A new fire station for the Woodburn Volunteer Fire Department is moving closer to reality and could be fully operational by the end of 2022.

Woodburn Fire Chief Bob Skipper and board Chairman David Graham met recently with Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon to discuss finances and other planning for the station that will be next to Jody Richards Elementary School.

Skipper said the department is awaiting a final property appraisal before the Warren County Board of Education transfers the land to the fire department.

After that, Skipper said they will proceed with cost estimates and a bidding process before construction.

“The station is really needed because of the tremendous growth in that area,” he said. “We need to get a station within that area. … We have several firefighters who live in that area already, and we are hoping it will help recruit additional people as well. We have a good core group of firefighters, but we need more to help spread the workload out.”

Skipper said they’re also awaiting word on a grant to build a storm shelter behind the new station for Jody Richards Elementary.

The property’s value will be used to offset the department’s price match for the shelter after receiving the grant.

Warren County Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Chris McIntyre previously told the Daily News the deal was an “in-kind” exchange between both entities.

“We hope to be able to begin construction on the new station next spring,” Skipper said. “We hope to have it bid out in the early spring as the weather improves, but we don’t know exactly how long construction will take. We hope to have it operational by late 2022 or early 2023.

“The school board recognized the opportunity to partner with us so it’s a win for everyone,” he said. “It’s taken awhile to get all of this together, but it’s been a great partnership between the county, the fire department and the school board.”

Skipper said along with a new storm shelter for the school, the new station will be located near Ivan Downs subdivision, which should improve that neighborhood’s rating from the Insurance Service Office.

“It will help maintain our ISO rating, or even further improve that,” he said. “They have a scale they rate fire stations on. Home owners start getting a break on their insurance the better the fire protection is. We are currently a class 5, and are hoping to be a class 4.”

While the department will be funding most of the new station’s completion, Skipper said the county has tentatively agreed to pay for $50,000 of the building’s construction.

The two-bay station and storm shelter will be built on a tract of about one acre.

“It will be positive for that area of our district because it will give us the ability to increase our response time there,” Skipper said. “It will blend into the community and look like other buildings there. We are making a significant commitment in serving that portion of our district.”

– Follow reporter John Reecer on Twitter @JReecerBGDN or visit bgdailynews.com.