Richmond invests in new fire station as Jeffrey Segal becomes permanent chief

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Fire Station 21 reopened on Richmond Highway Monday, Nov. 10, after nearly two years of construction.

It is bringing faster emergency response times to the city’s Southside as interim Fire Chief Jeffrey Segal prepares to permanently take over the department.

The three-story facility replaces a more than 80-year-old station that had been plagued by flooding, roof leaks, mice, and other issues related to the outdated, declining building.

Firefighters had been working out of neighboring stations during construction.

“They had to come from down on Commerce Road and further into the city, and people are like, well, you might die in that time period,” neighbor Christine Gibson said. “So, it is going to mean a lot to the people here that they’ve got a quicker response.”