Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
More than three years after a tornado severely damaged the Marbury Volunteer Fire Department, firefighters are once again responding from a permanent home, marking a milestone Chief Kenneth Barber says is about far more than a new building.
The department recently completed its new fire station at 2774 Highway 143 in Deatsville, replacing the facility that was heavily damaged during the January 2023 tornado. Construction began in late October 2025, and firefighters have officially moved apparatuses into the new station earlier this month.
For Barber, who has served as chief for more than two decades, seeing the project completed is the realization of a vision that began after one of the department’s most difficult chapters.
“It’s beyond words,” Barber said. “We have had trucks stored in three different locations throughout the community. Now we can finally house everything back under one roof.”
Since losing its station, the department has operated from multiple locations. Business meetings were often held at a local church when weather conditions made gathering elsewhere uncomfortable, while firefighter training had to be coordinated at different sites throughout the community.
“Now we can meet in one place again and enjoy a climate-controlled building where we can conduct training, meetings and department business,” Barber said.
The original station sustained extensive damage when the tornado struck in January 2023. Several fire apparatuses also suffered broken windshields, damaged emergency lighting, and body damage, resulting in an estimated $15,000 to $20,000 in repairs. The vehicles had to be transported to North Alabama for repairs while the department continued serving the community.
Despite those challenges, emergency response never stopped.
Today, the department’s six emergency vehicles, along with a utility side-by-side used for search operations and community events, are housed inside the new seven-bay station.
Barber said the updated facility was designed with the future in mind. While the new building maintains approximately the same overall square footage as the previous station, the interior layout was redesigned to better meet the department’s current needs.
One of the biggest improvements is a larger classroom and meeting area. The kitchen was reduced in size and combined with the classroom, creating additional space for firefighter training, county meetings and other department functions.
“We built it to better serve what we do today,” Barber said. “We can hold more people for classes and meetings, and it gives us a much better training environment.”
The new station also includes improved insulation and modern construction features designed to provide greater durability and efficiency than the previous building, which was constructed in the late 1990s.
“I hope this new building outlives me,” Barber said. “We made changes that should make it stronger, and I hope it serves this community for many years.”
The department currently has 14 volunteer firefighters, led by Barber and Assistant Chief Reed Brown.
Like many volunteer fire departments across Alabama and the nation, Marbury continues working to recruit additional volunteers. Barber believes the new station will help encourage more residents to consider serving.
“I’m hoping this new station will make people stop and look around,” Barber said. “It gives people something to be proud of, and it gives us the opportunity to explain how important volunteers are to protecting this community.”
Ironically, Barber said the 2023 tornado itself inspired several people to join the department after witnessing firsthand how critical volunteer firefighters are during emergencies.
Looking ahead, the department plans to host an open house, tentatively planned for August, once offices, meeting spaces and equipment are fully organized. Community members, local officials and those who helped make the project possible will be invited to tour the facility and celebrate the department’s return home.
For Barber, the new station represents more than bricks and mortar. After years of operating through adversity, he said it stands as a symbol of resilience, preparedness, and the community’s continued investment in protecting Marbury for decades to come.
