LIVONIA — Pointe Coupee Fire District Four opened its new Livonia fire station on Thursday.

The station, dedicated to the district's first chief, Joe Drago, was a long time coming. The land it sits on was first bought in 2009.

The new station allows full-time, on-duty firefighters to be housed at the station alongside part-time and volunteer firefighters.

More beds and training rooms will allow more space to be made available to expand services to other stations. It will also provide a place for other departments' firefighters and first responders to stay in the event of a hurricane or other emergency.

Chief Paul Pinsonat says the expansion is about building a future.

"Thirty years from now, they can look back and say, 'You know we are glad we can build this station,' and not somethin

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