By Erin Smith
If you are driving on East Broad Street in Elizabethtown, you have noticed the construction work that is taking place at the intersection of East Broad Street and South Cypress Street. The preparation work has begun on the lot that will become the future home of the Elizabethtown Fire Department.
The new building will be constructed by DeVane Builders and will house both the Elizabethtown Fire Department and Elizabethtown Rescue Squad. The new building will be located at 300 East Broad Street. Elizabethtown Fire Chief Nick West said a date for a groundbreaking ceremony has not been set. The work taking place on the lot is to prepare the lot for the construction of the building to begin.
The new building will feature office space, men’s and women’s dormitory space, classroom space and five truck bays. It is estimated it will take up to one year to complete. 
Chief West said, “The biggest thing right now is getting the site graded. It has to be compacted and graded.”
Chief West said DeVane Builders is working to remove some soil that is unsuitable for compaction and replacing it with soil that is better for compacting. Once that is complete, the site will be prepared for the foundation to be poured.
Chief West said there is a storm drain that needs to be removed and relocated and work for the sewer service will also need to take place.
The building is funded with a $2.5 million grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation as part of their Hurricane Matthew Disaster Relief funds.
During Hurricane Matthew, the Elizabethtown Rescue Squad building was flooded and suffered severe damages as a result. The rescue squad was relocated temporarily to the fire department building and an attempt to find a new location for the rescue squad was unsuccessful.
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