The Face of Future Public Safety Facilities Takes Shape

Within just the past few weeks, ground has been broken for three new public safety facilities to be located in various parts of the County.

Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad

The Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad is relocating from its existing structure on Grandview Ave. to a new two-story 29,000 gross-square foot facility to be located at the corner of Georgia and Arcola avenues. A number of elected officials and members of the Fire and Rescue community were on hand to break ground for the new Class 1 Rescue Station with 7,400 square feet of community room and kitchen on the upper floor. The County is contributing approximately 50% of the total cost of the project scheduled for completion late summer 2013.

Police Department�s new 3rd District

Ground was broken recently for the Police Department�s new 3rd District station that will be located at 1002 Milestone Dr. in Silver Spring near the center of the district in White Oak.

The new facility will replace the current 3rd District station at 801 Sligo Ave. in the far south end of the District. That station, built in 1962, does not provide adequate work space, lacks essential security features and is not equipped to accommodate future technology. It has no public meeting space and requires replacement of major building infrastructure components.

The 3rd District covers the entire Route 29 corridor from downtown Silver Spring to Burtonsville.

Travilah Fire Station #32

The first step toward creation of the new Travilah Fire Station #32 occurred with the groundbreaking on August 2. The new state-of-the-art, one-story, 26,550 square-foot fire/rescue station will be located at the intersection of Darnestown and Shady Grove roads. It will serve about 40,000 people within a 13 square-mile area that includes Traville, Fallsgrove, western Rockville, Travilah and North Potomac. The area�s population is expected to increase significantly with the planned development of  The Johns Hopkins University Belward Campus, Life Sciences Center expansion, Crown Village community, Bright View Assisted Living Facility and mixed-use development on the Public Safety Training Academy property.

The station will have four, 20- by 80-foot drive-through apparatus bays; living areas, including dormitory and bunk rooms, kitchen, dining, lounge and exercise rooms; a training room; administrative, battalion and storage spaces; a law enforcement office; and a lobby area.