The fire department that protects Dunwoody and Brookhaven is getting a new station in Decatur, funded by county sales tax dollars.

DeKalb County Fire Rescue broke ground on Fire Station No. 16 at 4242 Eastside Drive on Thursday, Sept. 24, The Champion Newspaper reported. The two-story, 14,601-square-foot facility will cost more than $10 million to build using revenue from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).

DCFR serves Dunwoody, Brookhaven, unincorporated DeKalb County and nine other municipalities from 26 stations. The department responds to fires, medical emergencies and hazardous conditions for more than 750,000 residents. It holds an ISO Class 2 rating, a designation its website says places it in the top 3% of fire departments nationwide.

The new Decatur station is one of three DCFR facilities under construction. Fire Station No. 5 in Tucker and Fire Station No. 27 in Lithonia are also moving forward after the Board of Commissioners approved a construction contract covering all three in May.

DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson spoke at the Sept. 24 ceremony and pointed to SPLOST revenue as the engine behind the projects.

"The penny goes a long way," Cochran-Johnson said. "As the money comes (from SPLOST), so will improvements."

She also called for careful planning and responsible stewardship of the tax dollars funding the construction.

The station's design separates work zones from living quarters. Soiled turnout gear and laundry will be kept in a designated area away from sleeping and dining spaces. County officials said the layout will reduce firefighters' exposure to carcinogens.

Other features include individual sleeping quarters, a commercial-grade kitchen, a workout room, restrooms for all gender-identifying crew, a multipurpose room open to community use and exterior landscaping.

No completion date was announced at the groundbreaking. Officials said construction will follow a multi-year schedule, with Stations No. 5 and No. 27 progressing on parallel timelines.