On Nov., 7, at 4 p.m., the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors and the volunteers of the Riner Fire Department held a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new Riner Fire Station located at 3595 Riner Road.
"Building this new, state-of-the-art fire station is one of the many projects the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors have accomplished that makes me proud," said Montgomery County Board of Supervisor Chair, Todd King. "Our communities directly benefit from this and so do the men and women who volunteer as firefighters by putting their lives on the line each day to help our citizens."
The new 19,148-square-foot station houses all fire apparatus, including a work room for equipment, training and meeting space, as well as offices for each line officer. In addition, the new station features a positive pressure turnout gear room and a decontamination room.
"As volunteer firefighters, it's our honor to serve the Riner community," said Riner Fire Chief Jerry Saul. "This new fire station meets our needs and provides the equipment and space we need to do our jobs."
The Riner Fire Department, which was founded in 1957, currently has 34 volunteers. The former fire station, which is approximately 9,150 square feet, will be renovated to house the Riner Rescue Squad.
"We have and will continue to work to meet the growing needs of Montgomery County," said County Administrator, Craig Meadows. "This newly constructed fire station is one of 20 critical capital projects that Montgomery County has completed in the past 10 years."
Thompson & Litton, of Radford, Va., managed the construction of the facility, which cost a total of $6.1 million.
"Providing the county's fire and rescue volunteers with what they need to stay safe while helping others is simply necessary," said Montgomery County Emergency Services Coordinator, Neal Turner. "Seeing the new Riner Fire Station go from a discussion to a reality has been rewarding – ensuring the equipment in house is in a climate-controlled facility and maintained by the volunteers ensures a rapid response when called on by the citizens who need them the most."