New fire station in Chesterfield increases fire department efficiency

According to Matt Coffin, Chesterfield County’s deputy fire chief, this question is intended for a sophisticated algorithm that takes into account data on population growth and movement, common call locations, driving distances and average emergency response times.

The answer from this algorithmic modeling was clear: Chesterfield Fire & EMS Station 8 opened on June 17 at 6612 Hickory Road in Matoaca.

The $8.4 million, 15,000-square-foot facility is “state-of-the-art,” Coffin said, with three large bays for a fire truck, aerial ladder and ambulance. It is fully equipped with dormitories, a kitchen and laundry facilities – a “second home” for the firefighters, who work 24-hour shifts and spend much of their sleeping, eating and living time there.

And it’s in the perfect place.

“We offer a more comprehensive and better service,” Coffin said. “We’re located in a central area with major transportation arteries, so we can get to a … larger area more quickly.”

The station’s completion marked the end of a roughly two-year process that required site scouting and research, county approval and hiring construction companies. It was a long time coming, Coffin said.

He explained that the previous station, built over 60 years ago, was outdated and, more importantly, was located near the county line at Colonial Heights, making access to more remote parts of Chesterfield difficult.

But the central location of the new station helps firefighters maintain “360-degree coverage.”

The station is staffed by eight firefighters at a time, who rotate 24 hours on and 48 hours off. That means each firefighter spends nearly a third of his or her life on duty, Coffin said. They cook together, sleep in adjacent rooms and do many everyday tasks side by side.

“Some of these guys spend more time with each other than with their families,” said Coffin, who has been with the department for 27 years and estimates he has spent nearly a decade at fire stations across the county.

The team is prepared for much more than just fires, although that is a significant part of the job, Coffin said. They also train for traffic accidents, medical emergencies, water rescues in the James River and Swift Creek Reservoir, and a number of other situations.

It can be a grueling life that comes at a high price. Coffin said it’s hard to describe the physical and mental demands of being ready, even at 3 a.m., to meet and assist strangers in critical, life-or-death moments.

“Imagine waking up in the middle of the night trying to figure out where you are … and having to rush to an emergency,” he said. “Someone calls us because they need something. It’s their most important day.”

Thomas Brownlee has been a Chesterfield firefighter for 25 years. Before his career with Chesterfield Fire & EMS, he worked in a warehouse with “good people doing good things,” he said, but he discovered he wanted more.

“I realized I didn’t want to do this for the rest of my life,” he said. “I wanted to help people, serve the community, and I couldn’t think of a better career for it.”

Brownlee said the new station represents a significant improvement over existing facilities.

“It’s a very user-friendly station,” he said, adding that “a lot of little things” – higher quality equipment, nicer sleeping quarters – add up to make a big difference.

“I love the format, the design,” he said.

This format and design help increase the department’s efficiency and reduce firefighter response times, Coffin said. The single-story floor plan eliminates stairs and the “famous fireman’s pole,” and the floor plan “directs (firefighters) right out the door” and into the vehicle loading bays.

And that “better equipment” includes brand new speakers and lights for the alarm system, as well as a state-of-the-art digital map that shows current emergencies, dispatched responders, and available water sources in rural areas without fire hydrants.

Coffin said the new station is a sign that Chesterfield residents are investing in his team.

“I’m grateful,” he said. “The residents … are like (our) own family.”