By Brittany Morgan

Published: Dec. 15, 2021 at 3:56 PM EST

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE, Va. (WDBJ) - It’s a project years in the making that is just beginning to get underway. “I’ve been with the department for a little over 20 years, and to actually have a home is- it’s going to be great to have a place to go,” said John Honaker Deputy Chief and Vice President at the department.

Ground was broken on the Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire/Rescue station in January, but construction just got underway. “There’s been all kinds of delays due to finances, finding people to do the work,” he said Wednesday.

The department is building the station without accruing any debt. To do that, they are collecting donations and receiving help from local businesses and skilled members of their own department. “We’ve been very fortunate to find a contractor, which is MH Masonry out of Lynchburg, that’s doing the labor for free, which is saving us somewhere around $100,000, $120,000.”

“We have such diversity of members with different trades and I’ve been utilizing them,” noted Andrew Leder, SML Volunteer Fire/Rescue and project manager for the station. “Everybody’s got a little bit to put into it, so I’ve talking all the input that I’ve gotten and I’ve put it together and we came up with this great building.” While there isn’t a specific end date in sight, members of the department are looking forward to finally have somewhere to call home. “I’m actually honored,” Leder said. “I’ve been a volunteer all my life, and to be able to start a project like this from scratch, for the old timers who have been here 20, 25 years, and have been looking forward to having this building built, it’s just a great feeling.”

Information about how to donate to the project can be found here.

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