When Greg Farrell was elected to the Alabaster City Council in 2016, as a retired firefighter his focus was on making sure local first responders were well taken care of. After being reelected in 2020 and serving as Council President, Farrell feels like he has accomplished his goal.
“Public safety was my top priority,” Farrell says. “We now have the new police headquarters, and it’s amazing. It was challenging, but we got it accomplished. Everyone is in one facility together, it’s state of the art, and there’s room for future growth. I’m real proud of that.”
In addition to the improved police facilities, it was also important to Farrell to make sure that the fire department had the equipment and support they needed to stay competitive. “The city increased our portion of the insurance contribution for all employees, which was huge,” he says. “And we purchased a new ladder truck, which was desperately needed to meet our city’s growth needs.”
Farrell is also proud that Alabaster will soon have its own ambulance service. After relying on a previous vendor who wasn’t meeting the city’s needs, Alabaster collaborated with Shelby County to add two rescue units to the Alabaster Fire Department. Starting in October, they will be training with the goal of being completely in service by January 2025.
The City Council also recently approved purchasing a piece of property on Simmsville Road and County Road 68 to build a new fire station in the future. Eventually, Station 3 will move further down Highway 31, and the new station will be constructed to accommodate the growing needs of the Alabaster community.
Farrell is also excited about ongoing infrastructure projects like the renovations to Larry Sims stadium, the renovations and addition of pickleball courts at Patriots Park, and the planned construction of the new Rec Center and Library. “I’m really excited about that,” Farrell says. “By the end of the year, we’ll see some progress on that project. It’s going to be a big win for our residents.” Farrell would like to have the Rec Center project bid out by the end of the year, so that when the school board moves to its new facility, work can begin. “This is my biggest goal for this year,” Farrell says.
Farrell is also expecting a big win from the new District 31 development. “It will be a game changer for our city,” he says. “It will provide an economic boost with new jobs and new sales tax revenue.”
This year, Farrell, along with the rest of the Alabaster Fire Department and the community, mourned the loss of Alabaster’s first paid fire chief John Cochran when he passed away on June 26. Cochran, who also served his country in the U.S. Army, was laid to rest on July 3 in the National Cemetery in Montevallo. “Chief Cochran was the first paramedic in Shelby County and served in numerous leadership roles,” Farrell says. “He laid the groundwork and foundation for the Alabaster Fire Department, and because of his leadership and vision, AFD is what it is today.”