Rockingham County Fire and Rescue Opens New Station
Rockingham County Fire and Rescue has recently opened the East Rockingham Emergency Service Station located in the McGaheysville area of the county. This station will be a considerable upgrade for the personnel that are staffing out of this station. The station was purchased by the county and then went under massive renovations to allow for the most optimal use of the space for both fire and rescue as well as the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.
The new station has three drive through bays that were added on to the original station. These bays, in addition to being larger than the old bays, provide storage for the county’s mobile command post, brush truck, water rescue boat, and tanker. In addition to these pieces of apparatus there will be two ambulances that are staffed 24 hours and cover the east end of the county. These bays also allow for ample space for training for the crews stationed here.
In addition to the new bay space the station’s living space went under renovations as well. The new living area has a full kitchen and lounge space that will comfortably hold four or more people. The kitchen has a custom made table to allow the crews to sit down and eat together. In addition to a new lounge and kitchen space the station also has office space for the shift officer and an office for a Sheriff’s Office Deputy while on duty to complete paperwork and other tasks. The staff will also have access to six individual bunk rooms. This will allow each person their own room at night, but keep them close together and close to the apparatus for quick response.
The station was completed by Harmon Construction in Harrisonburg. This station is the first county owned and operated station. Its location provides quick response to the eastern end of Rockingham County, and a centralized location to house some of the department’s specialized resources. This station will continue to serve the citizens of Rockingham County far into the future.