New Dickson Fire Station No. 2 Could Become a $9.25 Million Project

Dickson officials favor adding training space to new station, but final construction price still has not been approved

Dickson, TN — Dickson’s planned new Fire Station No. 2 could become a roughly $9.25 million project if the city ultimately moves forward with both an attached training room and a separate live-fire training structure.

City officials presented updated cost estimates to the Dickson City Council during its Oct. 5 meeting as the design process reaches a point where decisions have to be made about what will be included in the new facility.

The basic fire station is currently estimated at approximately $7.7 million.

Adding an attached training room would increase that estimate to approximately $8.5 million.

A separate Conex-style live-fire training structure would add another roughly $750,000, bringing the total potential investment to about $9.25 million.

That figure still would not necessarily represent the full long-term cost of developing the training area.

Officials also discussed approximately $400,000 in additional concrete work around the outdoor training facility. However, city staff said that work could potentially be completed later, possibly using city crews as time and funding allow.

City Staff Recommends Training Room

City Administrator David Travis told council members that staff believes the city should move forward with designing the new station with the training room attached.

The proposed room would be large enough to accommodate approximately 30 to 40 people and would allow firefighters to complete more of their training in Dickson rather than traveling elsewhere.

Dickson firefighters currently travel to Ashland City for certain types of live-fire training because the city does not have its own comparable training structure.

Officials said having training space in Dickson could reduce travel, overtime and equipment costs while also keeping personnel and fire apparatus closer to the city during training sessions.

The city could also potentially host training for firefighters from other departments in the region.

Officials noted that Ashland City and Nashville currently have the types of facilities Dickson would be trying to replicate.

Why the Decision Had to Be Made Now

City leaders emphasized that the council was not voting to spend $9.25 million during the Oct. 5 meeting.

Instead, the immediate issue was whether architects should continue designing the building with the training room included.

Officials said simply designing the station without the room and adding it later would not be as easy as it might sound.

Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural plans would all be affected by the decision, meaning the city could face additional redesign costs if it changed direction later.

Travis described the council’s direction as essentially a “soft commitment” to include the training room in the design.

The city will still receive a guaranteed maximum price for the project, and council members will have to approve that final number before construction funding is committed.

Costs Have Increased Sharply

Officials also used the discussion to illustrate how dramatically construction costs have increased in recent years.

The new station will be roughly comparable in size to Fire Station No. 3, which is about 10,000 square feet.

City officials said the earliest engineering estimate for Station No. 3 was approximately $3.6 million before the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the project was revisited later, that estimate increased to about $4.7 million.

The eventual low bid came in at just under $5 million.

Officials said the new Station No. 2 is being designed with cost savings in mind, including using less brick and leaving portions of the site as gravel rather than paving or pouring concrete everywhere.

Even with those changes, however, the current estimate has climbed well beyond what the city paid for Station No. 3.

City leaders said rising construction costs are a major reason they believe delaying the project could ultimately cost even more.

Current Station Called ‘Very Subpar’

The city also made clear that the project is not simply about adding a training facility.

Officials said the existing Fire Station No. 2 no longer adequately meets the needs of firefighters serving that area.

During the meeting, the current station was described as “very subpar” for what firefighters need.

The Jackson Foundation previously donated property for the new station, giving the city a site on which to move forward with the replacement facility.

Officials said the project is now approaching the point where final design work can proceed.

Live-Fire Facility Could Come Later

Even if the city builds the station with the attached training room, the separate roughly $750,000 live-fire structure could still be added in a later phase.

Officials said there may also be grant opportunities that could help pay for that portion of the project.

That would allow the city to construct the station and training room first while leaving the property prepared for the specialized outdoor training facility in the future.

For now, council members appeared comfortable with staff moving forward with the design that includes the training room.

No formal vote was taken specifically approving a $9.25 million construction project.

The next major step will come when the city receives a guaranteed maximum price.

At that point, council members will have to decide whether the final cost is one Dickson is prepared to pay.

For taxpayers, that distinction is important: the city is moving toward a larger and more capable Fire Station No. 2, but the final price — and final construction approval — are still ahead.