Savannah opens new safety facility in rapidly growing New Hampstead area

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - City officials celebrated a major milestone Tuesday with the ribbon-cutting of the new Hampstead West Modular Public Safety Building, a $3.9 million facility designed to bring emergency services closer to one of Savannah’s fastest-growing neighborhoods.

The modular building, completed in just 16 months, represents a strategic response to the city’s expanding population in the Fifth District and reflects local leadership’s commitment to improving emergency response times.

“When somebody calls 911, they’re not thinking about maps or boundaries. They’re thinking about help getting there quickly,” said Savannah Fire Chief Derek Minard.

The timing of the facility’s opening is particularly significant. The new public safety station comes just one week after WTOC’s coverage of a New Hampstead High School student who experienced an extended delay in receiving emergency assistance during a medical incident on the school’s basketball floor.

Mayor Van R. Johnson acknowledged the urgency that drove the project forward.

“We weren’t hearing anything. We knew it had to be done,” the mayor said. “We want to make sure that four minutes, no matter where you are in Savannah, we can get a fire truck to you, and very close after, we can get a police officer to you.”

Alderman Estella Shabazz, who serves as mayor pro tem, emphasized how the facility directly addresses the needs of the growing area.

“This new public safety facility brings our police and our fire services directly to this quadrant of the Fifth District,” she said.

According to Fire Chief Minard, the new station accomplishes exactly what the community needs.

“This new station helps us do exactly that. It improves our ability to respond faster, operate safer, and provide more consistent coverage for this community,” he said.

Police Chief Lenny Gunther highlighted the practical advantages the facility offers to officers and firefighters on the ground.

“The plan is to have units stationed all around the area and have the ability to come here when they need to, to write a report, to take a break, to meet with a community member. So we’re going to be stationed out here, and this makes it so much easier,” Gunther explained.

The $3.9 million facility was made possible through SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) revenue, demonstrating the community’s investment in public safety infrastructure.

City officials also noted that the modular buildings currently in use are temporary.

Permanent facilities are planned for the area, indicating that this is just the first phase of a larger safety infrastructure expansion in the Hampstead region.

As Savannah continues to grow, this new public safety facility represents the city’s commitment to ensuring that emergency services can respond quickly and effectively to all residents, regardless of where they live.