Executive Kittleman Signs Agreement Making New Elkridge Fire Station a Reality

From Howard County:

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – County Executive Allan H. Kittleman today announced an agreement with the Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department (EVFD) that will finally make a new fire station a reality for the community. Under the Memorandum of Understanding, EVFD will provide funding up to $2.7 million to support construction costs. That money will fund the Community Hall, bi-fold doors for the apparatus bay, and the Station’s Tower. In addition to the contribution from the EVFD, Kittleman included an additional $3.6 million in his FY17 Capital Budget for this project.

“I’m pleased that we will soon begin construction of this much needed facility,” said Kittleman. “This partnership with EVFD will help us build a fire station to not only better serve the taxpayers and the residents in Elkridge but also provide a community gathering place for EVFD and the community at-large. As the Route 1 corridor continues to see increased residential and commercial growth, it is critical for us to ensure that essential County services keep up with this growth.”

The new Station 1 will be located on Montgomery Road between Bauman and Rowanberry Drives. It will replace an existing station less than a mile away on Old Washington Road that opened in 1948. The current station is outdated and inadequate to meet the needs of the community, despite additions and renovations made over the years. The current site was also insufficient to attempt an additional expansion.

A groundbreaking for the fire station had been held in September 2014, prior to the County accepting bids for construction of the project and before Kittleman took office. In early 2015, bids for the project came in considerably higher than the appropriation, causing a delay. Faced with limited revenue growth and a capital budget with competing needs, Kittleman suggested pursuing a partnership with the EVFD, similar to the partnership the County created with the Clarksville Volunteer Fire Department in 1998.

“It’s very exciting to see progress in the construction of our new facility,” said Julianna Casey, President of the Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. “We are looking forward to working with the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services to enhance the emergency services for the Elkridge community. Howard County is known to have one of the premiere combination systems in the country, and we believe our new station will showcase what we already know.”

The new two-story facility, to be built on 7.5 acres, will be 33,757 square feet. It will feature six drive-through, double length apparatus bays, individual sleeping quarters for 23 personnel, a physical fitness training room, kitchen, dining room, general use rooms, administrative offices, a large training room, and an all-purpose emergency preparation/short-term evacuation area. The new full-service Station 1 will provide firefighting and emergency medical services by a combination of career and volunteer personnel.

“The Elkridge community is very deserving of a new fire station and a community hall,” said Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services Chief John S. Butler. “I can't thank the Administration and EVFD enough for working with us to get the project moving.

County Councilmember Jon Weinstein, who represents the Elkridge Community, echoed Chief Butler’s comments. “I’m pleased to have worked with the Elkridge Volunteers, the County’s Fire & Rescue Services, and the Administration to complete this important step in the process. The release of the new Request For Proposal is a great sign that construction will begin this year on a much needed fire station for the Elkridge community.” The County began accepting bids today.

The new location will retain Station 1’s close proximity to the estimated 35,000 residents in the 60 square mile, first-due area and place the station in a location to offer timely support for emergency incidents. On average, the station is expected to handle more than 2,600 annual calls for service.

The new Station 1 will cost $19.5 million. In addition to funding support from EVFD, $500,000 in grants will be used for construction costs. The design of the new facility will incorporate extensive energy efficient and environmentally friendly strategies. Together with a new Waterloo Fire Station slated to begin construction, these new facilities will support the growing Route 1 corridor.

The new fire station is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy in summer 2018.

Image via Shutterstock.