FRIES — On April 20, Fries Fire & Rescue held a grand opening for its new and long-awaited Station 2, located at the former Providence School, at 56 Bainbridge Road.
“This will allow members to respond quickly to calls on this end of our coverage area,” the department said in a statement following the ribbon-cutting. “This will also assist homeowners in the area with their homeowners insurance, by having a class A engine closer to their residence.”
In 2018, Fries Fire & Rescue received a donation from the late Dolly Gentry estate, and the department decided to use the funds to build a second station at the property on Bainbridge.
In 2019, plans for the new station were drawn up and the process was started. While planning the project, the pandemic hit and slowed the process down considerably, according the the department. This delay also resulted in a major increase in materials prices.
Last week, Fries Fire & Rescue was finally able to open the station’s doors. It will house two pieces of equipment now — Fries Engine 2 and Fries Engine 3 — and in the next few weeks a brush truck will be added.
The department thanked everyone that came out to the event, including community members and several mutual aid agencies: Galax Fire Department, Glade Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Independence Volunteer Fire Department, Ivanhoe Volunteer Fire Department, Highlands Emergency Air Rescue & Transport, Grayson County Sheriff’s Office and Hillsville Fire Department.
New Equipment
In addition to opening a second station, Fries Fire & Rescue also added new pieces of equipment recently.
Brush 12 is a Dodge 4500 that will carry 300 gallons of water in a removable skid-style unit, as well as brush equipment “to greatly improve the capability of our wild-land response,” the department said.
Engine 4 is a 2016 Pierce Arrow XT with a tank capacity of 750 gallons and improved maneuverability, “greatly increasing the safety and ability to serve our community to the best of our ability,” Fries Fire & Rescue said.
The department thanked the community for its continued support, Mobile Communications Inc. for the installation of emergency lights on Brush 12 and the Grayson County Board of Supervisors “for the funding of these units, as it will help tremendously in the response to the citizens of the county.”
A Busy Year
Fries Fire & Rescue recently reported on its 2023 activities.
Last year, the department was dispatched a total of 696 times; 567 of those were EMS-related calls and 129 were fire-related calls.
They reported that the volume of calls continues to rise.
“Moving forward in 2024, you may see faster response times, more activity around the firehouse and representation throughout the community,” the department said in a social media post.
Fries Fire & Rescue also decided that its ambulance crew will be staffed Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. “We take great pride in serving our community and we feel that this decision will greatly increase our ability to do so,” the department said.
