The Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) has begun moving into its new facility off Buddy Riley Boulevard, just down the road from its old location off FM 1774 and Gayle Street.

Construction began in May 2009 by LDF Construction of Spring, according to Job Superintendent Danny McGlothern.

“The weather cooperated, we had some rain delays but everything went well,” he said. “The size is one thing that makes it stand out. It’s a little over 29,000 square feet, which makes it really large for a fire station.”

The building will serve as the headquarters for the administration and as a fire station for the entire Emergency Services District (ESD) 10, which is made up solely of MVFD stations, of which there are five.

Fleet vehicles now sit in the Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department’s new facility off Buddy Riley Boulevard. The 29,000 square foot building will serve as the department’s administration headquarters as well as a fully-functional fire station.

Photo by Holly Dutton

As of last week, appliances and furniture were in the process of being moved in.

Computer, telephone and Fire Alert Systems were all functional and the new station will have the same telephone number as the old location.

“Nothing’s changing,” said Fire Chief Gary Vincent. “We’re functional right now.”

One major advantage the new facility has is the ability to house reserve fleet vehicles, something that no other station in the ESD was able to do before. The department’s 100-foot ladder fire truck will also be able to be housed there, giving it a more centralized location.

Among the features of the new facility are a central training center, a maintenance facility for repairs, a central storage area, storage for self-contained breathing apparatus systems and a weight training facility exercise room.

It will also have, in the event of an emergency or failure of the radio system, backup radio system capability for dispatch.

The project was financed through existing revenue and without a tax increase, said Vincent.

“I’ve been working on it for three years,” said Vincent. “People are very excited, they are really looking forward to working in the facility. It’s been a boost for morale.”

The price tag for the entire project, including the land cost, was around $5 million, he said.

“I think it’s a tremendous value for the community; what we spent for what we got,” he said.

A grand opening of the new facility, which will be free and open to the public, will be held Sept. 18.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed