Pandemic shutdowns are years behind us but supply chain issues continue to plague the economy including south Baldwin cities trying to make capital purchases.

Gulf Shores recently announced plans to build a new Fire Station No. 5 on a city parcel on Coastal Gateway Boulevard which will take a few years to design and build out. At the same time, Gulf Shores Fire Chief Mark Sealy ordered a new fire truck to go with it.

“It’s just like anything else,” Sealy said. “Things take a long time to get things. Where it used to take us five to six months to get a fire truck and now it takes 33 to 36 months. That’s why we ordered it anticipating hopefully it will get here by the time the fire station is complete.”

In March, two new trucks – and engine and a ladder truck – are scheduled to arrive in Gulf Shores and those were ordered more than two years ago, fire officials said.

Other cities have experienced similar problems this year with Orange Beach and Foley having to reorder a knuckle-boom truck for public works and Foley Fire also put in an order for a 2025 ladder truck that is expected to take 27 to 30 months for delivery.

Both Foley and Orange Beach have had to reorder knuckle-boom trucks when the supplier couldn’t fill an order. The Foley purchase was to get the city in line for a truck during the fiscal year 2024 budget.

The new Gulf Shores station will fill a need in an area experiencing a housing boom.

“If you go out Coastal Gateway, you’ll see the development,” Sealy said. “Raley Farms, Craft Farms along that road and a lot of future development as well. Serving that area, the north part of Craft Farms and (State Route) 59 and Coastal Gateway, Crimson Ridge. It’s a lot of stuff. It will serve that part of the city well and it’s much needed because there’s a lot of population up there.”

The new station will be located in the northeast corner of a 127-acre parcel the city just announced ambitious plans for to include recreation areas and a future elementary school.