Bluffton Fire Department Breaks Ground on New Vehicle Maintenance Facility
Fraser Construction has broken ground on the Bluffton Township Fire Department’s new vehicle maintenance facility. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 21st with Chief John Thompson dedicating the building to the late Fire commissioner Robert Rogers.
The facility will be 12,000 SF with 3 large apparatus maintenance bays, 2 small truck maintenance bays, offices and storage. The site will also have training facility and a fire tower. The design-build team of Fraser Construction, Court Atkins, Cranston Engineering and Optim Engineering came up with a 1 story pre-engineered metal building structure matching the nearby station 30. The project was design over the summer of 2015 while the district secured bond funding, and the pre-engineered steel is on site ready to go while the pad and slab finish up.
Vera Rogers attended the groundbreaking ceremony on behalf of her husband, who died in November. Rogers’ love for being a firefighter began at a young age and followed him throughout his life, from living in Maryland and working in a segregated department to moving to Bluffton and joining the fire district. As he watched Bluffton grow, he pushed for the town to support growth within the district. “If he was here today, he would be very happy because his love became a true thing,” Rogers said. “I am very pleased because he spent so much time in Bluffton and he pushed for so much.”
