Home»BALTIMORE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT»EVENTS»Firehouse Renovation Project at City Hall 6-10-14

On June 10, 2014 Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake unveiled plans for “The Firehouse Renovation Project”. The ceremony took place in the Curran Room of City Hall. In attendance were City Council members, fire officials and firefighters, representatives form Baltimore based businesses and organizations along with the media.
The project began last year when Mayor Rawlings-Blake and local lawyer and sports agent Ron Shapiro got together and looked for a way that the private sector could help out the City fund shortfalls in the budget. Rawlings-Blake brought up the dilapidated kitchens in city firehouses. Mr. Shapiro partnered with T. Rowe Price Group Chairman Brian Rogers to inspire friends and fellow business leaders to sponsor the much-needed renovations to the firehouse kitchens. When the talks started they went around visiting some of the firehouses and were convinced that the first responders deserved better and that something had to be done to help the firefighters and paramedics that serve their communities.
Many of the houses are well over 100 years old and the kitchens are generally the center hub of activities of the men and women who work and live there. Almost all of the firehouse interiors have been renovated over the years by the members themselves. The kitchen cabinets, equipment and utensils as well as the furnishings in the houses have been donated by members and are usually second-hand. This project will give them a chance to have a new, modern and up-to-date atmosphere in the place where they spend most of their time away from their home and families.
Mr. Shapiro said that this project created an important link between the firefighters and the business and philanthropic leaders throughout the City and it is one way that the business community can give back to those who put their lives on the line daily to protect the citizens of Baltimore and make their lives better.
A few of the sponsors involved are: Saint Agnes Hospital, The Baltimore Ravens, Bond Distributing Company, Horseshoe Casino, Legg Mason, and M & T Bank. In all, 18 sponsors will donate money to totally renovate 18 firehouse kitchens. Each sponsor is linked to a firehouse in their community and custom plans were drawn up to fit each stations needs and requirements. The renovations are expected to cost about $20,000 for each kitchen.
In addition to the kitchens Under Armour will sponsor the renovation of three gym facilities in the Steadman Station, Oldtown Station and the Fire Academy. Also Under Armour’s gym, FX Studios, will offer all firefighters and paramedics lifetime memberships at their gym facility located at their headquarters in Locust Point.
The Mayor and Fire Chief Niles Ford personally thanked all of the sponsors and business leaders for their role in the first step of the renovation. The House Captains of each company being sponsored had a chance to meet personally and thank all of the people responsible for preparing to make their firehouses a better place to live. A white fire chief’s helmet was presented by the Captain of each company to each sponsor as a token of their appreciation. The sponsor’s name along with their fire company’s number was stamped on the frontpiece of each helmet.
The work on the kitchens will begin in August and the project should be completed by the summer of 2015. Fire Department officials are working closely with the Mayors Office, the City Solicitors Office and Department of General Services to make sure that the work is done efficiently and effectively. Proposals and bids for every renovation will be presented to the Board of Estimates for approval.