Firehouse Updates!

As we all know, we now have the temporary station up and running and the new administration in place, but Station 31’s future is still up in the air.

I was invited to attend a meeting at the Fire Services Building in Landover Hills on October 27. In full disclosure, these updates were shared in the newly renamed Facebook group, but I wanted to provide a more holistic update.

The career staff have since departed Station 31 for the temporary station next to the library and park, leaving in very early November. As of this writing, there is no timeline or plan for their return to Station 31.

Money seems to be the driving force (to say nothing of the former fire chief’s motives) behind many of these issues. The volunteers have repeatedly offered to use the leftover grant money (secured for installing the elevator at Station 31 — work scheduled to begin in January 2026!) to fix whatever issues the county deems urgent based on the assessment. At the October meeting, that idea was not embraced, but it was not completely dismissed. The cost of the temporary station and its installation was also discussed, and documentation shows a range from $2.3 million to $4 million. There is also a three-year lease on the land where the temporary station is located.

One of the biggest surprises was that the new administration is having an incredibly difficult time finding documentation showing how money was spent during the previous administration on firehouse issues, including precisely how much was spent on the temporary station. During the October 27 meeting, Senator Rosapepe was present and was extremely upset by this and said he wants detailed follow-up as soon as possible. Representative Pena-Melnyk was also on the call, as was someone from Representative Barnes’s office. As of this writing, I have not heard any updates on the location of the missing documentation.

The November 6 meeting was a walkthrough of Station 31. Both Captain Barnes and Deputy Fire Chief Gill attended. DFC Gill confirmed that he is working through the original assessment paperwork and plans to meet with the fire chief soon to discuss which items are urgent and which can be postponed.

This new administration does seem to care about fixing issues and working with the volunteers (they at least showed up, which is more than the previous fire chief did!), so I’m hopeful for good outcomes — but we will see what happens.

I will keep everyone updated after each meeting I’m able to attend!