A community informational meeting on July 19 provided an update on the construction of Fire Station Number 8 on 4945 Langston Blvd. The meeting shared photos and highlights from the construction which began in the summer of 2022 and is expected to be completed in early 2024. 

The original fire station was one of the first African American volunteer fire departments south of the Mason Dixon line. It was Arlington’s first Black-operated fire station and was organized by Black residents of Hall’s Hill in 1925. The history of the fire station was rocky as Arlington County provided some equipment but refused to pay salaries and pensions provided to other firefighters in the County until 1950 when the fire department was allocated 3 paid positions. This telling history will be captured in a small-scale historical exhibit which will be displayed in the lobby.

Planning for this new fire station has been decades in the making as the building aged and a lengthy public planning process. Now this new facility will be state of the art with an energy efficient building, a green vegetated roof and solar panels. In addition to its four bays, it will include 12 gender neutral sleeping suites, living and administrative spaces, a fitness training room as well as industry leading decontamination sites.

Construction began in June 2022 and in August the workers were digging the building’s footings, setting reinforcing bar and pouring the footings.