It will have a paramedic response unit.
Frederick, Md. (KM) – A new fire station is opening up in Frederick County this week. Chief Tom Coe with the Division of Fire and Rescue Services says the Northgate Fire Station will e located at 37 Thomas Johnson Drive in Frederick… “Really excited to open up this new station and provide services to an area there in the north side of Frederick city where we have expansive growth in the northwest area of the city,”: says Chief Coe.
The new station will have an ambulance, a fire engine and a paramedic response unit which is currently located at 340 Montevue Lane. “We are relocating that the unit to the Northgate Station to better distribute our ALS coverage, and to make sure we can reach the most citizens in a geographic area within our response standards,” says Coe.
The Northgate Station is expected to begin answering emergency calls on Tuesday, June 21st. A dedication is scheduled for Monday, June 27th at 4:00 PM.
But the local Career Fire Fighters Association of Frederick County Local 3666 has some concerns about the relocation of this paramedic unit know as Medic 1. In a statement, the union says taking this unit from 340 Montevue Lane to the Northgate Station could adversely impact paramedic services for neighborhoods such as the Golden Mile, Hillcrest, Taskers Chance or Whittier.
These areas are served by the Independent Hose Company, and the Association says the fire company located t 110 Baughmans Lane has demanded additional funding from the county to host this Advanced Life Support vehicle. Instead, the Association says, the County has not agreed to the demand, and the Independent Hose Company has refused to host this ALS vehicle. So the county put Medic I at the Northgate Fire Station.
“This is an outrageous denial of service for one of the busiest and most diverse neighborhood in the City of Frederick,” says Association President Stephen Jones, in a statement. “It is wrong to make people wait longer for service. It is wrong to unnecessarily overburden our system.”
But Chief Coe says this will not adversely affect service. “There is no removal. There is no delay in service. We’re actually improving the services to the northwest corner of the city and along that Route 15 corridor while still being able to manage and maintain our response standards across all areas of Frederick City,” he says.
“The Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services prides itself on prompt and efficient services to all the citizens of Frederick County and that will continue with the opening of the Northgate Fire Station,” Coe continues.
In addition to serving a growing area of Frederick City, County officials says the Northgate Fire Station will be close to the medical facilities along Thomas Johnson Drive and the interchange of Route 15 and Christophers Crossing.
By Kevin McManus
