New Ambulance Service HQ likely

Three ambulance bays.

Cannon County Commissioners voted Tuesday night to file for a $300,000 federal grant that could lead to construction of a new headquarters for the Ambulance Service.

 This grant, coupled with local funds, could help solve several problems facing Cannon County, said County Executive Mike Gannon.

 “If we are funded, if we build it, this will let us move every service to a centralized position,” Gannon said. This would include relocating the Emergency Management Agency equipment from Gassaway to Woodbury, he said.

 The planned building would be large enough to accommodate 20 to 30 years of growth, Gannon said.

 “Ricky Cope and I have been working on this for two years,” he said.

 “We need a new building bad,” Ambulance Service Director Cope said.

 If the Community Development Block Grant is approved,CannonCountywill have to provide $265,000 in funds for the project. The local funding will come out of the Ambulance Service’s budget over a 10-year period.

 Plans are to construct the headquarters building next to Stones River Hospital.