GREENSBORO, N.C. — Every second counts in an emergency.
Greensboro's Fire Department (GFD) said it soon could take too many seconds to get to people in a certain part of town.
Improved response time is why GFD is set to build a new fire station on West Market Street.
Greensboro Fire Chief Jim Robinson shared why he thinks the move could end up saving lives.
He as well as Greensboro's Mayor Nancy Vaughan said this decision was made due to the ever-growing population of Greensboro. Once built, this will be the 28th fire station in the city.
Four minutes — that's the standard travel time Greensboro's fire department likes to take to reach the front steps of an emergency.
"We are currently making our response times, but we see them starting to slip," Chief Robinson said.
Chief Robinson said the department and city council have decided to buy land and set aside over $1.1 million to build a station off West Market Street so that the department can continue showing up on time.
"You know, if you look at where our fire stations are located, there is a hole there," Chief Robinson said.
He said fire stations 49 and 52 are the closest options for now, but all that will change once the new station is built.
It's something nearby neighbors like Laura Massie are looking forward to, "It would be very beneficial for this neighborhood."
She said she hasn't had a reason to call the fire department herself but has noticed that response times can be slow in the three years she has lived off West Market.
"It takes about 10 to 15 minutes for them to get here on this road in general, then the police come afterward, but if they're right here within like 5 minutes, then that fire is gonna get taken care of," Massie continued to say.
Massie isn't alone in thinking this would be a positive addition to the area — nearby Triad businesses agree.
Grant Hayes, Manager at Urban Air Adventure Park, said having a fire station so close by would bring him some ease, "I would say it definitely makes me feel a little more comfortable knowing that if anything were to happen, people would be here pretty promptly and be able to help immediately."
Not only is the department looking to have better response times in the area, but Chief Robinson said that this is a move for the future, as the City of Greensboro is growing every day.
'We want to make sure that we are providing the same service to every single citizen and resident of Greensboro," Chief Robinson said.
As for a timeline, Chief Robinson said it could be anywhere between 5 to 15 years before we see this station built.
Stay connected to local, national, and breaking news: Download the WFMY News 2 app.
►Text the word APP to 336-379-5775
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Subscribe to our daily newsletter, Let’s Get 2 It!
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or search for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.