RACHEL RAVINA/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Fire engines old and new, as well as an emergency medical service vehicle, sit parked outside the new Berlin Fire Company Station 3. The Berlin Fire Company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to of- ficially open the new fire station.

By Rachel Ravina, Staff Writer

(Oct. 17, 2019) The Berlin Fire Company officially has a new fire station after formally unveiling Station 3 during a ceremony Sunday afternoon.

The newly built fire station is on a two-acre piece of property on Ocean Gateway, about a mile outside town.

Berlin Fire Company President Fitzgerald thanked the contractors, engineers and construction managers for making the dream of a new fire station a reality.

That dream was nearly 10 years in the making, according to Fitzgerald, who said that the fire company has been renting a warehouse next door.

“It’s great not to have to rent a building, and come to a building that you own, and make it a firehouse, and not a warehouse,” Fitzgerald said. “I told people, ‘this is a firehouse. That was a warehouse.’”

The fire station finally came to fruition, but not without some controversy as the Town of Berlin and the Berlin Fire Company were frequently at odds over funding, with town officials concerned about using Berlin tax dollars to help pay for an out-of-town facility. The fire company assured them that was not the case.

Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce President Kerrie Bunting and Berlin Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Larnet St. Amant emphasized the importance of having a state of the art station here.

“It’s also an honor to be able to extend the Berlin Fire Company to this area so it can better service our community, and we’re very blessed to have this land the whole area here and everybody in support of our fire company,” St. Amant said.

RACHEL RAVINA/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Members of the Berlin Fire Company, elected officials and area residents smile for a photo on Sunday as a ribbon is cut unveiling the new Station 3 on Ocean Gateway.

Even though the new fire station is outside of town, Fitzgerald stressed that the volunteers work to serve and protect the entire community.

“People’s lives are counting on all of you so I want to thank all of you for your work,” said State Del. Wayne Hartman (R-38C).

Hartman and State Del. Charles Otto (R-38A) presented a commendation from the state delegation to members of the Berlin Fire Company during the ceremony.

“I’m honored to be here and thank you all for your service and keep up the good work,” Otto said.

Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-38) also said the importance of volunteer firefighter organizations couldn’t be understated, and said she’d look for ways to “increase volunteerism” for firefighters.

“It’s exciting to see some of our young people here today who will hopefully be future cadets and volunteers to join the ranks,” she said.

Fitzgerald expressed his gratitude to the Worcester County Commissioners, state elected officials, volunteers, and donors as commemorative plaques were unveiled.

“We can’t be a volunteer fire service without community support,” Fitzgerald said.