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New EMS, fire and sheriff stations open at The Ponds

Published Tuesday, January 27, 2009 12:23 PM

Summerville Journal Scene ®

Through a public private partnership with Greenwood Communities and Resorts, Dorchester County is opening a new EMS, fire, and Sheriff’s station in “The Ponds” subdivision near U.S. Highway 17A in Summerville.

Dorchester County Council, Greenwood Communities and Resorts, Old Fort Fire Department, and county EMS Department and Sheriff’s Department officials will hold a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony to dedicate the new station, located at 200 Hundred Oaks Parkway in Summerville, on Monday Feb. 2 at 3 p.m.

This $1.71 million, 8,204 square foot building is a part of the civic corridor Greenwood Communities and Resorts is developing. The civic corridor includes a new YMCA, which officially opened last week, a future K-8 school site, and new recreation fields.

Dorchester County and Greenwood Development Corporation entered into a Development Agreement in December 2005 and partnered to build the new station. Greenwood agreed to offset the county’s cost for the new station by donating $500,000 and two acres of land valued at $450,000.

County Council agreed to contribute $760,000 in order to leverage $950,000 in private funds and land to provide better EMS, fire, and sheriff protection to over 24,000 existing county residents in that area.

“The new station at ‘The Ponds’ is the first of its kind for Dorchester County. It’s a partnership of a county, a public service district (Old Fort Fire Department), and a private developer (Greenwood), which brings three public safety providers together under one roof,” said Jason L. Ward, Dorchester County Administrator.

The outcomes for the community include reduced EMS response times for county residents, improved Insurance Services Office (ISO) ratings for fire protection, and reduced homeowner’s insurance premiums. Residents in the area will also benefit from having an office closer to where they live, so Sheriff’s deputies can meet with them to discuss community concerns.

Jamie Feltner, Chairman of Dorchester County Council said, “Improving response times and improving fire protection are good returns on the investment the county made in this new station. We achieved our overriding goal of improving the quality of service provided to the citizens of Dorchester County and leveraged private funds to reduce the financial impact on our capital budget.”
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