The money came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development fund. The new, 10,000-square-foot facility to be built in Hazelwood will replace a 31-year-old, overcrowded building that is shared with the Waynesville Police Department.

The new station will allow the Waynesville Fire Department to improve its response time and possibly their insurance rating. This could result in an insurance premium reduction for the 9,000 residents of the fire district.