MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. (Jan. 5, 2011) -- Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point’s Fire Department officially broke ground for a new facility to replace Fire Station 4 and improve the capabilities of their emergency medical services, Jan. 5.
Fire Station 4 opened in 2005 to take over emergency medical service capabilities from the Halyburton Naval Hospital as per an initiative from Headquarters Marine Corps. It was a temporary facility built from an empty house.
The new building will be a 16,480-square-foot facility with state-of-the-art technology and is purpose-built for the EMS mission.
“I cannot express to all of you how incredibly excited I am knowing that where I stand today, in just under a year, our dedicated and professional firefighters and paramedics will begin operating in a modern state-of-the-art facility that they most assuredly deserve,” said Kenneth R. Lavoie, chief of the MCAS Cherry Point Fire Department during his speech at the event. “This five bay, 16,480 square foot facility will more than adequately serve the air station for many years to come.”
According to retired Chief Thomas C. Mylett, there was no money to build new facilities and meet the requirements to complete the EMS mission.
Fire Station 4 was a temporary solution, so Mylett and the station facilities department worked hard to create a permanent solution. Mylett expects the new facility to be a great asset and help improve EMS abilities.
“It really is a reflection of the dedicated efforts of people like Chief Mylett and the facilities department that take the time, find the money, source the contracts and get it built. It’s really their accomplishment,” said Col. Philip J. Zimmerman, commanding officer of MCAS Cherry Point. “It’s important that we expend the resources and build these facilities. I hope it’s everything that we want it to be.”
The facility will have more than 7,000 square feet of space for storing vehicles and equipment. It will house 10 personnel and cost $5.3 million to construct.
The station is scheduled to be completed Oct. 22, 2011.
“For me, it’s another long-overdue facility that we’re excited to construct,” said Chris Newton, deputy resident officer in charge of construction. “It brings us up to modern standards.”