A planned fire station on Homeplace Road to provide support to the East Rockingham Fire Department’s main station remains on hiatus. The primary reason for the creation of this fire station is to cut the insurance rates for individuals in the community and shorten emergency response times. The planning phase has been going on for about two years, according to East Rockingham Fire Chief Bill Bayless. The rise in the cost of metal and lumber has been a cause of the delay. Bayless said they’re just waiting for the prices to fall, and that there has never been a timeline for completion. There also isn’t an estimate of the total cost for the project. The ERFD has been setting money aside for this project for years, and has also been working with the County on securing funding.