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Zebulon, Wake County break ground on new co-located fire and EMS station
Summary
Town and county leaders marked a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new shared Zebulon Fire Department and Wake County EMS station, saying federal, county and local funds enabled a planned 24,000-plus-square-foot facility intended to shorten emergency response times in the fast‑growing town.
ZEBULON, N.C. — Town and county leaders on Saturday marked the start of construction on a new facility that will house both the Zebulon Fire Department and Wake County EMS.
Mayor York called the event “a historic day” for Zebulon and credited years of planning and community input dating back to 2018. Officials said the project is funded primarily through a combination of federal agriculture appropriations and local contributions from Wake County and the town of Zebulon.
Why it matters: Officials said co‑locating fire and EMS will improve coordination and response times as Zebulon continues rapid growth. Wake County Vice Chair Don Mile noted the scale of recent growth, saying, "From 2020 to 2024, the population have grown almost by 50%." He and others thanked USDA and county staff for helping secure and manage funding.
Wake County Manager David Ellis framed the project as an example of regional collaboration. He thanked the county’s facilities design and construction team and the contractor Monteith for moving the project toward construction, and said the facility will be shared by the town’s fire department and Wake County EMS to better serve residents.
Zebulon Fire Chief Chris Perry described design features meant to fit into the neighborhood and reduce nuisance impacts for nearby residents. "This facility will be over 24,000 square feet when it's completed," Perry said, noting a large apparatus bay sited behind the building and an exit aligned with Church Street to limit nighttime lights and noise. He also said the building will include an emergency operations center for large events.
Officials emphasized the project’s long timeline: initial site studies began in 2018 and continued through community design sessions the following year. The ceremony concluded with an invitation for attendees to participate in a ceremonial shovel‑turn to mark the official start of construction.
No votes or formal policy actions were taken at the event; the gathering was ceremonial and focused on project recognition and public outreach. Officials did not provide a firm completion date during remarks.
Speakers quoted or paraphrased in this article are identified based on remarks during the ceremony.
