Aynor, CCU area, lined up for new fire stations

New fire stations are in the works for Aynor and the Coastal Carolina University area that will be funded in part by a $3 million bond the Horry County Council plans to issue this fall.

Development has already begun for the university station located on S.C. 544 near the Singleton Ridge Road intersection. Property next to the BB&T Bank has been purchased and an existing house leveled to make way for the new station.

The university station will replace the still-operating fire house on Victory Lane off Technology Boulevard. Lisa Bourcier, county spokeswoman, says the current station is land-locked and not an optimal spot.

“Back in the day, it might have been an ideal location, but because of growth in that area it needed to be moved to a better location,” Bourcier said.

Moving the university area station onto S.C. 544 will put firefighters closer to the Carolina Lakes community, which will reduce their Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating from a 10 to a 3, said Johnny Vaught, Horry County councilman.

“This will save them thousands of dollars on their home insurance,” Vaught said.

The total cost of both stations is more than $4 million, which will be funded with the bond, an expected $350,000 in proceeds from the sale of the existing university station, a land transfer from Aynor, and $500,000 from existing county funds, Bourcier said.

The Horry County Council will cast its first vote Tuesday night to issue the $3 million bond.

A deal is pending with Horry Georgetown Technical College to buy the station property on Victory Lane, which separates campus property, Vaught said.

The location of the new Aynor station is still in discussion with town officials, said Al Allen, Horry County councilman. If the station is to remain within the town limits, Allen said it will be up to Aynor officials to provide a suitable location.

“If they can’t, we have a couple of options just outside of town,” Allen said.

The current Aynor fire station off Highway 319 in the same building as the Horry County Magistrate’s office is at least 25 years old, Allen said.

“It was built years ago just to house the ambulance stationed there, a fire truck does fit, but it was not actually constructed for that,” Allen said.

In order for the truck to fit, Allen said the top deck gun, the high-pressured nozzle, was removed from the top of the fire engine.

The new Aynor station, which is expected to be built and operating within a year after the site is secured, will support a full-time fire, medic and life-support crew around the clock, Allen said. The new university station is also expected to open in one year.

“We will have a third bay in case we have to put an extra engine or little tanker in there, and in case of a hurricane, we can pull in more help,” Allen said. “We’re going to plan for the future a little bit.”

This story was originally published August 12, 2016 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Aynor, CCU area, lined up for new fire stations."