From their website:
The Lisbon Volunteer Fire Company was formed in 1944 by a group of community members who saw the need for fire protection in the western end of Howard County, MD. 75 years later the mission of our organization remains the same, but the demands have increased tremendously. Our department serves 58.58 square miles, and our average demand for service has been increasing by an average of 4% every year. We have out grown our current facility and are looking for help in constructing our new building. To date we have already purchased and paid for property, designed the new building, and begun the site work on the property in preparation for construction. This campaign is to raise the money needed for the actual construction of the building. Before starting this campaign funding was requested for the construction of the building, and we were awarded a low interest loan through the Maryland State Fireman's Association in the amount of $2,496,900. This loan can be used to fund up to half of our project and will be paid back in its entirety over time without using any taxpayer funds. We are reaching out to the community to help us with our necessity of a modern facility a reality, and it will allow us to continue to provide the services our community has come to expect.
The new building will meet all current National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. This includes, but is not limited to, vehicle emission reduction, an EMS decontamination room, negative pressure turnout gear storage, and negative pressure sleeping quarters. Firefighters have a 68% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer than the general public, and the current station can not accommodate the improvements needed. The fire station will continue to be used as an evacuation shelter for area schools and interstate travelers. The new facility will improve apparatus response times due to larger apparatus doors. The current facility is not large enough to safely support the necessary apparatus to serve our response area.
After reading this you may ask why we have elected to build a new facility instead of renovating the current one. After exploring both avenues, we have determined that renovation would not be a wise fiscal decision due to future community needs, still having equipment located in three separate buildings, and a limited buildable footprint around the current building.
Here are some facts about the new building:
The new building will be 24,000 square feet (The current firehouse is 15,000 square feet)
The new property is approximately 8 acres (The current property is roughly 3 acres)
The new building will have larger bays for parking apparatus.
The new building will have bunkroom space for 16-18 firefighters (The current firehouse has minimal space for 12 firefighters)
The new building will meet National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards that the current facility does not meet.
The social hall in the new building will have seating for 250 people with overflow seating for 50 more and will be used for department trainings as well as an evacuation shelter for area schools. (The current hall seats 168 people)
The open space to the rear of the new property can be used for additional fundraising and other fire company needs in the future.
The new building will have more storage space for emergency equipment.
4/7/2018: Official Groundbreaking Ceremony
11/19/18: Underground tank installation on the property started.
8/19/19: Site work and construction of the new entrance started.
(
visit link)