Forsyth County Fire Department hosted a hose uncoupling ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 12, to mark the grand opening of the new Fire Station 9 (8420 McBride Ln.), officially replacing the previous facility located on Browns Bridge Road. Photos from the event can be found here.

Watch the full ceremony:

Watch the latest episode of On the Move to learn more about the history, funding and features of the replacement station:

The ceremony featured remarks from District 4 Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills, County Manager David McKee and Forsyth County Fire Chief Barry Head.

“With this new station, we take the courage, hard work and dedication it took to serve before us and bring it forward into the modern age,” said Fire Chief Barry Head at the ceremony. “We aim to be a sign of support and service to this area as each of you pass by. A sign of strength for each call that comes in.”

Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the station with Fire Chief Barry Head:

Construction of the new Station 9 was funded by the voter-approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) VI and VIII programs, as well as impact fees.

The completed replacement station is a 12,500 square foot, four-bay station, accommodating the personnel and equipment operating out of the facility and future growth. The station houses Engine 9, Tanker 9, Dive 9 and Marine 9 with intent to house a fire boat as well in 2025. The station’s design is based on a standard template for the County fire stations that has been improved over the years with Fire Station 11 being the primary model.

The original Fire Station 9 was built in 1989 by volunteers. The two-bay station has had several repairs over time in order to remain operational until the replacement station could be built.

The construction cost of the project is approximately $7 million. The general contractor for the station is Kevin Price Construction. The architect for the project is Croft and Associates.

The full ceremony will soon be made available here and on the County’s YouTube channel.