It’s been a long time coming, Salisbury Township officials agreed at the groundbreaking ceremony for Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company’s new Swain Station.

With a backdrop of a huge red, white and blue American flag displayed on Western’s bright yellow aerial ladder fire truck and under a sky of cumulus clouds just before sunset on a warm fall day, officials looked beyond the horizon, dug in their shovels and let the dirt fly, symbolizing the construction start for the new fire station.

Winter weather permitting, the $3.6-million station, 950 S. Ott St., Salisbury Township, is expected to be in operation by May, June or July 2024.

A crowd of an estimated 200 firefighters, township officials, construction officials, family members and community well-wishers attended the one-hour event that got underway soon after 6 p.m. Oct. 2. There were testimonials, prayers and tears among those who spoke, and among those who listened.

The emotions could not be denied nor held back for those dedicated to a project a decade in the making. The pride was evident in the voices of those who spoke at the podium. So was a sense of relief and happiness the day of dedication to kick off the project had finally arrived.

Soon after the groundbreaking, an estimated 15 to 20 construction workers were to have begun, Jason Zellner, project manager, Jerdon Construction, told a reporter for The Press before the ceremony.

“They’re pretty much all local contractors. We’ve assembled a very strong team of subcontractors,” Ronald Jerdon, president, Jerdon Construction Services, LLC, told a reporter for The Press.

Pointing to the construction site and silt sock erosion controls placed on the ground, Zellner explained, “We’re going to be cutting away some of that because the building’s going to be expanded a bit.”

“We had to get additional land,” Attorney Richard Somach, Norris McLaughlin, P.A., Attorneys at Law, who represented Western Salisbury Fire Company in negotiations with The Swain School-Moravian Academy, said.

The new fire station building will be placed on a slab and won’t have a basement.

“The building’s being fabricated now. It’s a prefabricated building,” Jerdon.

“All the finishing sections have been chosen,” Zellner said, adding, “All the pieces are in place.”

The new Swain Station has numerous improvements compared to the previous facility:

•Six apparatus for Western can be housed under one roof

•Properly-sized doors for equipment

•Decontamination area to remove carcinogenic byproducts of firefighting

•Updated training room and storage under one roof. Eisenhower Station is used for training and storage.

•Appropriate bathroom facilities for firefighters

•Offices and meeting rooms

The first step in construction was demolition of the old Swain Station.

Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company Safety Officer, Emergency Medical Technician, Board Member, Trustee and Life Member Jerry Royer, one of those spearheading the project, had requested first swing when building demolition began Aug. 28.

How did that feel, Royer was asked?

“It felt good,” Royer told The Press.

“Although you can’t see them here, they are with us: The men and women who went before to make this possible,” Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company Chaplain Rev. Rodney W. Wells said during the invocation.

“May our dreams and hopes be changed to service and commitment,” Rev. Wells said.

Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company was founded in 1959. The Swain School first donated land for Swain Station in 1979.

“We are very grateful for our long-standing association with The Swain School-Moravian Academy,” Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company trustee, life member and board of directors member John F. Kelly Jr. said.

“We are thankful for the support of Salisbury Township. The township has provided ongoing support for the fire company,” Kelly said.

Salisbury Township officials attending the groundbreaking included: Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners President Deb Brinton, Vice President Rodney Conn and Commissioners Alok Patnaik, Heather Lipkin and Alex Karol and Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich, Salisbury Township Assistant Township Manager Sandy Nicolo, Salisbury Township Chief of Police Donald Sabo and Salisbury Township Director of Public Works James Levernier.

Kelly lauded Mid Penn Bank and Frank Heston, senior vice president and regional vice president, for arranging financing for the Swain Station project.

“We were able to step in and give them a financial commitment,” Heston told a reporter for The Press.

Praised for their longtime volunteer work at Western was the Radokovitch family, notably Dottie Radokovitch, who was in attendance.

Royer was lauded by Kelly.

“Jerry [Royer] has volunteered for over 40 years. He always delivers. Thus the reason he is always asked.

“He continued to work daily to keep the project moving forward,” Kelly said of Royer.

Western has been staffed by 30 active volunteers, providing 2,000 hours of service per year with 500-plus calls per year.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company Fire Chief Joshua Wells said.

“I call it our Swain Station journey,” Chief Wells said. “It started in the spring of 2013.”

The donation of additional land from The Swain School allowed the addition of a side door on the former building for Engine 3131 and more parking.

Also thanked was Howard Kulp Architects, Keystone Consulting Engineers and Lehigh Valley Health Network.

“In July of 2020, we decided to go in a new direction and contacted Ron Jerdon,” Chief Wells said.

“We are extremely grateful to be part of the first responders. We put 100 percent into everything we do and this project is not going to be any different,” Jerdon said.

“Our fire company has endured so many emotions. Thank you to our families for their help. The township will be protected by a fire company because we have to practice what we preach,” Chief Wells said.

Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Department Deputy Chief Adam Al-Khal noted the role of United States founding father Benjamin Franklin who, in 1736, recommended the volunteer Union Fire Company and was its first fire chief.

A closing prayer was offered by Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Department Chaplain Gus Al-Khal.

“This is a holy ground,” Al-Khal said. “Why is it holy? Because life has been saved.

“There is no difference between this and your church or synagogue. We save lives here,” Al-Khal said.