What was once a dream for 10 years has now become a reality. On Wednesday, Chief Clarence J. Clark of St. Mary Fire Protection District 11 was notified that in the state’s 2023-2024 Capital Outlay bill, they will receive $1 million in funds to build a new central fire station in the Four Corners Community.
The facility will replace the current station that was built in 1983. The new station will have necessities and up-to-date, highly-functioning equipment, training aid and facilities to perform the essential day-to-day operations within the community as well as assist neighboring communities.
Clark told KQKI News that he is ready to get started on construction as soon as possible and hopes for it to be completed in the next 12 – 18 months. The station will be located on Highway 318 and will be built on land that was purchased in 2019.
Meetings and training have conducted at the West St. Mary Civic Center. With the construction of the new station, the fire district can host in-house training with state-of-the-art material, which allows their firefighters to have more hands-on training within their own “home”.
Clark said, “We are very pleased and ecstatic with this news and our hearts are overjoyed. It’s been a long time coming and we are proud to see this finally come together. Our department needed it, but the community and citizens need it the most. For those who don’t know, District 11 has the largest jurisdiction in St. Mary Parish and operates out of four stations. Having a new central station will bring about the change we need and will provide us with the proper tools needed to do what we’re called to do, which is to preserve and save a life when called upon. On behalf of St. Mary Parish Fire Protection District 11, we want to thank everyone who made this possible for us. We are thankful for those who continuously pushed for the changes to come, not only to our community but to the neighboring communities as well. This is only the beginning. Again, we thank you all!”
