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The Troup County Board of Commissioners Tuesday broke ground for fire station on Whitfield Road.

The county plans for the new facility to be LEED certified. Whitfield Road Fire Station No. 6 will primarily serve residents within a 5-mile radius, including those in the Mountville community, where the current fire station will transition to a volunteer fire department, said County Manager Mike Dobbs.

“The primary reason for the new station is to become more centrally located between other fire stations to provide better service for more county residents,” Dobbs said, noting that one fire truck will remain at the Mountville station. “The new station on Whitfield Road will provide services to the Mountville community, which is within its 5-mile radius.”

The new station will be constructed with a pre-engineered metal building. Like the Long Cane fire station that opened in February, the Whitfield Road station will incorporate energy-efficient building materials and fixtures to save on energy costs, Dobbs said.

Skip Smith, president of Smith Design Group, which designed both fire stations, said the new station would be built to LEED-certification standards.

“There will be additional insulation, low-flow toilet fixtures, an energy-efficient HVAC system and lighting, enhanced insulated glass on the bay doors, and drought resistant plant materials in the landscaping,” said Smith, estimating these “green” additions will save between 25 and 30 percent in energy costs.

The 4,200 square foot station will include 1,300 square feet in living quarters to accommodate as many as four fire fighters and two bays for fire-fighting vehicles. Smith expected construction to be complete by spring 2013.

The Board of Commissioners Tuesday morning awarded the contract for the pre-engineered metal building to W.O. Kilgore Construction Company of Carrollton for $68,200.

Plot clearing and grading will be done by the county’s road department and inmate labor will be utilized to its fullest extent for all non-technical components of the building process.

“Every effort is being made to minimize construction costs while still maintaining anticipated-LEED certification,” said Dobbs.

“Smith Design Group is excited to be involved with the county commissioners and applaud them on their initiative to create energy-efficient and cost-effective buildings to provide a sustainable future for county residents,” Smith said.