Blue Ridge, Ga – The new Fire Station/Public Safety Complex reached completion after two years of effort with an open house scheduled for Aug. 30.

EMA Director Robert Graham presented aerial shots of the finished facility to the commissioners during the Aug. 13, 2019 meeting.

“We intentionally did not take any pictures of the inside because we want everyone to come out on Aug. 30 and see the facility for themselves,” said Graham.

The dedication starts at 11 a.m., and visitors can tour the public safety complex while munching on some refreshments.

“The building is something that Fannin County should really be proud of. It should serve the county well for years to come. We did finish up the back part of the building,” stated Graham.

Aerial shots of the complex courtesy of Fannin EMA.

“Unfortunately, Earl, I was not able to keep it under $200,000. It ended up being $200,869.02.”
However, the last bid from contractors was $439,000, so the county did it for around $200,000 cheaper than expected.

“It’s really pleasing to see what we all thought was true when we received the last bids, said Post One Commissioner Earl Johnson, “We saved $239,000 to build out the back spot. The money can carry on in other places and help in places where we need it.”

Graham thanked all the subcontractors who participated in completing the building.

The entire cost of the building ended up being $4,134,462.83 and paid upfront with taxpayer funds. The county owes nothing on the building.

“All the volunteers and employees are very proud of the facility, and I hope the citizens of Fannin County are too,” commented Graham.

The construction of the fire station resulted from a collaborative effort from everyone involved from previous commissioners to all EMS/EMA employees. Graham sought out opinions from everyone to ensure Fannin had the best facility possible for the future.

“When we did a reevaluation and redesign to keep the effectiveness of the fire station, you got input from everybody that works in your command,” said Chairman Stan Helton, “Their suggestions were extremely valuable to making this work.”

Direct Overhead shot from Fannin EMA.

Post Two Glenn Patterson also commended Graham and his department for the new fire station.

“It has been a long process,” said Johnson, “The good thing is we can go over there and touch everything. The taxpayers have something that they can touch and see, and know that they don’t owe a dime on it.”

The open house will be on Friday, Aug 30 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.