LAKEVILLE — A new $21.5 million fire station was approved by Lakeville Special Town Meeting voters Nov. 12 with no public discussion and little dissent.

Voters agreed by a 141-28 margin to borrow $21,409,960 to design construct, equip and furnish a new station.

This new structure will replace the current building, which Fire Chief Michael O’Brien described as one of the worst stations in the state. The structure was built in 1894 and has served as Lakeville’s fire station since 1953.

One of the issues, he said, is the tight conditions that require vehicles to be eased out of the building cautiously and while using a spotter to ensure the equipment does not strike the walls.

This is a major factor, the chief said, in the town’s slower than average response time between receiving a 911 call and heading to the emergency scene. The national standard is two minutes or less, he said, while Lakeville averages over three minutes.

The chief noted that this can make a life-altering difference. In a crisis, he said, “every single second counts.’’

“Anything that takes away from your safety is a detriment to the town,’’ the chief added.

The new station will also feature decontamination areas, which the current building lacks and which are crucial for firefighters to remove any hazardous materials encountered at a fire scene, the chief explained.

“The construction of this building will likely save the life of one of my firefighters,’’ he said, perhaps not immediately but in the long term, he said.

Exposure to hazardous materials at a fire or other emergency scene can make firefighters more vulnerable, he said, to eventual health complications.  

The $21.5 million price tag has increased from the estimated cost of $19.5 million officials presented at the June Town Meeting.

O’Brien noted that construction costs continue to rise, and “every month that goes by decreases our buying power.’’ The town agreed to plan for a station that could serve the town for 30 years or more, he stated, rather than building something for less money that will need to be replaced in 10 years.

Lakeville’s call volume has steadily increased in the past ten years and is on track to exceed last year’s numbers. Proposed housing developments, including those aimed at seniors, will only cause the calls to increase, he said.

With Tuesday’s approval, Lakeville voters will now be asked to fund the project through a debt exclusion. A debt exclusion, as opposed to a Proposition 2 ½ override, allows a town to temporarily levy limit without changing the levy limit for future years.

That vote is expected to take place in January.