CHESTER, Va. — Chesterfield County is building a new Fire Station 1 to address the growing demands of its rapidly expanding population, bringing relief to longtime residents who have watched their community transform over nearly five decades.
Shirley Fox, who has lived in Chesterfield since 1974, has witnessed the county's dramatic growth.
"If anyone has lived here very long lately, they have seen housing developments have been brought into place, built up and filled up and become nice neighborhoods. They have been a lot of apartments built all over the area," Fox said.
The rapid development has put pressure on public safety services, particularly fire crews. In a Facebook post, Assistant Fire Chief Jim Fitch says Fire Station 1 was the second busiest in the county last year, with crews responding to more than 4,000 calls.
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"That one little fire station right in the heart of Chester, that was built in 1962... It's hard to keep up with it," Fox said.
The new Fire Station 1 will be located about a half mile west of the current station, off Route 1 and Old Hundred Road. Chesterfield County purchased the site in 2022, and buildings on the property have been used for training purposes. Those structures will soon be demolished to make way for construction.
For longtime residents like Fox, the investment provides peace of mind.
"That helps me feel more confident that if I had an issue, I would get help right away and that's what counts," Fox said.
Fitch says construction on the new station is expected to begin within the next couple of weeks.
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