$6.8M Fire House Opens In Anne Arundel, Celebrates Virtually

GALESVILLE, MD — Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman unveiled the new Galesville Fire Station with a virtual grand opening on Tuesday. Between acquiring the land, constructing the department and furnishing the facility, the south county project cost $6.8 million.

Galesville's previous home was erected in 1929, making it one of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department's oldest buildings. The original property challenged firefighters with its somewhat isolated location at 954 Main Street. Sitting a half a mile away, the new post at 4680 Muddy Creek Road is centralized and easier to access, the county executive says.

"Instead of being at the end of a one-lane road, where all the firetrucks have to come out, it's right out here on a main thoroughfare where they can get to their calls quicker," Pittman said.

This station will be an incredible asset for our South County communities, allowing our team to reach emergencies faster and handle a higher call volume. Thank you to everyone who will be staffing this new station, I'm glad we could help get you the new space you deserve.
— AACoExec (@AACoExec) September 9, 2020

Anne Arundel County Fire Chief Trisha Wolford believes Galesville's calls will see a 20-percent spike after the move. The station responded to 885 incidents in 2019.

Galesville's medical unit handled the largest workload of 377 calls. Its fire engine footed 177 dispatches. The tanker, which carries 3,000 gallons of water to remote scenes without fire hydrants, responded to 171 emergencies. The rescue squad handled the remaining 160 cases.

"We're really expecting that to help out the areas all the way down from Deale up to Mayo," Wolford said.

The site officially opened on June 9, completing a 25-month build. The 11,000-square-foot hub features a kitchen, mini gym, bunk room, conference spaces and offices. The reimagined station also touts larger and wider bay doors that make it easier to fit sizeable vehicles.

One of the county's emergency medical service supervisors will now operate out of the station. Career firefighters rotate shifts at Galesville, where five first responders are always on-duty.

"Thank you to all of our firefighters," Pittman said. "This is the kind of facility that they really deserve to be able to get their work done efficiently."

Galesville is the first station replaced since Lake Shore Volunteer Fire Company got a new home a year and a half ago. Construction is already underway on a new Jacobsville Fire Station. That fire house will open in 1.5 to 2 years.

Herald Harbor Volunteer Fire Department and Cape St. Claire Volunteer Fire Company are penciled in as the next builds.

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