New Bridge Fire & Rescue Station Planning Ribbon-Cutting For April
By Jane Gallagher
Louisa County has announced the ribbon cutting date for Station 8, New Bridge Fire and Rescue. The Lake Anna community will celebrate the opening of the first County-funded fire and rescue station on June 1st.
New Bridge Station 8 reflects a $5M investment in public safety by Louisa County. This amount includes costs for building construction, apparatus, equipment and six full time career staff.
Thanks to the generous support of the Lake Anna community, the Foundation for Lake Anna Emergency Services announced once again a fundraising goal has been surpassed. To recap a bit of history, the foundation raised $100K as “seed funding” to demonstrate the community’s commitment to help fund a new fire and rescue facility. They then set a goal to raise $150K as the community’s share in purchasing a new ambulance. This goal was reached in December 2022. As donations continued, the foundation set a new goal to help equip the new ambulance with $150K worth of equipment.
The foundation’s Buy-a-Brick program was launched in late October and has resulted in nearly $50K in donations to date! If you would like to help with the ambulance equipment purchase and have not ordered your brick, please do so now to ensure it is included in the first installation of bricks for the grand opening. This can be done at www.MyBrickLKA.com.
In addition to brick sales, the Foundation offered sponsorships for the patio centerpiece, the Station 8 sign, apparatus bays, benches and flag poles. The community sponsorships to date total $70K towards supplies for the new ambulance.
Sponsorships are still available: one of three apparatus bays for $15K, three flag poles at $7,500 each and several benches at $2,500 each. The donors who sponsor these will have a plaque displayed on their sponsored item and will also be listed on the Wall of Honor in the entry foyer of the station.
The Foundation will soon be presenting a check for $78K to Louisa County Fire and Emergency Services on behalf of the generous donors from the Lake Anna community. These funds are specifically for a LifePack Monitor/Defibrillator System ($40K) and Extrication equipment ($38K) for the new ambulance. The county applied for a Rescue Squad Assistance Fund (RSAF) grant and received an award for the purchase of the cot, power load system and stair chair for the ambulance.
The Foundation for Lake Anna Emergency Services has been asked why they continue raising funds for a county facility. They remind everyone the New Bridge Station is the first fire and rescue station funded by County funds. The other 7 Louisa County stations were constructed through the generosity of their local communities. Therefore, the foundation is working with the Lake Anna community to follow the example by contributing to the apparatus and equipment costs.
Future equipment needs include:
Tanker (near term replacement) – $400,000
Engine (replacement) – $700,000
Brush Truck – $80,000
To donate via credit card or PayPal visit www.newbridgerescue.com or mail a check to: Foundation for Lake Anna Emergency Services, PO Box 1021, Louisa, VA 23093.
