Replacement Fire Station in Glenmont Planned to Open in Late 2013

Plans for the new Glenmont Fire Station were unveiled April 28 at the .

The new fire station is set to relocate near the Glenmont Metro station, adjacent to the on the west side of Georgia Avenue across from Glenallan Avenue.  The station will replace Fire Station 18, currently at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Randolph Road, to make way for an upgrade of that intersection.

Construction on the new fire station is set to begin in the summer of 2012 with a planned finish by the end of 2013.

Representatives from the project addressed some of the preliminary steps that have been taken a reality in front of a small crowd of residents.

“Our goal is to meet not only to meet today’s needs, but also to be able to grow with our staff,” said County Fire Chief Richard Bowers.

One of Bowers main goals is public safety during the transition between the existing Fire Station 18 and the new station, adding that it's would be important to not have any interruption in services during the move. 

No interim station will be needed as the construction of the new station will be finished before the demolition of Fire Station 18.  

The project is being carried out by Hughes Group Architects, a company that specializes in fire and rescue facilities. HGA is also the architect on the building.

Keith Driscoll, an associate with Hughes Group, explained the layout of the new fire station and broke down some of the schematics for the new site.

Some of the additions in the new facility include large-gear storage, updated living accommodations large enough to house 20 firefighters, and new Information Technology rooms.

According to Driscoll, one of the most important features of the layout of the new fire station is the drive-through-turnaround. This would allow the trucks to return to the station from their calls quickly and efficiently, and prevent trucks from blocking Georgia Avenue. 

With the Metro station being so close by, some were concerned that the land that could be used would be somewhat limited, but Bowers and Driscoll said that the amount of space would not affect the layout of the fire station. In addition to the footprint of the new station, there will be nearly 20,000 square feet of land at their disposal, about a half-acre.