The Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad (LPVRS) celebrated a major department milestone Saturday afternoon when they dedicated their new 14,800-square-foot squad building adjacent to the Lexington Park Library and Bay District Volunteer Fire Department Station at 21685 FDR Boulevard.
The ceremony began with the hoisting the Stars and Stripes, Maryland and St. Mary’s County flags up the flag poles. Life member Dolly Davidson recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
Maryland State Senator Roy Dyson presented a citation for the new building while Delegate John Bohanan and Commissioner President Francis “Jack” Russell and other dignitaries gave their remarks.
Bohanan noted “This is a community asset; this is one of the busiest departments in St. Mary’s County and definitely one of the busiest volunteer departments in the entire country.”
Russell said, “It’s certainly nice to be able to come here today, number one to come in FDR Boulevard and number two, come to this great building.” The FDR extension was also formally dedicated on Saturday.
LPVRS Building Committee Chair Donna Voorhaar provided background information into the process leading to the dedication. She stated the process began in 2008 when the committee met to “determine what we wanted in our building and how we wanted it.” She went on to explain the $3.2 million building design selection process, the construction and the ground breaking ceremony on July 14, 2013.
Voorhaar explained that the contractor had just finished painting the four drive-through apparatus bays on Friday. “It took three days to paint those bay floors. That’s why you can’t walk on them today,” she explained. She added that they “can’t put an ambulance on those bay floors until the 21st of this month.”
Chief Shawn Davidson closed out the ceremony with the comment that “this day has been a long time coming. We haven’t seen an EMS department in St. Mary’s county move into a new facility in nearly 30 years. We’ve been operating the busiest department in the county out of a converted gas station for 40 years.”
Davidson said, “By itself, the Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad accounts for 45 percent of the 911 calls that are dispatched in St. Mary’s County, fire and EMS included. We manage more emergency calls than all nine of the fire stations in the county combined. We run more calls than any other department in the state of Maryland does with an all-volunteer staff.”
Davidson pointed to the members standing in front of the ambulance bay doors and said, “This would not be possible without those dedicated folks over there.” He went on to say note that his family has been active members of the rescue squad for more than 30 years and that “I literally grew up in that gas station on Great Mills Road.”
He reflected upon his experience in the squad and thanked the members for their work and everyone for coming to the dedication ceremony.
The ceremony concluded with everyone going inside for cake, bottled water and a brief tour of the new facility.
MedStar St, Mary’s Hospital’s Health Connections had their new vehicle out back and St. Mary’s County Health Department had a table set up inside for those visiting to ask questions.
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