HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico County celebrated its upcoming Eastover Gardens Firehouse 6 on Tuesday with a symbolic “raise the beam” ceremony marking an important step in the construction of the new $14‑million facility.
Funded by a 2022 voter‑approved bond referendum, the firehouse will replace the more than 55‑year‑old station on South Laburnum Avenue.
The new location sits along Gay Avenue, between Eastover Avenue and Millers Lane, and is expected to triple in size, from about 5,000 to 15,000 square feet, to better serve one of the county’s busiest fire districts.
“It’s well positioned within the community so response times will still be great for this part of Henrico County," Henrico Fire Chief Jackson Baynard said. "It works well with the new Firehouse 23 that we just opened last year.”
The county also recently completed Firehouse 20 in the Staples Mill area and plans a new Firehouse 1 and public safety training center near Richmond Raceway.
Tyrone Nelson, Henrico Board of Supervisors member for the Varina District, said the expansion will mean “more reliable service."
“This firehouse is one of our busiest fire stations," he said. "Hopefully we will have increased response times and be able to get to our residents quicker."
Baynard said the larger, modern facility will have a direct impact on response.
“Right now our current firehouse has two bays, and the new one will have three drive‑through bays,” Baynard explained. “We have four pieces of equipment operating out of that two‑bay station daily, so this will cut down on shuffling units and get us out the door quicker.”
He also emphasized that the new design will improve firefighter safety and wellness.
“One of our primary concerns is reducing cancer risk for firefighters. The new firehouse will have separate locker areas for gear with their own ventilation system,” he said. “It will also include fitness and wellness areas to maintain cardiovascular health, single bunk rooms for better rest, and a station alerting system that wakes only the unit assigned to a call.”
Construction is expected to last until July, with technology and operational checks to follow. The anticipated opening date for the new firehouse is planned for early fall.
Nelson said public safety remains the county’s priority.
“If you’re living in Henrico County, we care about your safety,” he said. “If you call 911, we want to be there. I think this better positions us to be more responsive to our community.”
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
