Jonesborough advances Fire Station No. 2 plan, approves new fire engine order

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to commence planning for Fire Station No. 2 on Persimmon Ridge Road and approved an order for a new fire engine during its Aug. 4 meeting.

Town leaders described a multi‑year negotiation with Washington County that yielded additional county funding to help the town manage debt service for a new station on land the town already owns. The plan presented to the board envisions constructing a post‑frame building, completing a portion of the finish work in-house and stationing both a dedicated Jonesborough engine and an EMS crash truck at the site to improve mutual‑aid response in the redrawn rural Washington County fire district.

The chair said the arrangement is intended to be a ‘‘win‑win’’ that preserves town service levels while supporting rural county coverage. Board members asked that finalized construction plans be returned to the board for review before bids are solicited. The motion to commence the Fire Station No. 2 process passed on roll call.

The board also moved forward on the town’s fire engine replacement plan. Members discussed the expected two‑year lead time for the vehicle, a modest negotiated price concession and cultural touches (one member suggested a patriotic paint scheme to mark America’s 250th). The board approved the purchase motion on roll call and instructed staff to proceed with procurement steps.

Why it matters The decisions commit the town to a development path that is intended to expand local emergency‑response capacity and improve geographic coverage for mutual aid; the county’s participation factors into affordability and service expectations.

What’s next Staff will return final station plans to the board for approval, issue bids after board sign‑off, and continue procurement and scheduling for the new engine. Funding details and a construction timeline will be provided in follow-up materials.