Waterloo Fire Station Receives LEED Gold Certification, 2nd Award For The Building

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Waterloo Fire Station, which opened in October 2022, has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The fire station was built with an array of eco-friendly elements including reflective concrete, low-flow water appliances, a geothermal system for HVAC, energy efficient boilers, EV charging stations and rooftop solar panels.

The station’s key environmental features include renewable energy for 49 percent of the building’s energy use, a reduction of indoor water usage by 46 percent and an energy cost savings of 60 percent. In addition to achieving LEED Gold certification, the station’s design also was recently recognized by the National Association of Counties with its 2023 Achievement Award.

Home to more than 20 fire and rescue career personnel covering three shifts and a Howard County Police Department satellite office, construction of the Waterloo Fire Station began in the summer of 2020 and was completed in October 2022.

"According to the USGBC, while buildings in the United States account for almost 40 percent of national CO2 emissions, LEED-certified buildings have 34 percent lower CO2 emissions, consume 25 percent less energy and 11 percent less water, and have diverted more than 80 million tons of waste from landfills. Not only does the construction of our Waterloo Fire Station align with our climate action plan and our commitment to becoming more energy independent, but it also highlights our commitment to protecting the health, safety and efficiency of our firefighters and law enforcement personnel. This station represents a significant achievement in public safety infrastructure and environmental stewardship," said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball.

The station has been designed with intuitive zones to reduce the transmission of carcinogens between working and living spaces. Additionally, the station’s state-of-the-art design incorporates extensive energy efficient and environmentally friendly strategies.

“The Waterloo Fire Station not only serves our community, but also stands as reminder of HCDFRS’ commitment to energy independence,” said Howard County Fire Chief Louis Winston. “By achieving the LEED Gold certification, we have shown that through construction we can design stations that constantly work to be energy efficient, lower carbon emissions, reduce operating costs and conserve resources.”

Located at 7645 Port Capital Drive in Jessup, the Waterloo Fire Station is strategically located to meet the growing needs and improves DFRS’s response times to the county’s Waterloo, Jessup and East Columbia communities, Ball noted.