CATONSVILLE, Md. — Baltimore County broke ground on a new fire station in Catonsville Wednesday morning, marking the beginning of the end for the area's iconic century-old firehouse.
Fire Station 4 on Frederick Road, built in 1928, is the oldest fire station in Baltimore County. After nearly 100 years of service, the facility will be replaced by a modern, $21 million, 26,000-square-foot station located on Edmondson Avenue.
Watch as leaders break ground Wednesday on Edmondson Ave
"Our new station will feature essential upgrades including three additional apparatus bays that significantly increase our capacity, and our ability to keep more units in service, and thereby assist all those we serve in time of need," Baltimore County Fire Chief Joseph Dixon said.
The county acquired the Edmondson Avenue property in 2023. Literature on display Wednesday called it a "strategic location to respond to the community's imminent needs." The new facility will also include a multi-purpose community room for public use.
Baltimore County Councilman Pat Young, whose office shares space with the current station, said the replacement has been needed for years.
"Anyone that lives in Catonsville, anyone that has known the challenges that the current firehouse has, and has been going through, knows this is long overdue," Young told a crowd Wednesday.
Once the new station opens, county leaders plan to convert the historic Frederick Road building into a Baltimore County Professional Firefighter Museum, preserving its legacy after 10 decades of service to the community.
"Having the right resources in the right place at the right time is critical, as the frequency and complexity of calls continues to increase," Dixon said, referencing a recent fire in Towson.
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