Prattville Fire Station #4 and Police Annex Celebrates Ribbon Cutting

By Andrew Edwards

Staff Writer

Prattville’s fire station #4 and police annex, which has been open and operational since February 1, 2021, had the opportunity to celebrate their ribbon cutting on Friday morning.

Public officials and public safety workers were present for the small-scale event, which featured a tour of the newly built building.

The station is very modern and certainly built for efficiency and comfort. It has everything from a workout room and kitchen, to a lounge area and laundry space.

“We have been welcomed with open arms by the community and have even had several families in the area come by and tell us how thankful they are that we’re here now,” said Prattville Fire Department Deputy Chief Josh Bingham.

The new station is equipped with several vehicles such as ‘Engine Four’, which provides advanced life support. The station’s proximity to the interstate and surrounding communities has been extremely beneficial to the PFD.

“The population density in the area has been the biggest thing that has helped us. It’s cut our response time down, which is huge when we have to cover 11 miles of interstate. It’s also taken a load off of Fire Station Three on of McQueen Smith,” Bingham said.

The idea for a station on the northeast side of town was first introduced back in 2007, but the city waited to obtain the proper funding and contractor to do the job.

It’s been well worth the wait, says Mayor Bill Gillespie.

“The reception for this station has been outstanding so far,” Gillespie said. “The people in the community understand how important public safety is, and once COVID begins to go away more, we hope to hold a proper open house here,” Gillespie said.

What makes the station work is the relationship that the Prattville Police and Fire Departments have with one another.

“The City of Prattville is extremely blessed to have two public safety organizations that work so well with one another. Our Police and Fire Departments are the backbone of this community, and their willingness to help the people of Prattville make them not only a good public safety worker, but also a good neighbor” Gillespie said.