Briceville VFD breaking ground Thursday
Materials for construction of the steel building for the new Briceville Volunteer Fire Department station await the start of the project along Tennessee Route 116 just south of Briceville. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
Materials for the steel building were recently delivered to the site just south of Briceville along Tennessee Route 116, but in the style of Swedish retailer IKEA, some assembly is required.
“We’re excited and very thankful we’re finally to the point we can begin construction,” Brewster said in an announcement of the formal groundbreaking.
Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and state Rep. John Ragan are expected to attend the ceremony, along with Anderson County and local officials. The ceremony is open to the public, as well, the announcement noted.
The new building will replace a smaller one just east of the main Briceville intersection on Highway 116 that has served the department for more than 42 years.
When it opens, the new fire station will bring upgrades from the current station, including air conditioning, Brewster said. Initially, the new station will have two bays for vehicles, but there are plans to add two more later, the chief said.
It has been more than two-and-a-half years since the fire department held a ceremony in Briceville announcing plans to build a new fire station with a grant and loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a contribution from Anderson County.
The initial estimate of $184,000 to build the station rose by $75,000, and the Briceville Volunteer Fire Department had to scale down the project and come up with extra money just to limit the cost increase to the $75,000.
Additional financing has now come from the Anderson County Commission, so the project can finally begin, said Brewster.
In June 2021, several members of the Briceville VFD attended Anderson County’s Budget Committee meeting to support a request for the County Commission to help cover the extra costs. According to the Briceville fire officials, “Not only did the Budget Committee approve the request, but there was a unanimous vote from County Commission to get this project over the finish line.”
“This assistance to the Briceville Volunteer Fire Department is an acknowledgement from all the agencies involved of the importance of all volunteer fire departments to our rural communities,” said Shain Vowell, District 4 county commissioner, who, along with Tim Isbel, represents the Briceville community.
“I am proud to be a small part of the lifesaving work of these brave and self-sacrificing men and women,” he said.
The original estimated cost of the new steel building was to come from an $80,000 grant and a $74,200 40-year low-interest loan from the USDA’s Rural Development agency, along with a $30,000 contribution from Anderson County’s budget, Joe Woody, who was then area director for USDA’s Rural Development in Knoxville, said during the 2019 ceremony.
The Briceville VFD hopes to move into the new station within a year and a half after construction begins, said Brewster, who is now in his sixth year as chief. He said the department has 18 volunteer firefighters and five trucks.
Brewster works full time as an equipment operator for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. He’s been a volunteer firefighter for Briceville since 2000.
Excavation work at the site is being donated at no cost, Brewster said.
Donations to Briceville VFD can be sent to P.O. Box 238, Briceville, TN 37710.