January 5, 2026

Foley Building New Fire Station in Northeastern Area

By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News

January 5, 2026

FOLEY, Ala. The City of Foley has announced that as the city continues to grow and push further out and away from the core of the city, fire protection must also increase and now a new fire station is planned for the northeast area of the city.

The station will be built on East Fern Avenue between Alabama 59 and the Foley Beach Express.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the new station will provide more fire protection for the city as the northeast section of Foley develops.

“We have acquired the land in a northeast quadrant, which we’re getting ready to subdivide for our newest fire station,” Hellmich said “We will have to add some more firemen and that will continue to cover the north half of Foley as it grows.”

Fire Chief Joey Darby said the property is a good site for a station. The property is well suited for a fire station, and the site will allow access to major highways.

“It is an ideal location, very flat land,” Darby said. “It’s high and dry and gives us great proximity to the Beach Express and back west to 59. We couldn’t ask for a better spot in our northeast. So very excited to get that piece of property that really fits and meets all those needs for us.”

The Foley City Council approved a survey to subdivide a 5-acre parcel on East Fern Avenue into two lots. Half of the property will be used as a fire station. The rest of the site is planned as a Riviera Utilities water facility.

The property’s current owner is donating the land as one parcel. The subdivision will allow the property to be used by the city and Riviera.

Darby said city officials are working with Riviera to determine where facilities will be located. The initial plan would be for the station to be located where vehicles would have the best access to the street.

Riviera will study the property to determine if a well and water storage tank could be located on the site.