New Sandy Ridge Public Safety Station

At last week’s Wake County Fire Commission, county staff provided information on the long-planned “northern hook” station for far northern Wake County. The site has been selected, a concept design has been created, and a project timeline has been established. Here are the details:

Name – Sandy Ridge Public Safety Station
Agencies Using – Northern Wake Fire, Wake County EMS, plus working space for Wake County Sheriff’s Office
Location – Boyce Bridge Road and Highway 50
Conceptual Specs – One-story. Three bays, double deep.
Limitations – Falls Lake watershed, so limited amount of impervious surface, e.g. apron, parking lot, etc.

Background

For decades, the property owners in that area of Wake County have been underserved due to long travel times from the nearest fire station(s). They have also received the lowest fire protection rating due to the distance from a fire station, and thus have incurred higher fire insurance rates than the rest of the county.

The new Northwest District will comprise 10.65 square-miles and protect $87M of real property (buildings). The new station will greatly improve the ability of delivering an effective firefighting force within the standards established by the county and based on NFPA-recognized standards.

It also encompasses Falls Lake and those recreation areas. They see over 500,000 visitors annually, including the boat ramps. Since 2019, Northern Wake Fire has responded to over 55 incidents involving drownings, water rescues, and boat-related emergencies. The new station will improve response times for these incident types as well.

Timeframe