White Marsh VFC Receives Land for New Fire Station

WHITE MARSH, MD – The White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company is on its way to getting a new station, after operating out of its current headquarters on Ebenezer Road since 1949.

General Motors donated a 6.4-acre site for a new firehouse to the fire company, which reports the land adjacent to the GM plant on Philadelphia Road will enable firefighters to serve the community better without CSX train traffic and flooding issues, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.

The General Motors plant in White Marsh is in the 10300 block of Philadelphia Road, approximately 1.2 miles from the White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company’s current station.

The fire company has experienced a surge in calls for service in recent years. According to the White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company, its crew was called to 1,840 incidents in 2010 and the number has steadily increased each year, reaching 4,069 incidents in 2015. In the month of January alone, the fire company responded to 350 calls for service, based on its most recent data.

While the need for emergency response in the White Marsh area has grown, the fire station has not. Due to the location of the current station on a floodplain, the firehouse on Ebenezer Road could not be expanded or rebuilt, The Baltimore Sun reported.

The new fire station nearby will include the following amenities, according to architect Manns Woodward Studios:

• Six drive-through bays
• Wet training tower
• Turn-out gear room enclosed by decorative glass evoking the history of the department
• Eight double bunk rooms
• Large community training room
• Kitchen
• Day room
• Study
• Fitness area
• Game room
• Outdoor patio
• Green roofing
• Showers
• Operations and administrative offices

According to Manns Woodward, the firehouse will incorporate ”green” components in its design, in alignment with the nearby GM plant.

The manufacturing facility, which produces transmissions on a campus with nearly 500,000 square feet of building space, has gained recognition from the Wildlife Habitat Council and Maryland Green Registry Leadership for its environmentally friendly design, which features a certified wildlife habitat and is powered by solar panels.

The new fire station will include green roofing, recycled materials, natural lighting and energy-efficient utilities.