City of Statesboro hosting ribbon-cutting ceremony for new $4.8M fire station

STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - The City of Statesboro is preparing to officially open its first new fire station in more than two decades.

City officials announced a ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 11 a.m. to mark the official opening of Statesboro Fire Department’s Station 3, located at 983 Brannen Street.

The $4.8 million project, which broke ground in November 2025, took 10 months to complete. City leaders say the new station is vital for improving coverage, reducing response times, and supporting the department’s ability to serve Statesboro’s growing population.

Funding for the new station was made possible through $1.1 million in city Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenue, alongside a $3.7 million loan from the Georgia Municipal Association’s “Bricks & Mortar Program.” The loan will be paid back over a 20-year period using future SPLOST proceeds.

A Nod to Firefighting History

In addition to remarks from city leaders and firefighters, the ceremony will feature a traditional “push-in” ceremony for the department’s newest vehicle.

The “push-in” is a firefighting tradition dating back to the 19th century when crews had to manually push hand-drawn and horse-drawn fire engines backward into the station bays after responding to calls.

The newest apparatus entering service is a 2026 Sutphen SL 75-foot aerial platform quint truck. The state-of-the-art truck features wireless remote-controlled nozzles, an integrated communication system, more than 140,000 lumens of scene lighting, a 500-gallon water tank, and a pump capacity of 2,000 gallons per minute.

Officials say the new truck was purchased using 2019 SPLOST funds.

Members of the public are invited to attend the grand opening and join in the historic celebration.

If You Go:

• What: Statesboro Fire Department Station 3 Ribbon Cutting & Push-In Ceremony
• When: Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
• Where: Station 3, 983 Brannen Street, Statesboro, Ga.
• Cost: Free and open to the public