WHITE COUNTY — Just hours after White County officials celebrated the opening of the county’s newest fire station, firefighters assigned to the facility responded to their first emergency call — a mountain rescue on Mount Yonah.
White County Fire Station 9 officially opened Thursday, June 11, with a hose uncoupling ceremony attended by county leaders, public safety personnel and community members. During the ceremony, White County 911 formally placed the station, Engine 9 and Truck 9 into service.
By Thursday evening, the station’s importance had already been put to the test.
At approximately 6:38 p.m., crews from Station 9 were dispatched to Mount Yonah after reports that an individual had fallen and was unconscious.
Engine 9 responded along with Engine 3, Med 3 and Battalion 1. A medical helicopter was initially requested but later canceled after first responders determined the patient had regained consciousness.
According to White County Public Safety, rescue crews located the patient within about 30 minutes in an area between Ranger Camp and a location known as the Lower Landing Zone.
Responders placed the individual in a Stokes basket and carried the patient to Ranger Camp, where a White County EMS unit was waiting. The patient was then transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville for treatment.
“This call is exactly why Station 9 matters,” White County Public Safety Director David Murphy said in a statement. “Within hours of being placed into service, the station responded to a rescue in the Mount Yonah area and provided critical support to an emergency in the community it was built to serve.”
“We are thankful for the work of our firefighters, EMS personnel, 911 communications officers and all responding units involved,” Murphy added.
Built to serve the Mount Yonah community
The new station is located on Sonnys Circle off Duncan Bridge Road and was constructed to improve emergency response times and fire protection coverage in the Mount Yonah area and surrounding portions of White County.
The project was funded entirely through the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or SPLOST, with no additional property tax burden on residents.
During Thursday’s opening ceremony, Murphy said the station will operate around the clock with at least two firefighters on duty at all times. The station is initially staffed by six firefighters working 24-hour shifts on a 24-hours-on, 48-hours-off schedule, with part-time personnel supplementing staffing as needed.
The station also houses a ladder truck that can assist neighboring jurisdictions, including Cleveland and Helen.
Improving response times and insurance ratings
County officials have said Station 9 will serve more than 2,300 structures in the Mount Yonah area and help improve fire protection ratings for nearby property owners.
Murphy told Now Georgia on Thursday that much of the area currently carries an ISO Class 10 rating, the highest classification. With Station 9 now in service, he expects those properties to move to the countywide Class 4 rating, potentially reducing insurance premiums for homeowners and businesses.
At Thursday’s grand opening, White County Board of Commissioners Chairman Travis Turner said one resident had already reported an estimated $1,500 reduction in insurance costs after learning the station was opening.
State Sen. Steve Gooch said the station represents a major public safety investment for the community.
“It’ll lower insurance premiums, but the most important thing is it’s going to save lives,” Gooch told Now Georgia after the ceremony. “Response times will be a lot faster. Ambulances and fire trucks will be able to respond quicker to an emergency call, and that could save loved ones.”
Less than eight hours after Station 9 was officially placed in service, firefighters were already putting that mission into practice on Mount Yonah.
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