Harrisonburg will soon be home to a new fire station to improve service and reduce response times in the northern part of the city.
Harrisonburg City Council approved property at 450 Mt. Clinton Pike for purchase for its fifth fire station at its Tuesday meeting.
Council voted in 2022 to invest American Rescue Plan Act funds on a new fire station.
The Harrisonburg Fire Department seeks to achieve a four-minute response-time goal at least 90 percent of the time to all critical life-threatening emergencies.
The current closest station to the Park View community is Station 4 (located on Rock Street) and response times to that area are closer to 6 minutes, or longer.
This new station will significantly reduce response times in the Park View community, while also positively impacting the availability of fire engines in other areas of the city to respond to emergencies.
“Ensuring the health and wellness of our community is essential, and this project is an important tool in that effort,” said Harrisonburg City Mayor Deanna Reed. “This new fire station will not only help protect our Park View community but provide another asset to our incredible fire department members who are so dedicated to keeping Harrisonburg a safe place to live, work and visit.”
The city is currently engaged in a due diligence period evaluating all aspects of the property including obtaining geotechnical surveys of the land to ensure suitability.
The city is also working with selected finalists in an RFP process to design and build the new station with a primary focus on the health, safety and wellness of those who will be providing service from the location.
The selection of this site came after a partnership with students from the Applied Mathematics program at James Madison University identified it as an ideal location to impact the greatest number of people.
The station is expected to open in the second half of 2025.
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Crystal Graham
