The Bulloch County government is in the process this week of buying a house and almost 3-acre lot off Georgia Highway 67 out past the Fairgrounds to turn into a firehouse. In addition to an $850,000 purchase contract for that property, county commissioners last week approved a $175,965 “emergency” contract for construction of a steel building for fire engine bays at the site. Commissioners voted on these items to provide another 24-hour station for the expanding Bulloch County Fire Department during a specially called Thursday, April 17, meeting. The BCFD, previously with 30 career firefighters, is well along in the process of hiring 37 more, as previously authorized by the Board of Commissioners, and has taken delivery of some new fire engines and a used but newly outfitted 100-foot ladder truck. All are preparations for the county Fire Department’s takeover of responsibility for the five-mile district extending outside Statesboro’s city limits from the Statesboro Fire Department on July 1.