Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company dedicates Station 2
The new Fire Station 2 was dedicated May 16 to all the members of the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company, past and present, who have built this fire company from its humble beginnings in 1906 to its premier status of today. RBVFC officials are proud of this volunteer fire company and equally proud of the community they protect.
As the Rehoboth Fire District began to develop and the Coastal Highway corridor increased with more developments and commercial buildings, the fire company looked for a better means to provide service to the expanding area. In 1985, the company was able to rent an old hangar at the former Rehoboth Airport. A pumper was placed there to begin with, and later a brush truck was added. Equipment could only be kept there during spring through fal, as the building was without heat
After several years of searching for ground to place a second station, the kindness of the community came forth in 1987. The company received a gift from the heirs of the Dodd Estate. The gift was a piece of ground located at Coastal Highway and Airport Road near the former Rehoboth Airport. The ground valued at $2 million, would become the home for Station 2.
The company went before the Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission and was granted approval to build a second station on the site described above. Shortly afterwards, Burt Flickenger donated a used metal airplane hangar to the company for use as a second station. The company moved the airplane hangar to the Airport Road site and the work began on turning the hangar into a fire station. Once again, most of the labor was donated by members of the company.
As the area continued to grow, Station 2 also grew with it. Eventually, the majority of the firefighters lived in that Coastal Highway corridor and the fire apparatus and equipment compliment grew to meet the demand. It got to the point where Station 2 was not large enough, nor could it handle the new growth potential.
In 2005 the fire company started researching the possibility of building a new Station 2 which would handle the growth and provide the space and necessities the fire company needed for now and the future.
Plans were started and meetings were held. After several years of dedicated work the new Station 2 was approved and put out for bids. On Oct. 16, 2013, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Fire Station 2.
