Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown and Baldwin Mayor Stan Totman were on hand to introduce a new rescue unit for the Baldwin Fire Station. Before now, the closest Rescue Unit to Baldwin was seven miles away on Beaver Street.
Along with the Rescue unit, the full time staff of the station will increase from two to four. Jacksonville Fire Chief Marty Senterfitt says that's important because the increase in protection is expected to help lower home owner insurance rates for Baldwin residents.
Senterfitt says one of the goals of his department is to locate areas of town where service times are too high, and reorganize personnel to improve coverage.
Baldwin Mayor Totman says he's been looking to get improved coverage for years.
He says with three schools, a steel mill and a train station nearb,y the city has been living on borrowed time when it comes to a quick response to a serious accident.
Totman says with the expected growth in the area in the coming years, more protection was needed.
