HINESVILLE, Ga. — Thousands of drivers pass Hinesville Fire Station 22 on Airport Road without realizing firefighters are working, training and sleeping beneath approximately 2.5 million gallons of water.
The unusual three-story station is built inside the massive concrete support structure beneath a city water tank.
Older city records identify the facility as Fire Station No. 2, while it is commonly referred to operationally as Station 22.
The station officially went into service in September 2004.
Fire trucks and emergency equipment are housed on the first floor. The second floor contains sleeping quarters, a kitchen and a rest area for firefighters. The third floor serves as a training room capable of seating approximately 55 people.
The idea began during the early 1990s when Hinesville needed a new water tank on the western side of the city and anticipated eventually needing another fire station in the same area. City leaders selected a “hydrapillar” design that allowed the hollow concrete base beneath the tank to be converted into usable space.
The water tower was constructed first, while plans for the fire station were temporarily placed on hold. As Hinesville continued expanding westward, the need for another station became more pressing. At the time, firefighters responding from the city’s only station downtown could take eight to 10 minutes to reach some areas.
According to a 2006 Georgia Trend report, the city received a $425,000 bid in 2002 to construct the station. Instead, officials converted the existing 7,775-square-foot water-tower base using skilled inmate labor and avoided the expense of purchasing additional property.
The approach reportedly saved the city an estimated $175,000.
By the end of October 2005, firefighters assigned to the station had answered 289 calls with an average response time of four minutes and 48 seconds.
The station also helped improve Hinesville’s fire protection rating from Class 5 to Class 3.
More than two decades after opening, the Airport Road station remains one of Hinesville’s most unusual public buildings—and a working firehouse hidden in plain sight.
The Hinesville Fire Department reports having 58 paid members and two administrative employees.
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