‘A Promise Made and a Promise Kept’: Lowndes County breaks ground on Station 4

Published 1:00 am Thursday, July 24, 2025

VALDOSTA — Local officials, fire rescue personnel and community members gathered Monday morning to break ground on Lowndes County Fire Rescue Station 4 — the county’s first newly constructed fire station in two decades. 

The station will be located at 4111 Stewart Circle. The event drew representatives from South Georgia Medical Center, Moody Fire, Valdosta Fire and construction and engineering partners who helped bring the project to life.

Fire Chief Billy Young, who has deep personal ties to Station 4, called the moment a proud and emotional one. His father and uncle began their service as volunteers at the original North Lowndes Station just across the road. Now, a new, permanent station will rise to serve the next generation.

“To the people of Lowndes County, this is for you. Your safety is our top priority,” Young said. “We will maintain a constant state of readiness to respond to all requests for services in a timely manner.”

Young talked about how Station 4 is expected to boost emergency response times and capabilities in the area significantly. In addition to fire services, it will house a new EMS unit through a partnership with SGMC, improving life-saving care during medical emergencies.

County Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter reflected on the evolution of fire services in Lowndes County, from a single full-time fire station 13 years ago to a professionalized and expanding department. The new milestone marks more than just the start of a building project to Slaughter; it represents a commitment to public safety, community growth, and the future of emergency response in Lowndes County. 

“It’s a promise made and a promise kept to the citizens of this community that we were going to improve firefighting services here in this community,” Slaughter said. “We will continue to do this so that we can know that all across Lowndes County, we will have the highest level of service that we could possibly provide.”

Station 4 is the first of three new fire stations planned for Lowndes County, marking the next step in the county’s multi-phase effort to expand its fire rescue services. Prior to this groundbreaking, the county invested in major renovations to upgrade existing facilities, transforming Bemiss and Clyattville fire stations to support full-time staffing and modern emergency response needs.