MERIDIAN, Idaho — City of Meridian officials and others involved in the construction of Fire Station #6 celebrated its groundbreaking on Wednesday.
The station will be built at 1435 Overland Road. It will be the city's first new fire station in more than a decade.
Meridian Fire Department Chief Mark Niemeyer, Deputy Chief Charlie Butterfield, Mayor Tammy de Weerd and City Council President Joe Borton were on hand for the ceremony, as well as Meridian Rural Fire District Commissioners.
Fire Station #6 will be just the second in South Meridian. Fire Station #4 is located at 2515 S. Eagle Road.
Niemeyer said firefighters will be able to deploy faster than ever before to meet the needs of growth in the area.
"You can see the growth. You can look to our left, our right, north and south and we have growth going on all over out here," the chief said. "We have apartment complexes, we have commercial buildings going up here on Overland Road. And across I-84 at Ten Mile. We have residential subdivisions going in here, so meeting that growth for our service to the community is a very important deal.
Representatives from Meridian-based Engineered Structures, Inc. also attended Wednesday's groundbreaking. ESI is providing construction management services for the 10,229-square-foot, $5.4 million project.
It's expected to be finished in March 2020, and it will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week with an engine company and battalion chief.