Look Inside New Station For White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company

WHITE MARSH, MD — The White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company celebrated the grand opening of its new fire station on Philadelphia Road recently. The 18,000-square-foot facility on Philadelphia Road was years in the making and will serve the community for years to come.

The station was built on land donated by neighboring GM. It includes modern communications systems, a training mezzanine, fire suppression systems, a fitness room, dormitories, laundry room, conference room, viewing room, kitchen and more.

The White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company is located at 10331 Philadelphia Road.

The old station on Ebenezer Road was built in 1947. It grew out of the civil defense units that formed during World War II. After the war, the community established the Cowenton Volunteer Fire Department, buying its first engine in 1946 and establishing the station the following year.

The building at 5419 Ebenezer Road was renovated in 1988 to include three new bays but by the early 2000s it was clear the organization was outgrowing its firehouse, according to information provided by the fire company. It also changed its name from Cowenton to White Marsh to reflect the area it served.

Because the old firehouse was in a floodplain on Ebenezer Road, it could not be rebuilt, so in 2012 the fire company formed a committee to evaluate the options for what to do next. In 2013, it reached out General Motors, which donated more than 6 acres on Philadelphia Road to the White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company in 2016 for its new location.

In 2017, the White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company had the busiest year on record. According to its annual report, its 170 volunteer members responded to 4,407 calls for service last year. The number of calls the fire company's personnel have been dispatched to has increased significantly since 2010, when it had 1,840 calls.

Construction got underway for the new station in 2017, and the fire company began moving into its new headquarters at the end of September.

The grand opening celebration was held Saturday, Oct. 6. Here are some pictures:

Watch the grand opening ceremony:

Photos and videos from the Oct. 6 ceremony by Elizabeth Janney.

SEE ALSO:

• White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company Moves To New Station
• White Marsh Fire Station Opens at New Location
• White Marsh VFC Receives Land for New Fire Station