Dawson Fire Department might get new home after 120 years at downtown location

DAWSON – Dawson Fire Chief Rusty Hunter can recall memories of working at the 120-year-old Fire Department like they happened just yesterday. 

He recalls a childhood spent playing among the tall engine bays as his uncle and cousins worked … the names of the ghosts that haunt the old structure … vigils underneath the front silver bell to honor the 343 firefighters killed in the 9/11 terror attacks.

Hunter never filled out an application to work at the fire department. At age 17, the department’s then-fire chief asked Hunter to come to his office, where he handed Hunter a badge, told him to get a haircut and that his job would start the next day at 7:30 a.m. That was 1980, and Hunter has been at the station ever since. He’s served as its fire chief for the last six years. 

“I’ve grown up here. I was a slick-faced kid when I started,” Hunter said. “I’ve raised both my sons here. They’ve been to a million fire calls with me.”

Now, Dawson’s Fire Department may soon be getting a new home as equipment outgrows the dated structure. 

The Fire Department on Main Street was built in 1905. Over the years, the building housed City Hall, a courtroom and the Police Department, while functioning as the Fire and Emergency Services Department.

It’s got the traditional fire station look: red brick and tall bay doors for the fire engines. Every Dawson resident is familiar with the ringing of the large bell from the bell tower. Set off by pulling a rope, the bell signals an emergency, and the large bay doors rise to release the fire engines that leave with lights on and sirens blaring.

“Whenever we get state audited every year by Georgia Firefighter Standard Training, and they come here, they’re like ‘Man, this is a real fire station,’” Hunter said. “The stations across Georgia, they’re all little metal buildings with maybe a brick front. This one here is one of the only remaining real fire stations throughout the state.”  

But the old building, while special, has its fair share of problems, including plumbing issues, roof leaks, termites, potential lead paint and original piping. 

In November, Hunter is expecting a new fire truck to be delivered. He secured funding through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. It took a year and a half to construct the truck, which will have a 1,500-gallons-per-minute pumper, carry 1,000 gallons of water and include a deck gun mounted on top that will be able to deliver those 1,500 gallons per minute. It’s an upgrade from the old truck, but it’s also larger. 

“We’ll shuffle trucks around to try to make them all fit, but one of the trucks is going to be sticking out a little bit into the weather, I hate to admit,” Hunter said. 

The Fire Department has knocked out a wall to create space for its fire engines before, and Hunter said he was prepared to do it again. But Dawson Mayor Robert Aaron wants to hold off as the city seeks a place to relocate the department. 

Aaron said money has already been spent to renovate the current building, but more needs continue to pop up. 

“That original building needs a lot of work and renovation,” he said. “I don’t think we need to be putting more money into it. We need to modernize the fire station, and we’re looking at several locations where we can do that.” 

One of these locations is the old school building on Crawford Street, which already houses Dawson’s Public Safety Department. Aaron said this is a plus, as all of the city’s emergency services would be housed on a single campus. 

Some Dawson residents are worried that the school location strays too far from downtown, which is the central part of the city. They’re also worried about the train track that separates the complex from the rest of the city, including the schools.

Aaron said city leaders have considered the track in coming to their decision. He said the track is mostly non-operational, occasionally used for staging purposes to transport and store tanks and train equipment. 

Still, Hunter said one year a train dropped from the track.

“The town was cut in half for a week or two until they could get that thing back on the tracks,” he said. “I pretty much stayed in my car, sleeping at the police department with a truck full of fire extinguishers in case we had a fire call so I could try to hold it back until they could get around it.” 

Aaron said the city and fire department would work with the railroad to try to prepare for any closures. 

Others said they hate to see the Fire Department leave Dawson’s downtown. 

Kathy Hicks, a lifelong Dawson resident and member of the Terrell County Historic Preservation Society, said she hopes the original station can be saved and expanded. 

“It’s been part of my life ever since I can remember a fire station,” she said. “It’s just always been there.”

Hicks said the prospective new location is far out of town. 

“I would love to see it stay in downtown Dawson because we’ve lost so many of the wonderful old buildings that we had,” she said. “It’s a centerpiece to downtown, along with the courthouse. They’re real old buildings with history.” 

Hicks said if the fire department does have to move, she’d like to see the building preserved and repurposed into something that can be enjoyed by the public, like apartments or a restaurant. 

Hunter said he’d potentially like to see the building receive a historical designation and turn into a museum with older fire engines on display. 

Aaron said there are no plans to demolish the old station. 

“I’m passionate about it too because growing up in Dawson … it’s a special place,” the mayor said. “We do have plans to renovate it for historical purposes.”

Hunter said he could also see the old fire station remaining an active station, along with a new station. 

“The more fire stations and more firefighters you have, the more capacity that you have to extinguish your fire quicker,” he said. 

The fire chief said he hopes a new fire station location would have the space to build Dawson’s very own training facility. Now, Dawson firefighters travel to Forsyth or Lee counties to attend fire academy or train. Or they use the old football field behind the Dawson Police Department. 

Having their own training facility would mean a better Insurance Services Offices (ISO) score, which helps with insurance premiums. 

“I’m excited about a new building but heartbroken, too,” Hunter said. “I love this old building, but she needs so much work.”

Aaron said there is no set timeline for when the transfer of the fire department might begin. The city is still working to finalize a location and get funding for the project through grants and loans.