HANOVER TOWNSHIP -- A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday for a new firehouse near Wilkes-Barre. The building will be the new headquarters of several neighborhood fire stations in Hanover Township.
The space off the Sans Souci Parkway used to be a lumber yard, but in about a year, it'll be the new headquarters of the Hanover Township Fire Department.
The groundbreaking marks the start of construction, and it's been a long time coming. The new fire station has been in the works for more than three years.
Crews are clearing the ground for what will be a new $3.2 million fire station. The building will be able to house several fire trucks, plus, there's room to expand the building.
"It's fantastic, for the guys for the future, for the community, it doesn't get any better than that," said Hanover Township Fire Chief Joe Temerantz.
There are several fire stations tucked away in some neighborhoods in Hanover Township, but some of those stations will be incorporated into the new headquarters on the Sans Souci Parkway.
The chief points out that the location of the new headquarters was no coincidence. It'll be based in the center of Hanover Township. The building will consolidate the stations at Lee Park, Breslau, Hanover Green, and Preston into one.
Fundraisers, casino money, grants, and a loan are helping pay for it.
The Hanover Township Fire Department will also have crews working another station on the north end and a third station on the south end.
"We've been at this for about 15 years now, as far as consolidation, making us all under one roof, we're at that point right now," the chief added.
The chief also points out the new layout of the fire stations should improve response times to incidents.
Construction on the new fire house should be finished in about a year.
