Four Story Hi-Rise in Downtown Lexington Park
 
By Public Information Officer Douglas Medley
July 24, 2014
 

Wow things in Lexington Park sure get built quick and just when you weren’t looking a new high rise building springs up in the most unusual place. I’m sure that our public driving by the new rescue squad building on our new FDR Blvd. couldn’t help but notice that new addition to the landscape to the rear of the Bay District Fire Station 3. Yes it is painted with our colors yellow and white along with our emblem on the side and yes it is 4 stories tall. Now let me try and tell you about it as best as I can.

This is our department’s new training tower designed by our training officer Richard Sullivan and built by some outfit from the mid-west and no I don’t know their name and then they erected it on the back of our property in just a few days. I don’t know all the facts about it but if you are interested contact Sully and he will be glad to fill you in.

What it does is give our firefighters and we hope firefighters throughout the Southern Maryland region the chance to train without driving for miles to LaPlata, Maryland. You can do just about everything that firefighters would encounter on a real fire from fires on higher floors to confined space rescue problems. We can set real fires in the building and it is equipped with ladders and stairs inside with fire escapes on the outside. We also have a balcony that we can practice on taking a person off.

I’m sure once we get our use and occupancy permit from the county and start drilling on it there will be more stories to come. We are really excited about it and do look forward to our drill nights as I’m sure that Sully and the rest of the officer’s will be creating some real scenarios for our firefighters to deal with.

So stay tuned and if you want to stop by for a tour especially you other firefighters out there just give station 3 a phone call and they will be glad to show it to you.

I also want to give a big thank you to Delegate John Bohanan who helped make this dream of ours possible by obtaining part of the funding for construction. He had his tour and was very impressed with the layout and yes he climbed all the way to the top floor with our A- Chief Joe Gould who filled John in on all the features of the building.

Can’t forget our 1st Vice President and Training Officer Richard Sullivan who spent months working on this project and I know he is happy that it’s almost done. We just have to put in the walkways around the building and put down paving and fencing. Concrete has probably already been done as I write this article.
 
First pieces starting to arrive on site.
First pieces starting to arrive on site.
Yep that's our logo.
Yep that's our logo.
 
Big crane starting to put it all together.
Big crane starting to put it all together.
Like a big erector set getting all the pieces in the right place.
Like a big erector set getting all the pieces in the right place.
 
Got to make sure they get it right.
Got to make sure they get it right.
Is this one first or last?
Is this one first or last?
 
O.K. we got this figured out.
O.K. we got this figured out.
Set it down right here.
Set it down right here.
 
That's right.
That's right.
Finished project.
Finished project.
 
Side stairway.
Side stairway.
Back of building showing balcony.
Back of building showing balcony.
 
Stairway to second floor.
Stairway to second floor.
Our A-Chief Joe Gould checking out the view from one of the upper floors
Our A-Chief Joe Gould checking out the view from one of the upper floors
 
This is something that the firefighters can do to practice cutting open a roof.
This is something that the firefighters can do to practice cutting open a roof.
This is a roof prop also slanted like a real roof.
This is a roof prop also slanted like a real roof.
 
Trap door to the confined space hole.
Trap door to the confined space hole.
This is the hole. Not going to get me to go down there.
This is the hole. Not going to get me to go down there.
 
One of the standpipe hookups on one of the floors.
One of the standpipe hookups on one of the floors.
Nice view of the new rescue squad building from the top floor.
Nice view of the new rescue squad building from the top floor.
 
Ladder to the second floor.
Ladder to the second floor.
Top of building looking toward the station.
Top of building looking toward the station.
 
Looking down from the top floor.
Looking down from the top floor.
Another hose connection.
Another hose connection.
 
Stairway heading down.
Stairway heading down.
This is the downstairs view of the confined Space tube.
This is the downstairs view of the confined Space tube.
 
Looking out on the balconey.
Looking out on the balconey.
Sliding metal door to practice on.
Sliding metal door to practice on.
 
Downstairs
Downstairs
Burn room
Burn room
 
close up of burn room. You can feed material to burn thru the trap door at the bottom.
close up of burn room. You can feed material to burn thru the trap door at the bottom.
Tight fit to get into the maze.
Tight fit to get into the maze.