Belfry Volunteer Fire Department Chief Nee Jackson knows shaving minutes off the amount of time it takes emergency personnel to respond to a crisis situation can save lives. This is the reason he said he is working with state and local officials to open a satellite station in South Williamson.

A piece of property at the intersection of Ky. Route 292 and U.S. 119 is currently owned by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and the Pike County Fiscal Court is asking that department to declare the property a surplus and convey it to the county.

The site was last used 11 years ago when it housed offices of the US Army Corps of Engineers. The building still stands, but is empty.

“We have been working for years to find a location for a satellite station, we looked at several places, and this is ideal,” District Six Magistrate Chris Harris said.

“We receive a lot of our calls from that part of our coverage area, from the intersection of U.S. 119 and Route 319 at Toler north,” Jackson said. “We had seven calls last week, and four of them were closer to South Williamson than Belfry.”

He said the new station would be used both by rescue vehicles as well as fire equipment.

“We would store a ladder truck, hazardous material gear, and a boat the county bought after recent floods trapped people in their homes at the new station,” he said.

Jackson added that homeowners in Belfry VFD’s coverage would also benefit from the additional station in the form of lower insurance rates.

“In order to maintain a favorable ISO rating, a house needs to be within five miles of a fire department,” Jackson said. “Being two and a half miles closer to that area would really help.”

The effort to acquire the property is a joint effort of the Pike County Fiscal Court, Rep. W. Keith Hall, Sen. Ray Jones, Harris and the fire department.

Hall said unless the state has a strategic, long-term plan for the property, then it should be no problem for it to be released to the county, and alleged the people of South Williamson aren’t being served properly because of the lack of a satellite station.

Money to convert the building to a fire station will be obtained from coal severance funds.

“I have committed myself to Chief Jackson of the Belfry Fire Department to fund the construction with coal severance tax money,” Sen. Jones said.

However, the process of acquiring the property is time consuming.

Sara George with the Transportation Cabinet, says that while the department wants to help, the property has not yet been declared surplus, the first step in the process.

“State law mandates the process we are required to use to declare a property surplus, George said. “ A team made up of both District 12 and central office engineers is required to review the property and determine if it is even eligible to become surplus property. The process requires the involvement of both state and possibly some federal agencies and typically requires 12-24 months to clear.”

George said the fiscal court has not submitted an application to the cabinet to acquire the property, but that she would personally deliver one to Judge Executive Wayne T. Rutherford Friday.

Jackson said his department is looking on how to better serve the community.

“We want to do more,” he said. “We want to help, and a few minutes can make the difference in saving a life.”