An iron beam at the new Eastover Gardens Firehouse 6 will forever bear the signatures of Henrico County firefighters and county officials.
On Jan. 6, a crowd of hardhat-clad county and public safety officials celebrated the milestone as a crane hoisted the signed beam above the cinderblock walls as part of a “topping out” ceremony. Varina District Supervisor Tyrone E. Nelson said the new facility on Gay Avenue will allow the Division of Fire to be more responsive to the community.
“It’ll be one of our more modern firehouses with up-to-date technology, plus increased living space for our firefighters,” he said. “The new firehouse will also have three bays for the engines and equipment instead of the two at the current Firehouse 6.”
This station is one of the busiest in the county. Its crews responded to nearly 11,000 emergency calls in 2024.
The facility will replace the original Firehouse 6, which opened 57 years ago along Laburnum Avenue. The new building’s design focuses on safety, efficiency and firefighter well-being, and is expected to begin full operations in the fall. Fire Chief Jackson Baynard said the new facility will allow the division to adapt its changing workforce.
“We’ve been operating out of Firehouse 6 since 1969, and we have 34 people assigned to that station, but it’s meant for half that number,” he said. “This new station will have space for the staff currently assigned there and more. In addition to the much-needed space, we’re adding cancer-risk reduction features and accommodations for our firefighters’ fitness and wellness.”
Firehouse 6 will be the second new fire station for Varina in the past year, following the opening of Bungalow City Firehouse 23 in February. These improvements are just the beginning of countywide improvements that will include a new building for Firehouse 1 and public safety training facilities that are planned to begin construction next winter.
Henrico voters approved funding for the projects through the 2022 bond referendum. More information, including planned projects, is online.