HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A new fire station is coming to Eastern Henrico County to help with an increasing volume of emergency calls.
“Newbridge Firehouse 23” is now under construction along Nine Mile Road. Bulldozers, piles of dirt and tire tracks all signal progress made since the county broke ground on its newest fire station in late August.
Officials with Henrico Fire and EMS said firefighters respond to thousands of calls each year across the county, straining the department, especially in the Highland Springs area. Deputy Chief of Community Risk and Reduction, Doug Clevert, said the new station will help them be able to respond better.
“In the last year and 2022, this area — without the fire station — missed about 9,200 calls,” Clevert said. “And when I say missed, that means if this fire station would have been here, they would have responded to those calls.”
The land on the corner of Nine Mile Road and Westover Avenue will soon become home to the new station. Officials said it will help tackle call volume as the community continues to grow.
“We [ran] 54,000 calls last year. We are projected to run around the neighborhood of 59,000 calls [next year], which is a large jump in call volume for our members,” Clevert said.
The nearly $12 million station will feature three drive-through style bays and be home to about 33 firefighters once it’s complete.
“Not only is it going to help this community, but it’s going to reduce other units from having to come from further away and allows them to stay in their district,” Clevert said.
Officials add the new station will not only allow crews to respond to more calls, but to do so faster, and this is news some people are excited to hear.
“Time is of the essence,” Cheryl Harris, who has family that lives in Henrico County, said. “If you’re on the other end and your loved one’s life is depending on someone to get there quickly, it makes a big difference.”
Officials hope to have the new station complete by February 2025.
