Nov. 23—Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport this week unveiled a new $9 million airport rescue and firefighting station that is three times larger than the old one.
The new 24,000-square-foot facility will house GSP's 24-member fire department and serve as the center of emergency command operations for the entire airport campus, spokeswoman Michelle Newman said.
The station will be manned 24 hours a day by staff working three shifts. It will have larger vehicle bays, additional storage, offices and training rooms.
The new station will be paid for with federal funds and is in response to keeping up with the airport's "rapid growth," airport CEO Dave Edwards said earlier this year.
Built by Mavin Construction of Greenville, it replaces the facility that has served the airport since its opening in 1962 — when there was one paid firefighter, several volunteers and one pumper truck.
The airport has expanded several times over the years. Last year it celebrated its 50 millionth passenger, 2.6 million of whom traveled through the airport in 2019.
In 2017, the airport finished the expansion of the airport terminal to accommodate up to 4 million passengers a year.
Last year, GSP opened a $33 million cargo facility, enabling cargo planes to fly in and out of Europe, Mexico and points across the U.S.
In January, the GSP Airport Commission approved plans to provide more parking capacity, with a new parking lot , garage and consolidated rental car facility.
In addition to overseeing GSP's property, the fire department has mutual aid agreements with several neighboring fire departments in Greenville and Spartanburg counties that are in the direct flight path of aircraft.
Departments with agreements include Tyger River, Greer, Reidville, Pelham-Batesville and Boiling Springs.
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