THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 23, 1994 TAG: 9409220150
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 165 lines
A MOVING VAN approached old Fire Station No. 5 at Reservation Road early Thursday morning to prepare to move the furniture, equipment and files to a brand new building on Hanbury Road.
About 15 minutes later, a shiny new red state-of-the-art Pierce Arrow fire engine covered with pressure gauges and hose connections rolled in, ready to assume its lifesaving duties as part of the new station's rolling stock.
The new fire truck was one of the main reasons that the fire station had to be moved from Reservation Road, where it had been for nearly 50 years.
The engine, which had been temporarily housed at the Portlock station, was too large for the old facility, which rests on property still owned by the Army Corps of Engineers.
``This station isn't big enough to handle this new engine,'' said the station's captain, Wayne R. Sanders. ``Today's engines are just wider, taller and longer than this old station can handle.''
The old building, a Chesapeake landmark for decades, is located at the edge of the Chesapeake-Albemarle Canal, right by the Great Bridge Bridge. It served as the city's best-known voting precinct and has been a source of community goodwill for residents and firefighters alike.
Even on the day of the big move, Station 5's men and equipment were still on call.
``We're still in service. That's why we hired a moving company to take care of those details,'' Sanders said.
Most of the station's important firefighting equipment, though, will be moved by the firefighters themselves and trucked away on the station's two engines, he added.
The moving van was also there to move and load boxes of general housekeeping supplies. For years, supplies for all of Chesapeake's fire stations have been stored at the old station by the canal.
``We've stored these supplies wherever we could,'' Sanders said. ``They were stored in corners, underneath shelves, on shelves, wherever we could scrounge up space. We stored them in every nook and cranny we could find. Our new facility will have about 800 square feet of storage.''
``Man, there's been a lot of history in this place,'' one of the firefighters said aloud as he viewed some of the junk and other unnecessary items that accumulated over the years.
``We've encountered a lot of stuff during this move,'' Sanders added. ``It's amazing what you keep.''
As people were busy moving this and that, Sanders stood by waxing a little nostalgic about the site they were about to vacate.
``I have many good memories about this place,'' he said. ``I started here back in 1975. This was the first station I was assigned to. But I'm glad to get out of this old building. It has outlived its usefulness.
``This was not the best location for a fire station. We were backed up to the canal, and when we had to go out on call we went into a very busy section of the city. As the city's growth goes south, we need to be there there in the middle of it all.''
Most of the station's crew agreed.
``This is like Christmas for us,'' Sanders said as several of his crew nodded in agreement. ``We're getting new everything: a new engine, all new furniture, a good, modern kitchen, some new equipment and even a room for every person on duty. We've been talking about replacing this station for the last five years. The men are all excited. They feel it's about time. The younger guys won't shed any tears about leaving.
``But she will,'' Sanders said about a woman across the street holding a camera equipped with a large zoom lens. ``That's Miss Old, and she's taking photos of the station. I know she'll hate to see us go. And we're going to miss her and the rest of the neighborhood.''
People like Ellen Old and the rest of the Great Bridge Acres community will miss the station and its friendly crew. That's why Old spent the better part of the morning snapping photos of the facility and its crew.
``Am I sad to see this place go?'' Old said. ``I certainly am. I really do hate to see it go. It was more than just a fire station. It was a community place, a civic place. It was once a recreation center, and we voted here. We could get an ambulance real fast, and the fire response to houses here was very good.''
Old, who has lived in the neighborhood for 32 years, thought the location was great for the station and the community.
``Something was happening here all the time,'' she said. ``This station had personality; it had character. All of the crew members were nice, and we all felt as if they were good neighbors. New technology may be good, but it will take a long time for the new fire station to get the same character this one had.''
As Old went about her business, she talked to fire crew members and gave them hugs. Fire personnel waved to her, spoke to her as an old friend and posed for photographs.
Old disappeared momentarily but soon returned to hand Sanders a card of appreciation, friendship and farewell. Just for the occasion, Sanders donned a uniform shirt over his Chesapeake firefighter T-shirt and posed for more photos with Old.
When the photo session was over, he pointed to some geese waddling around the station's grounds.
``We've even had wild Canada geese come here to raise their families,'' Sanders said.
And geese aren't the only Canadians the station has befriended.
As the moving men and fire personnel were scurrying about, Ted and Carol Nemeth of Montreal, Canada, walked downstairs from the station's second level.
The Nemeths were two weathered, tanned and friendly Canadians who couldn't say enough about the fire station. It was there for them when they sought a friendly port.
Their boat, True North, was anchored outside Portsmouth on its way to Florida when it tipped over and took on water, soaking everything and ruining the couple's water and food supplies. The Nemeths docked their boat along the canal, right by the fire station, to dry it out and salvage anything that could be saved.
During the next five days, as the Nemeths worked on their boat, the fire station opened its doors and facilities to the stranded sailors.
Sanders said they allowed the couple to use the station's kitchen facilities, along with its showers, sinks and toilets and even allowed them to use some of the dormitory space so they could sleep on dry beds.
``They treated us like brothers and sisters,'' Ted Nemeth said.
``Oh, my God, they were so helpful,'' Carol Nemeth added. ``They just opened their doors to us. They were lifesavers. I don't know how we would have managed. They're such lovely people, you know?''
The two talked about the wonderful, friendly people in Chesapeake, how lovely the city was and about all the citizens who rushed to their aid, offering rides, dinners, fresh water, companionship and a kind word.
``We were seriously thinking about staying here. It's so gorgeous here, eh,'' Carol Nemeth said. ``It's so peaceful and quiet and safe here, we didn't have to worry about nothing.''
``I'd make this my home anytime,'' Ted Nemeth added. ``I'm sure 100 percent of all the boaters who come through here will miss this old fire station. We'll always remember it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by STEVE EARLEY
ABOVE: Captain Wayne Sanders is ready to pack his firefighting gear
for the move to new quarters on Hanbury Road.[color cover photo]
LEFT: A mover carries out some of the few remaining items from the
living area at Fire Station No. 5 on Reservation Road. The old
station has been a Chesapeake landmark for decades.[color cover
photo]
Firefighter Pat McCarthy carries a bulletin board out of the old
Fire Station No.5.
Anthony McElveen pushes boxes full of supplies into the moving van.
The new station on Hanbury Road is equipped with a new engine, all
new furniture and a modern kitchen.
Ellen Old spent a day taking photos of the old station on
Reservation Road.
Graphic
AT A GLANCE
NEW FIRE STATION NO. 5
Cost: $1.7 million
Designer: Walsh Ashe Associates of Virginia Beach
Contractor: McKenzie Construction Corp. of Virginia Beach
Space: 13,000 square feet
Dedication: A grand opening and dedication ceremony is scheduled
for 4:30 p.m., Sept. 27. Mayor William E. Ward will cut the ribbon.
The public is invited.
Old station: According to Chesapeake Fire Chief Michael L. Bolac,
the old facility will more than likely be taken over by Chesapeake
Volunteers In Youth Services to be used as a storage facility.
by CNB