Town to Establish Temporary Fire Station

A wave of insurance premium increases and cancelations has prompted the Town of Mount Pleasant to establish a temporary fire station on the northern outskirts of town.

The move comes as a handful of residents in four Mount Pleasant neighborhoods reported near doubling in their insurance premiums. Some even had their policies canceled. Insurers believed the homes were too far from the nearest fire station, said Fire Chief Herb Williams.

Town leaders are in talks to build a $2 million fire station at the Carolina Park development. Eventually that station will serve thousands of homes that are planned in this part of town, but those plans are still being developed and a construction start is still months away.

The fire department plans to locate the temporary Fire Station No. 6 in a building previously occupied by Berkeley EMC. The town will pay roughly $51,000 to outfit the building with the necessary equipment to house firefighters and all their gear.

The town is still in talks with the EMC to determine lease terms on the building. Town Administrator Eric DeMoura said on Monday before the town council's Fire Committee that he hoped to be in the building in no less than 60 days and that the town would not lease the property for more than a year.

The proposal passed a town council committee on Tuesday and heads for a vote before the full council on Aug. 13.