In 2020, the Liberty County Board of Commissioners reached a consensus to implement a full-time fire department for the citizens of unincorporated Liberty County. Reaching full-time status has been a goal of the board over the past 10 years, which has been stated in the county’s Work Program within the 2016 and 2020 Comprehensive Plan updates. For the past three years, the board has been utilizing a staff combination of paid part-time workers and volunteers.
As part of the upgrades to emergency services, the Board of Commissioners allocated SPLOST funding for various facility improvements. As planned in the 5-year Work Program, a fire substation for the Isle of Wight community was constructed in 2020. This substation would be manned by volunteer firefighters in the community with back-up from full-time personnel.
Additionally, a new fire station facility was constructed near Sunbury. Partially SPLOST funded, the Islands Station was also designed to have firefighters 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The Islands Station was completed and dedicated on Friday, January 22, 2021.
The new buildings and upgrades will allow most citizens of unincorporated Liberty County to enjoy a lower Insurance Services Organization rating (ISO), upgraded service delivery and response time for fire services, and substantial savings for home and property owners.
Information from Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
DCA’s PlanFirst program recognizes and rewards Georgia communities that clearly demonstrate an established pattern of successfully implementing their Local Comprehensive Plan. The PlanFirst “Success Story” series highlights these cities and counties by sharing their incredible achievements.
