Another new fire-rescue station

 

Station 7 floorplan

Station 7 exterior to be determined

Seventy-five years ago, a group of intrepid Goochlanders formed the first volunteer fire company in the east end of the county after a local church burned to the ground. Over the years, this fire company became the Goochland Volunteer Fire Association, Inc., later becoming the Goochland Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association when rescue squads were added in 1966, eventually expanding to six companies. These: Manakin, Crozier, Centerville, Fife, Courthouse, and Hadensville were built by volunteers with the financial support and physical help—residents often spent their free time helping the construction however they could—of the community. They knew that without these volunteers, stations, and equipment, no one would come to their aid in emergencies.

In 2017, Goochland dedicated Hadensville Fire-Rescue Company 6, the first county-owned fire-rescue station, to replace an aging and inadequate—its brush truck “lived” in its kitchen—station that saved lives and protected property for decades.

The second county owned fire-rescue station—the others are still owned by the Association—Sandy Hook Station 8, long needed, is rising from the ground.

Scott Foster, Goochland Director of General Services, gave the supervisors a brief progress report on Station 8 construction at their June 2 meeting. Following ceremonial groundbreaking on April, 7 dirt has been flying. Foster said that the expected substantial completion for Station 8 in May 2027 is on target.

He said that “a lot of thought went into making sure that this station will last for decades, is low maintenance, energy efficient, visually appealing, and match the community.”

The interior is all cinder block, and the exterior is brick and cement board, which is more durable than other types of siding. Floors will be polished concrete, again for ease of maintenance and durability. Station 8 will have three drive-through apparatus bays with horizontal folding doors, which, said Foster, are faster less prone to malfunction than overhead doors.

In response to a question from Jonathn Lyle, District 5, Foster said that two wells have been drilled on the Station 8 site, one will be “capped” for backup use as needed.

Charlie Vaughters, District 4 said that Station 8 benefits the entire county, not just District 2, by enhancing service to our citizens with better response time for emergencies in all parts of the county. (See GOMM Station 8 groundbreaking.)

Go to https://goochlandva.new.swagit.com/videos/389821 to watch Foster’s presentation.

In the past few months, the supervisors authorized approval of a contract with HBA Architecture & Interior Design (https://www.hbaonline.com/)  for architectural and engineering work on West Creek Station 7 to be built on the east side of Hockett Road north of its intersection with Tuckahoe Creek Parkway.

At their June 2 meeting, the supervisors discussed funding mechanisms for the estimated $13.2 million project (see GOMM Money Matters) whose completion could be as early as mid-2028.

On June 8, a community open house to gather feedback on design and appearance of Station 7 was held at Manakin Company 1. Supervisors Tom Winfree, District 3; Charlie Vaughters, District 4; Jonathan Lyle, District 5; Martin Dean Manakin Volunteer Fire Captain and District 5 Planning Commissioner attended.

County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley welcomed the group and said that the meeting was a part of an ongoing process and welcomed all public engagement. “This is an important community asset.” He said that when he first took office, he met with some residents of Kinloch Villas, located near the site, which was designated in 2019, and pledged that the county will be very good neighbors.

Goochland Chief of Fire-Rescue & Emergency Services, D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr., echoed Raley’s welcome. “It is fitting that we hold this meeting here, where it all started,” said Ferguson giving a brief recap of his department’s history.

Ferguson said that expansion of fire-rescue to meet the emerging demands of the county is important.  Growth of county population—nearly 30k— is only partly responsible for the increase in call volume. At least 6,000 people from outside Goochland work here daily. Fire-Rescue also responds to emergencies and wrecks on I64 and Rt. 288, whose number and complexity are increasing. The department has water rescue units that respond to emergencies on the county’s 40 or so miles of its James River frontage.

When West Creek business park was created in the late 1980’s, said Ferguson, it was understood that there would be a station in West Creek.

Ferguson thanked all involved in the design of the station that will serve the county well for decades. A great deal of the thought and analysis used to design Station 8 will be used on the Station 7, which will have a similar floor plan. Unlike Station 8, it will have space dedicated to the Sheriff’s Office where deputies can perform administrative functions without going to the Sheriff’s Office in Courthouse Village. THIS SPACE WILL NOT BE USED TO DETAIN PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED.

Each of the county fire-rescue stations has its own character. Go to https://goochlandfire-rescue.org/ and click on stations to see.

Attendees were asked to indicate their preferences from displays of fire house elevations and building materials to help HBA design a unique exterior for Station 7 that harmonizes with its surroundings.

David Smith of HBA explained that the firehouse illustrations ranged from traditional to contemporary and included photos of existing buildings in the area.  “This is a process and your feedback will be used in the design phase,” he said. Sticky dots were used to indicate preferences for building forms and materials.

Construction of Station 7 is long overdue.