.
The ceremony began with remarks from Nick Hall, the city’s liaison to the fire department, who welcomed attendees and recognized Mayor Craig Ford and members of the Gadsden City Council for their support of the project.
Heath Williamson, director of engineering, followed with an invocation and recognized staff involved in planning and development. Representatives from Boatner Construction, the firm overseeing the build, also addressed the crowd, emphasizing their longstanding working relationship with the City of Gadsden and their commitment to the project.
Architect Tom McElrath, bringing decades of experience to the design, outlined key features of the new station. The two-story facility will incorporate a residential-style exterior to better blend with the surrounding neighborhood. It will include modern apparatus bays equipped with bi-folding doors designed for faster operation, opening in approximately nine seconds. The upper level will house dormitory-style living quarters for firefighters, with a spiral slide providing direct access to the apparatus floor—an uncommon feature for fire stations in the region.
City Council President Kent Back noted the existing Station 8 has been in place since his childhood and no longer meets the needs of a modern fire department. He highlighted the importance of continued investment in public safety infrastructure, noting that this will be the third fire station constructed under the current administration. The new facility will improve access to Rainbow Drive, provide additional maneuvering space for larger, modern fire apparatus, and include a police substation—part of a broader effort to enhance coordinated emergency response across the city.
Fire Chief Vance Brown reflected on the significance of the project for the department, noting that the current station, built in 1963, has deteriorated and lacks sufficient space for equipment and personnel. He emphasized the importance of providing firefighters with safe, functional, and comfortable facilities, describing stations as a second home for those who serve. He also pointed to the city’s ongoing commitment to upgrading fire infrastructure, with multiple stations either recently completed or in development.
Mayor Craig Ford addressed the crowd by acknowledging the extensive planning and coordination required to bring the project to fruition. He pointed to the inadequate conditions of the current station, including the need for makeshift additions to house equipment, as a driving factor behind the project. He also recognized the cooperation between city leadership, staff, and community partners that made the groundbreaking possible, as well as the broader momentum of development efforts across Gadsden and Etowah County.
According to a statement released by the City of Gadsden, the new Fire Station 8 will significantly expand the department’s capabilities. The existing 2,500-square-foot facility will be replaced with a 7,500-square-foot, two-story building designed to better accommodate modern fire trucks, equipment, and personnel. In addition to improved living quarters, the station will include space for a police precinct, further enhancing public safety services in the area.
The project is being funded through the city’s RISE Project bond issue and represents the latest in a series of investments in fire department infrastructure. Station 7 opened at Banks Park in 2022, followed by a new Station 5 at Noccalula Falls last spring.
Construction on the new Station 8 is expected to be completed in spring 2027.
City officials also indicated that the next major initiative for the fire department will be the development of a waterfront facility that will consolidate Central/Downtown Station 1 and North Gadsden Station 6 in the coming years.
