LANCASTER, Pa. — Lancaster County commissioners presented a $500,000 check to the Lancaster Township Fire Department on Tuesday. The money will go towards the building of a new fire station on Millersville Pike, a project decades in the making.
“When you take 28 years to do something and to continually hit the roadblocks that we did, it was just one thing after another," said Lancaster Township Fire Chief Steve Roy.
Roy says the new firehouse will replace the two fire stations on each side of the township.
With all firefighters under one building, county commissioners say they will be able to serve the newly proposed Lancaster County Prison and cut down response times throughout the community.
“These trucks and people here will roll not just in Lancaster Township, but to other parts as needed," said Lancaster County Commissioner John Trescot.
The project was delayed numerous times due to the pandemic and ongoing inflation. Chief Roy says the money sent to Lancaster County from the American Rescue Plan saved the project.
“This [American Rescue Plan] money rescued the rescuers," said Roy. "It allows us to start the project and give us that time to continue fundraising from the community to help reduce the mortgage.”
After years of lobbying for funding, he says he’s ready to finally break ground on the project.
“It’s just a weight off all of our shoulders to be able to start this," said Roy.
Construction on the new firehouse will begin on Oct. 29th and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.