Groundbreaking for Brandywine Community Fire/EMS Station

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930

Ground was broken this morning on the new Brandywine Community Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Station. Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III, District 7 Councilmember Mel Franklin, Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor and Brandywine Past-Chief Ronald “Reds” Wilkinson provided comments to the gathered crowd of volunteer and carer personnel and guests in the parking lot of Gwynn Park High School. The new Fire/EMS facility will be located directly across the street.

The Volunteer Fire Department of Brandywine was well represented at the event with over 2 dozen members in attendance.  Included from Brandywine were Ken Rose, Sr., Volunteer President, Chad Lallier, Volunteer Chief and Richard Francisco, Volunteer Assistant Chief and Board Member of the Volunteer Fire Department of Brandywine, Maryland Incorporated.

Ceremonial Breaking Ground

Overview of Prince George’s County’s newest public safety facility

Brandywine Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Station 840, located at 13809 Brandywine Road in Brandywine, Maryland, will break ground in June 2012. Our newest facility is a state-of-the-art facility, which will provide a functional and safe work environment for our volunteer and career fire fighters and paramedics, as well as improved bath, shower, and locker facilities to accommodate our increasing number of female personnel.

Service delivery to our community

Brandywine Fire/EMS Station 840 is one of forty-five (45) Fire/EMS stations strategically located throughout Prince George’s County. The primary response area for Station 840 is approximately 35 square miles. In addition, the station serves many surrounding communities, including: Baden, Aquasco, Croom, Marlboro, Clinton, Piscataway, as well as our neighboring Charles County.

• Apparatus: The station will house a variety of modern fire and EMS resources, including:

o Engine 840; Heavy Duty Rescue Squad 840; Rescue Engine 840, Paramedic Ambulance 840 (Basic & Advanced Life Support); Brush 840; and Battalion Chief 807.

• Personnel: Staffed with five (5) career personnel 24-hours a day, in addition to a Battalion Chief assigned to day work. When available, volunteer personnel provide countless hours of community service, including: emergency service delivery, incident command, fundraising, and administrative support.

• Call Volume: In 2011, Station 840 responded to 3393 calls for service.

Building features

Brandywine Fire/EMS Station 840 is a 14,525 square foot one story facility that includes: offices, living space, an exercise room, separate sleeping/locker facilities for men & women, training/meeting room, decontamination room, vehicle/equipment maintenance room

• Apparatus Bay: approximately 6000 square feet with four apparatus bays.

• Training/Meeting Room: equipped with audiovisual equipment, multiple computer network capabilities, and space to accommodate between 24-42 persons, depending upon room configuration.

• Training Prop for Drafting: enables our personnel to simulate realistic training evolutions that involve the utilization of static water sources, such as ponds, creeks, and pools. This type of evolution is predominantly performed in the rural tier where fire hydrants are not readily available.

• Total design and construction costs (including land acquisition) are approximately $6.1 million, funded with Prince George’s County general obligation binds.

• 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.