Volunteer firefighters and other members of the community turned the dirt at the site of a new facility for the Gulledge Volunteer Fire Department Sunday afternoon.

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Much of the Gulledge community turned out for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new fire department on Sunday.

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The Gulledge community will have a brand new, state-of-the-art, 7,200-square-foot facility for its volunteer department by this fall. Ground was broken on the new fire department on Sunday afternoon.

Gulledge Volunteer Fire Department Chief Darrell Dawkins said he hopes the facility will be complete by October. The project is being funded through donations and fundraisers. MCT General Contractors of Monroe started pouring concrete on Monday.

“The building itself will be about 7,200 square feet,” Dawkins said. “We’ll have six drive-through bays for our emergency vehicles.”

The new facility is across the road from the old building, which was built in 1977 and has barely had any renovations since, he added. “

We appreciate all the support we’ve received from the community,” Dawkins said. “This is a special endeavor.”

In fact, much of the surrounding community turned out for the groundbreaking Sunday afternoon, with nearly 100 people on-site. The Gulledge VFD serves an 100-square-mile area, Dawkins said.

A dedication ceremony will be planned once the building is complete this fall.