Roanoke County Dedicated North County Fire & Rescue Station on October 22, 2009.
(October 2009) Roanoke County dedicated its newest fire and rescue station Thursday, October 22, just one of six major capital projects the County has been working on for the past 18 months. Construction of the new station near the intersection of Hershberger and Plantation roads began in July 2008. The $4.2 million dollar project was completed on time and on budget.
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October 22, 2009 Dedication Ceremony Photographs
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Construction Photographs
(August 2009) - Wet weather in August has shifted much of the work to the station's interior. Many inside spaces are nearing completion, along with finish work in the building's internal hallways and office spaces. Ongoing ceiling and casework installations are giving parts of the building's interior a final, finished look.
Despite the weather, crews have been able to complete concrete curbing, gutters and some walkways around the building's exterior. The North County Fire and Rescue Station is tentatively scheduled for dedication in October, pending completion of the remaining outdoor work at the site.
(June 2009) - Interior work has progressed to the point where all interior spaces are fully separated, with walls nearing completion. Some finishing work has begun on the bathrooms and other interior spaces, and nearly all exterior windows and doors are now installed. Prep work has begun to pour a few remaining outside concrete slabs around the building's entrances. Despite heavy rains, the North County Fire and Rescue Station remains on schedule for an August 2009 completion date at this time.
(May 2009) All concrete is complete inside the building and interior stud walls are done, with sheet rock and insulation being installed. Store fronts for the windows have been installed along with the garage bay doors. Some interior flooring work is beginning in the station's bathrooms. Exterior masonry is progressing on the front side of the building that faces Hershberger Road.
(March 2009) - Concrete slabs for the living space and mechanical space are now in place. Interior and exterior stud walls are going up with some of the sheeting for the exterior walls. Work to rough-in the HVAC, sprinkler system and the building's electrical system is currently underway. The project remains on schedule for an August 2009 completion date.
(January 2009) - Most of the steel work for the building's inner structure is complete. The interior block wall that separates the living space form the equipment area is complete. At present time most of the metal roof decking on the North County Fire Station. Crews are roughing in the plumbing and preparing some of the interior areas for concrete slab work. The project remains on schedule for an August 2009 completion date.
(October 2008) - The North County Fire and Rescue Station is tentatively scheduled to be "under roof" by the end of November 2008. Pending good weather during the construction period, completion is expected by the end of July 2009.
When the new station goes in service, it is expected to respond to more than 900 calls a year in the North County area. The station's location will fill the service gap for this area of the County that is often served by units as far away as Read Mountain or the Town of Vinton.
The North County Fire and Rescue Station will also support a EMS crew that will help expand and strengthen the department's goal of having a six-minute response time to citizens in the station's district.
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Above: The new North County Fire and Rescue Station will be located on Hershberger Road near Plantation Road.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Faced with an ever-increasing call volume for fire and emergency services in North County, Roanoke County has announced a proposed new Fire and Rescue station near the end of Hershberger Road, near Plantation Road.
Why is it needed?
The Hollins Station that serves North County accounts for nearly one-third of all fire and rescue calls received by Roanoke County Fire and Rescue.
The current Hollins Fire Station serves North County along the Peters Creek Road corridor to Williamson Road and out to Hollins and along Plantation Road. The district includes numerous nursing homes, five public schools, a university, and thousands of homes and businesses. The Hollins Station also responds to traffic accidents along Interstates 81 and 581, and serves as a back up to the Roanoke Regional Airport and for Roanoke City’s Station #10 on Williamson Road.
Growth in North County, coupled with an aging population and increased commercial development, has created more calls than the Hollins Station can answer. Due to this increased call volume in North County, more than 900 calls in 2006 were turned over to other fire and rescue stations, some as far away as the Town of Vinton.
Six Minutes Can Mean The Difference Between Life and Death
In 2001, the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors approved the Advanced Life Support (ALS) standard for the County’s Fire and Rescue services. This standard recommends a six minute response time to 80% of Roanoke County residents after a call to the County’s 911 emergency dispatch center.
Why is this six minute standard so important? Studies have shown that brain death occurs between four to six minutes of a cardiac arrest or other injury that deprives the brain of oxygen. With an ever-increasing call volume and longer response times, many times this ALS standard of care cannot be met with existing Fire and Rescue personnel.
Greater Protection for the Entire County
Currently, Roanoke County operates with overlapping assistance from other fire and rescue stations. If Hollins rescue units are unavailable, the call is routed to the next closest available fire and rescue station, in many cases that may mean a North County emergency call is answered by units from Read Mountain, the Town of Vinton or Roanoke City.
When this happens, response times to North County are greatly increased and other communities are unprotected until those rescue units return to their home areas. A new North County Station will help keep units from other districts in their respective communities.
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Will the Hollins Fire and Rescue Station on Barrens Road be closed?
No, the Hollins Fire and Rescue Station will not close. The new North County Station will absorb call volume from the Hollins Station and help the Hollins Station serve citizens more efficiently with reduced response times.
Will this be a full-scale fire and rescue station?
Yes. The proposed North County Station will have three bays for fire and rescue vehicles. The station will also have living space for continual 24 hour operation and all units stationed at the facility will be Advanced Life Support capable.
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New Station to Meet Increasing Emergency Call Volume
Roanoke County broke ground June 17, 2008 on the county’s newest fire and rescue station, one of six major capital projects that the county will complete over the next several years. Located near the intersection of Hershberger and Plantation Road, the $3 million North County Fire & Rescue station will help to improve emergency response times across the county.
See News Release:
North County Fire Station Groundbreaking News Release
For more information, contact:
Jennifer Conley Sexton
Volunteer and Marketing Coordinator
Roanoke County Fire & Rescue
(540)777-8706, 777-8701
jsexton@RoanokeCountyVa.gov
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