Community leaders were on-hand in Lorton late last month to break ground on the new Gunston Fire Station 20 in the Mason Neck area of Lorton.
The groundbreaking on Oct. 22 signaled the formal start of construction on the new LEED Gold-certified, 17,600 square-foot, two-story, four-bay facility, which is expected to be completed in fall 2027.
It will replace the existing 1970s-era one-story fire station next door at 10417 Gunston Road, which will be demolished when the new station opens.
In remarks recorded by Fairfax County’s Channel 16, Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck said the improvements to the station have been long-needed.
“We have to have other kinds of apparatus and other ways of putting out fires in this area of the county, versus some other more urban areas,” Storck said.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Chief John Butler said staff are excited about the prospect of improved living conditions in the fire station.
“We’re excited about the living conditions, because this is one workforce that has to spend 24 hours in their workplace,” Butler said. “Most often people don’t spend 24 hours in the place that they work, where we have to live, eat, sleep, rest, all of that in this one building. So, it’s very important that it is functional and practical as well as clean and safe.”
The first floor of the station will contain the four apparatus bays, as well as administrative offices, common living areas, and support spaces for operations of the facility, according to a construction bid that was put out earlier this year. The second floor will include living quarters, lockers, showers, and a laundry room.
Other planned improvements include a new bay for a boat to support the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s marine operations and a range of energy efficiency upgrades, including electric vehicle charging stations, solar panels and a geothermal system.
A trail on the property leading to Camp Wilson will be closed throughout construction on the fire station, according to the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES). Access to camp grounds has been rerouted along Camp Road on the western edge of the site.
Rendering via Fairfax County, photos via FCFRD/Facebook
