York County VA Firefighters Praised During Station Dedication

York County observed the opening of its new Fire Station One on Tuesday afternoon, but grief for the three Tabb High School students killed in a car crash Saturday night hung in the air.

Many of the first responders in attendance at the dedication were called to the scene of the crash in 800 block of Yorktown Road, just up the street from the high school.

“They’re the hands that respond in times of need. They’re the hands that Saturday responded to a call — they were the hands that went to stabilize, to respond, to restore and to revive,” said Jeffrey D. Wassmer, District 4 supervisor. “But they quickly became the hands that offered comfort and compassion.”

He added that even when the three 16-year-old boys could not be saved, the job wasn’t over for the first responders. They began to offer support to grieving families and classmates.

Thomas Shepperd Jr., the chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, said as he watched the honor guard present the flag at Tuesday’s ceremony, he was struck by the notion of “the face of a firefighter” — the face first responders have when they respond to accidents like the one Saturday night after the school’s homecoming dance. The face is one of strength, but it may not show the emotion the responder is dealing with behind the scenes.

“These firefighters see things they cannot get out of their mind,” Shepperd said.

The new station at 118 Dare Road will replace York County’s first fire station, which was on Route 17. Fire Station One serves as headquarters and provides backup response for Tabb, Yorktown and Seaford fire stations.

The original station opened in 1960 and was built by members of the community, said Fire Chief Stephen Kopczynski. At the time, the fire department was all volunteers. Today, York County’s fire stations are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by career department members and volunteers who provide additional support.

“The money for this had to be set aside for years and years — $7.5 million — that takes planning, dedication and foresight,” Shepperd said.

Talk of replacing the fire station started in the late 1980s but because of the cost it was renovated with hopes of prolonging the need for replacement by a few more years, Kopczynski said.

The new fire station features modern doors that can open faster to improve on York County’s average 5-minute response time. It has the only training tower in the county that can be used by all of York County’s fire stations.

There are also 14 private bunk rooms, each with a bed, desk, locker and television for the firefighters on duty. Previously, the station relied on two bunk rooms — one for men and one for women.

The fire station is a “home away from home” for the firefighters, Kopczynski said. There are three 24-hour shifts, so the firefighters spend about a third of the year at the fire station.

Much like the original fire station, the new fire station was built with help and support from the community. Approximately 200 people of all ages attended the dedication and were invited to tour the fire station.

“This is your neighborhood fire department — treat it as that. As you go by, if you have questions or if your kids want to stop by, come on in,” Wassmer said.

———

Visit the Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) at www.dailypress.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.