RIBBON CUTTING FOR RENOVATION AND ADDITION TO BADEN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

A Dedication and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony was held for the renovation and addition to the Baden Volunteer Fire Department. A crowd of about 200 members of the community, civic and elected leaders and the men and women of the Baden Volunteer Fire Department and surrounding companies celebrated together on Sunday, October 11, 2009. The Baden Volunteer Fire Department, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Station 836, is one of forty-four (44) Fire/EMS stations strategically located throughout Prince George’s County. The primary response area for Station 836 is approximately 58 square miles, which is the largest geographic response area in Prince George’s County. In addition to Baden, the station serves many of the surrounding communities, including: Brandywine, Aquasco, Croom, Eagle Harbor, Clinton, Marlboro, as well as occasional mutual aid responses to Charles County. • Apparatus: The station houses a variety of modern fire and EMS resources, including: o Paramedic Engine 836 (Advanced Life Support); Tanker 836, Ambulance 836 (Basic Life Support); and Brush 836. • Personnel: Staffed with four (4) career personnel Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Volunteer personnel provide 100% of the staffing when career staff is not on-duty, which includes nights, weekends, and holidays. • Call Volume: In 2008, there were 640 fire and emergency medical service calls for service within the primary response area. In addition to the Baden Volunteer President Tony Hall and Chief Wendy Baden making comments was Prince George’s County Fire Chief Eugene Jones, State Delegate Jim Proctor and Floyd Wilson Jr. provided comments on behalf of County Executive Jack B. Johnson. A tour of the new facility was conducted for all attendees and then treated to a delicious luncheon banquet prepared by the Baden Ladies Auxiliary. The Baden Volunteer Fire Department jointly conducted a Fire Prevention Open House entertaining and educating numerous families with fire safety and injury prevention displays. Not including the banquet hall, The Baden Fire/EMS Station is now approximately 10,500 square foot, which is an overall increase of approximately 4800 square feet. The additional square footage in the apparatus room will facilitate the future acquisition of a larger tanker. The area that was previously known as the apparatus room has been converted into much needed living space; which includes: offices, day room/kitchenette, separate sleeping/locker facilities for men & women, training/meeting room, and a decontamination room equipped with a heavy duty washer and dryer designed to clean fire fighters personal protective equipment (PPE). • Apparatus Bay: approximately 4320 square feet with three (3) drive-thru apparatus bays. • Training/Meeting Room: equipped with audiovisual equipment, wireless computer network, and space to accommodate between 24-42 persons, depending upon room configuration. • Fire Safety: Entire building fully equipped with a monitored fire alarm system and sleeping areas are equipped with fire sprinkler systems. • Alerting System: Equipped with a First-In Fire Station Alerting System, which will reduce response time and firefighter stress. The system technology utilizes Cardiac Kind ramped tones and a human voice to alert personnel, in conjunction with low intensity red light and other visual indicators. • Project Cost: Total design and construction costs were approximately $2.86 million, funded with Prince George’s County general obligation binds.