Troup County’s newest fire station began operation Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Troup County firefighter/EMT cut the ribbon on the new station on Long Cane Road with fellow firefighters who would be operating out of the station next to Long Cane middle and elementary schools. The close proximity will benefit the schools’ access to emergency services, said Long Cane Middle School principal Chip Giles.

“We think this will provide very quick response if there is an emergency,” Giles said. “Plus, it’s a model for energy efficiency. We plan to use it for classes to show them how energy efficiency is incorporated into modern building practices.”

The county is hoping to have the building LEED – Leader in Energy and Environmental Design – certified. Although it is still filling out the paperwork, it currently looks like the building will receive a silver rating, said Todd Stephens of Smith Design Group, which designed the building.

County Commission Chairman Ricky Wolfe said the station is important in the wake of changes to roads due to Kia, and the nearby location of Kia and its on-site suppliers. West Point is building a fire station near the Kia site and the Long Cane station will act as backup to it.

The Long Cane station will replace the station on Reed Road, and also incorporate firefighters that had staffed the station on Aerotron Parkway next to the LaGrange-Callaway Airport. The LaGrange Fire Department will now staff that station.

The shifting around of staff will offer better coverage to the area, said Troup County Fire Chief Jerry Heard. Residents in the area should see a benefit in the form of an increased Insurance Services Office – ISO – rating, which should lower the cost of homeowners’ insurance.

Larry Hill Sr., who lives across the street from the new station, said he was glad the department decided to locate there. He liked the idea of immediate access to help in case of an emergency, and knowing it could decrease his insurance costs.

“I don’t have too far to go if there’s a fire,” he said with a laugh. “I feel really good about it.”

Heard said firefighters are glad to be in the neighborhood and encouraged anyone in the area to come check out the new station.

“We’re just so proud to be in this community,” he said.