Baltimore County officials on Wednesday broke ground on a new $21.64 million fire station that will replace the nearly 100-year-old station that currently serves Catonsville.
The new station will be built on 6 acres of land at 736 Edmonson Ave., which the county purchased in November 2023. It will replace the existing Baltimore County Fire Station 4 that was built in 1928 and is located at 756 Frederick Road, across from Bill’s Music.
“Our first responders put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, and this groundbreaking is another opportunity to invest in their safety, preparedness, and quality of life,” Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier said in a statement.
The Catonsville Santa House, which is located on the current site of the Catonsville Fire Station and is beloved by many community members, will be maintained and the annual community tradition will continue.
The 25,685-square-foot station will include five apparatus bays, allowing the station to have more units in service. It will also expand the facility’s square footage to provide separate areas for living and working.
“This marks an important milestone for our department and the community we serve,” Baltimore County Fire Chief Joseph Dixon said in a statement. “The replacement of our oldest career fire station represents a critical investment in our fire and EMS crews, providing the additional space and modern facilities needed to support our lifesaving operations.”
Other features of the new station will include LEED Silver Certification for energy efficiency; an upgraded safety alerting system; bi-fold doors on the apparatus bays; apparatus bays that allow vehicles to pull through, reducing noise from back-up alarms; a community meeting room that will be available for public use; high-speed electric vehicle charging stations; and solar panels.
“This modern, state-of-the-art fire station will provide our firefighters and EMS professionals with the resources and facilities they need to serve residents efficiently and effectively,” Klausmeier said. “I’m grateful to our state and county partners for their support of this important project, and I look forward to continuing the work to strengthen public safety in Baltimore County for years to come.”
