Governor, County Officials Break Ground At New Fire Station

JESSUP, MD — The first new fire station to be located in the eastern half of Howard County in 25 years had its groundbreaking ceremony today, which was attended by state and county officials along with community members and emergency responders.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was on hand for the groundbreaking of the new Waterloo Fire Station in Jessup. He was joined by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, Howard County Fire Chief Christine Uhlhorn, Howard County Council Vice Chair Opel Jones, local officials, firefighters and emergency responders.

"Today is a shining example of all levels of government working together to make our citizens and our communities safer," Hogan said at the groundbreaking ceremony. "Once complete, this site will be home to the first fire station in the eastern part of Howard County in 25 years, which will support vital services and improve response times to all emergencies in Waterloo, Jessup, East Columbia and the surrounding communities."

Just before breaking ground, County Executive Ball presented Governor Hogan with a $1 check, the purchase price of the land. Approved by the board of public works in April, this agreement allows Howard County to invest the $3.5 million provided by the governor in this year's capital budget to support flood mitigation efforts in Ellicott City.

"The new Waterloo Fire Station represents an important win-win for public safety in Howard County," Ball said. "We will be able to improve our emergency response services, while also investing in a safer future for Ellicott City."

The nearly six-acre site at 7777 Washington Boulevard in Jessup will house the new fire station. The station will be strategically located to improve response times to all emergencies in
the areas of Waterloo, Jessup, East Columbia and surrounding communities. It will house both emergency medical service units and fire suppression equipment.

"The construction of this new fire station is the result of a lot of planning and teamwork between the county and the state," Uhlhorn said. "We are grateful to County Executive Ball for his committed support of public safety. The addition of this station will positively impact our community as it will allow us to more effectively respond to emergencies and improve our response times."