The Chicamacomico Banks Fire Department is excited to announce big changes coming in the northernmost fire district on Hatteras Island.
A custom-built Rosenbauer fire engine is due for delivery in summer 2025, and a new fire & EMS station is in the early planning stages, with construction anticipated within the next five years.
The new fire engine will take the place of Engine 503, a 1993 E-One pumper that has faithfully served the district for over 30 years. Approximately 39 feet long, the newest apparatus in the CBFD fleet will feature 6-wheel-drive capability and carry a 1500-gallon water tank to buy precious extra time during firefighting efforts.
It’s more than just a workhorse, though: “Santa will love it,” assures Department President Briggs McEwan, whose children have grown up meeting the Jolly Old Elf as he arrives in town each year aboard a Chicamacomico fire engine.
As for the new station, plans are to build it in conjunction with Dare County on land owned by CBFD. Rodanthe’s Station 50, the current facility, houses EMS Station 6, a mutually beneficial relationship that ensures residents and visitors alike get timely, top-notch emergency care made possible by the two agencies’ cooperation. Unfortunately, the existing station has been through several major weather events that have taken their toll on the buildings.
“The current station is showing its age and doesn’t meet our current needs,” says Fire Chief Mike Daugherty. “We need a new station with higher elevation, housing both fire and EMS facilities, and adaptable for future needs.”
Chicamacomico Banks Fire Department is a volunteer-led organization providing fire and water rescue services from the Marc Basnight Bridge to Ramp 30, predominantly focused on the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo. Volunteers are always needed.
Fire training takes place every Monday at 6:30 pm with dinner provided. Location varies between Station 50, located at 24297 Highway 12, and Salvo’s Station 48, located at 27209 Roth Road. Water rescue employs highly experienced, well-trained rescuers who patrol the beaches in front of the three villages from May through early October.
