DAPHNE – A new fire station to serve the growing eastern area of Daphne is open after COVID-19 delayed the delivery of a new fire truck for several months.
Daphne’s Fire Station No. 5 opened east of Alabama 181 on Tuesday, Oct. 12.
Mayor Robin LeJeune said the station will provide more service to an area of the city that is continuing to see rapid growth.
“It’s a great day in the city of Daphne that we finally get a chance to expand our Fire Department with a new fire station to help the growth that we’ve seen here over the last so many years,” LeJeune said at the station dedication. “We have growth to the east, Old Field and Dunmore and Bellaton and, of course, Jubilee Farms that’s come in. We’re now able to protect all of the citizens of Daphne. We don’t have to pull from other locations for all this growth. We now have a fire station that will take care of that.”
Fire Chief LeAnn Tacon said the department hired firefighters to cover the area several months ago and has been increasing coverage from other stations but had to wait on delivery of a fire truck.
“The station’s been ready since the spring,” she said. “We had to wait to get the truck. It was coming from a manufacturer in Pennsylvania, and they basically shut down for COVID, so that was the big delay on the truck.”
The new station will be staffed by three or four firefighters each day. She said the new station will improve coverage for the area.
“We’ve been covering it, but this will be a much quicker response time now that we’re here in the area. It’s a great day -- a new truck, new station all at the same time,” she said. “It’s definitely needed because this area is growing so quick. I’m sure there are plans for more growth out here and the residential areas are really growing a lot. We’re here for them now. We’re really excited to be here for them.”
Tacon and LeJeune praised the support of city officials and firefighters in getting the station built. Tacon said retired Daphne Fire Chief James “Bo” White, who was present at the dedication, had worked for several years to get a station built in the area.
“This station was a vision he had and today it’s come to fruition,” Tacon said.
The Daphne City Council approved construction of the new station on Milton Jones Road at a cost of $1.6 million in 2019.
