Fire & Rescue outlines armory logistics plan, HQ move and multiple station projects; council presses for site options

Howard County Fire and Rescue briefed the council on several capital projects in the FY2026 budget, including planning at the former armory to support a logistics/storage facility and a relocated headquarters, ongoing rural cistern installations, and station planning for North Columbia and the replacement of Station 7.

Armory, logistics and headquarters Fire staff reported they took possession of the old armory in 2023 and have completed hazardous‑materials removal, demolition of ancillary structures and site work. A design consultant (MW Studios) returned an initial concept for an armory logistics building and headquarters package with an estimated initial cost of roughly $17.7 million; that estimate included a headquarters relocation estimated to cost about $5.9 million. Fire officials said they were working with facilities and the consultant to reduce the logistics building cost plan (the initial study had been larger, and they said they believe costs can be reduced to nearer $12 million with scope adjustments). Officials noted that moving headquarters to the armory would reduce ongoing lease costs associated with the department’s current leased HQ.

Reserve fleet storage Fire staff said the logistics concept had included storage space sized to hold many reserve apparatus bays. The initial design included roughly 21 bays and cost estimates that the department called larger than needed; staff said they were seeking to reduce the bay count (they mentioned a working target of about 12 bays) to lower costs while preserving indoor reserve apparatus storage to reduce exposure of reserve vehicles to the elements and improve maintenance efficiency.

North Columbia and Station 7 Fire and Rescue said coordination to site a new North Columbia Station is advancing: the Board of Education has agreed to transfer land for the project and an environmental concept plan (ECP) was being submitted. On the plan to replace Station 7, the department reported that a feasibility study showed a six‑acre property at Cedar Lane was generally suitable but the owner would sell only about 1.8 acres — less than the three acres the department said it needs. As a result, staff said they had returned to a broader site search and were evaluating options that would preserve service coverage across the Columbia area. Council members pressed whether the department planned to “push Banneker west” and how that would affect response coverage; fire leadership said they were using heat‑map response analysis to refine station siting.

Rural cistern (rural fire protection) program Fire staff said the county currently has 40 cisterns in place, expects four tanks to be installed by the end of the fiscal year and had four more in engineering design for FY26. They said the typical cistern cost was about $330,000 and that the program’s long‑term plan had identified about 102 priority sites countywide. Officials said they routinely work with the Department of Public Works, utilities and landowners; recent state code changes requiring developers of certain subdivisions to set aside land or easements have helped the county secure sites.

Why it matters: The armory/logistics project could reduce lease costs and provide indoor storage and headquarters space, affecting operating budgets and long‑term facility planning. Station siting influences public‑safety response times across the county, while cisterns are critical to fire suppression in rural areas without municipal water.

What’s next: Fire and Rescue will continue design work with MW Studios to reduce costs and advance the armory/logistics plan, finalize the North Columbia ECP and continue real estate searches for Station 7 replacement options. The council asked for follow‑up details on costs and site options.