Firefighters and City Council unbuckle a hose, the Fire Station equivalent to a ribbon cutting. Photo by Vernon Miles.
After the long and troubled saga of Fire Station 210’s origins, the station officially had its ribbon cutting ceremony early on Dec. 12. Officially, the fire station had been open since April, but had suffered from understaffing issues.
“[This station] will continue to grow and change,” said Mayor William Euille, appointed as an honorary fire chief at the ceremony by actual Alexandria Fire Chief Robert C. Dubé. “We’re delighted to see it come to life; protecting residents, visitors, and businesses. We’re truly blessed to have such dedicated firefighters, medics, and support staff.”
Jason Wehmeyer took over the new station as captain. Wehmeyer had been captain of other companies before, but had been working in training recently. According to Wehmeyer, taking over a new station like 210 is as much an opportunity as it is a challenge.
“It’s good to be back out on the street,” said Wehmeyer. “The area around here has residential, commercial, and interstate. It’s a good mix of old and new challenges. Our first order is going to be building relations with mutual aid in Fairfax.”
In the meantime, Wehmeyer said he’s mostly trying to become familiar with the neighborhood that he and the rest of 210 are now tasked with protecting.