YORK, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – As York continues to grow, City firemen say they’re working to keep up with the population expansion by building a second fire station.
The York Fire Department says they are currently on track to respond to 1,850 calls by the end of 2023, which if met will mark the highest call volume the department has ever seen.
Fire Chief Michael Regal expects that number to continue to grow every year as more and more people are expected to move to York.
First responders say in order to keep up with the rising call volume, a second station is needed, and plans for that are now getting off the ground thanks to the recent approval of the City budget which has set aside $50,000 to create new blueprints for this second station.
“The additional fire station will clean up the response times a little bit, trying to meet that goal of responding to calls within four to six minutes on 85 percent of the time,” Chief Regal said. “It’s crucial that we get there as soon as possible because seconds do count in an emergency.”
Chief Regal says two locations are currently in consideration for the second fire house, one near Hunter Street Elementary school, and another potential home near Filbert Highway.
The Chief says final decisions will be made soon by City officials, and expects the new station to cost somewhere between four and six million dollars to build.
Regal adds he is currently working to secure state funding he says help with covering the cost.
