FOUR OAKS – Johnston County Commissioners approved Monday a five year lease on a building in the Four Oaks city limits. Johnston County Emergency Services (JCES) will occupy space at 5987 US Highway 301, the former location of the Four Oaks Bank Training Center. According to tax records, the building was purchased by John Keen of Four Oaks in July 2019 for $345,000.
“We will be using the building to house our JCES Support Services, Community Paramedic and Fleet Services sections,” said JCES Director Kevin Hubbard. “We will have 9 people there but some of those are not in the office every day, such as community paramedics and fleet personnel. We hope to occupy the building by the end of next week. There are supplies and equipment that have to be moved that will take a little time.”
“The new office location provides space that allows each person there to have an individual office with room to add personnel if needed. Staff are doubling up in offices now in the current location and in the Princeton station where the Community Paramedic personnel are located. There is also additional space for supplies and equipment,” Director Hubbard added.
Support Services had previously been housed in the former Four Oaks EMS building at the intersection of Highway 301 and Baker Street in Downtown Four Oaks. The County had been leasing that space since 2016 but will vacate the building in the coming days.
JCES will pay $3,645.83 per month for lease of the new 5,000 square foot building and 1.15 acre lot. Rent will increase to $3,750 per month for the fourth and fifth year of the lease, ending in 2025. JCES had paid $1,000 a month to rent the former Four Oaks EMS Building.
“I am not sure what Four Oaks EMS has planned for the building. Everything we have including personnel, supplies and equipment will move to the new building,” Mr. Hubbard said. “We would like to thank Four Oaks EMS for the opportunity to occupy their old station over the past four years.”
