Finally…after months of snow, rain, Work Drama and other such stuff…a new fire station post. These pics were actually taken back in late October and early November last year (Before we knew just what kind of winter we were in for!
So, without further ado!
The City of Chesapeake…And here it starts to get interesting (This happens a LOT in The Seven Cities, BTW).
http://cityofchesapeake.net/services/dep...ions.shtml Chesapeake Fire Station Map
The city is shaped somewhat like a medieval knight wearing a cape (This hiding his legs), looking back over his left shoulder with his back to you and his left arm upraised. Chesapeake’s bordered by Portsmouth and Norfolk to the north, Va. Beach to the east, North Carolina to the south, and Suffolk to the west. The great majority of the city’s western quarter or so (From below the knight’s left armpit all the way down to the NC State Line) is Great Dismal Swamp, with Lake Drummond tucked into the southwest corner of the city. The northwestern panhandle (The upraised arm), and the northern, and central portions of the city are the most densely populated areas with the eastern, southern and western portions of the city being the most rural. I believe Chesapeake was Virginia’s largest city area-wise until the consolidation of Nansemond County and Suffolk in ’74.
Chesapeake has only been in existence since 1963. The area that’s now The City of Chesapeake was once comprised of Norfolk County and The City of South Norfolk. The City of South Norfolk was tucked up into the north-central portion of the present City of Chesapeake (South Norfolk formed what’s now essentially the knight’s helmet) The small city was basically landlocked within Norfolk County, which was being pecked away from the North by both Norfolk and Portsmouth. In fact South Norfolk would have been left surrounded by Norfolk in one annexation suit by that city.
Beginning in 1961 a series of meetings, referendums, and discussions occurred, with a vote to consolidate South Norfolk and Norfolk County, the new city taking the name Chesapeake when the consolidation became official in 1963 (And if you think it went that smoothly, just remember…Politics were involved! That is a story worthy of it’s own book, or part of one, and in fact, is. )
From a fire buff’s stand point, this left former Norfolk County stations and station sites scattered across portions of three cities…am I gonna have fun or WHAT?!
Now the numbers and such:
The Chesapeake Fire Department is a combination department protecting 220,000 people living in just over 350 square miles, running 17 engines, 3 truck companies, a pair of heavy rescues, a fire boat, and numerous special pieces out of 15 stations.
CFD protects a very diverse and varied area, with the harbor of Hampton Roads to the north, and miles of rural countryside abutting The Great Dismal Swamp to the south. Within this area they protect a busy general aviation airport, a US Navy Auxiliary field, portions of 4 Interstate highways,( 64, 264, 464, 664) 4 US highways (13, 17, 58, 460) and State Rout 168. Five railroads pass through Chesapeake (CSX, Norfolk Southern, and a trio of short lines) as well as a portion of the Intracoastal Waterway (Including a system of locks). CFD also protects miles of waterways, a large coal powered power plant, numerous marine-related industries (The Essex Class carrier USS Franklin was scrapped at Portsmouth Salvage Company, within sight of the The Gilmerton Bridge, which carries US 13 over the Elizabeth River), Innumerable medium and light industrial occupancies, vast reaches of rural woods and farmland, a sizable chunk of The Great Dismal Swamp including Lake Drummond, several historical districts, and some HUGE homes, many of them in the southern portion of the city where water supply can be, shall we say, limited.
An interesting note…Chesapeake has more bridges than any other city in Virginia (And its own bridge maintenance division to prove it!) and THEY lost a bridge recently as well. These bridges form their own kind of challenge as several of the older ones have weight restrictions that keep fire apparatus from using them.
The weather fooled me on the Sunday I picked to shoot the first 10 stations. The sky was clear and bright blue in Chester when I left the house, but clouded quickly as I headed east on U S 460…I was educated on just what ‘Partly Sunny’ actually means. (Apparently it’s actually a P. C. way of saying ‘Mostly Cloudy) as well as being reacquainted with just what the wind that close to the water can feel like. ( C-C-C-Cold…the wind was whipping that day, as the flags confirm!)
All in all it wasn’t bad at all, though, and I had a blast getting the shots.
About a week later, I took advantage of the truly strange work schedule I had at the time, and shot the last five stations (And reshot one) on one of the prettier Wednesdays that Fall in Tidewater can offer up.
Now to the stations
Station 1 South Norfolk
Station 1 was actually the third station I shot. The present Station 1, (South Norfolk) at 1201 20th Street was opened in 1969, and presently runs 3000+ calls a year. An engine, a medic, and a foam rig are assigned to the station. The station is in the extreme northern portion of the city, right at the knight’s forehead, and is the top point of a five pointed star formed by stations 1,2,3,4, and 14
So, without further ado!
The City of Chesapeake…And here it starts to get interesting (This happens a LOT in The Seven Cities, BTW).
http://cityofchesapeake.net/services/dep...ions.shtml Chesapeake Fire Station Map
The city is shaped somewhat like a medieval knight wearing a cape (This hiding his legs), looking back over his left shoulder with his back to you and his left arm upraised. Chesapeake’s bordered by Portsmouth and Norfolk to the north, Va. Beach to the east, North Carolina to the south, and Suffolk to the west. The great majority of the city’s western quarter or so (From below the knight’s left armpit all the way down to the NC State Line) is Great Dismal Swamp, with Lake Drummond tucked into the southwest corner of the city. The northwestern panhandle (The upraised arm), and the northern, and central portions of the city are the most densely populated areas with the eastern, southern and western portions of the city being the most rural. I believe Chesapeake was Virginia’s largest city area-wise until the consolidation of Nansemond County and Suffolk in ’74.
Chesapeake has only been in existence since 1963. The area that’s now The City of Chesapeake was once comprised of Norfolk County and The City of South Norfolk. The City of South Norfolk was tucked up into the north-central portion of the present City of Chesapeake (South Norfolk formed what’s now essentially the knight’s helmet) The small city was basically landlocked within Norfolk County, which was being pecked away from the North by both Norfolk and Portsmouth. In fact South Norfolk would have been left surrounded by Norfolk in one annexation suit by that city.
Beginning in 1961 a series of meetings, referendums, and discussions occurred, with a vote to consolidate South Norfolk and Norfolk County, the new city taking the name Chesapeake when the consolidation became official in 1963 (And if you think it went that smoothly, just remember…Politics were involved! That is a story worthy of it’s own book, or part of one, and in fact, is. )
From a fire buff’s stand point, this left former Norfolk County stations and station sites scattered across portions of three cities…am I gonna have fun or WHAT?!
Now the numbers and such:
The Chesapeake Fire Department is a combination department protecting 220,000 people living in just over 350 square miles, running 17 engines, 3 truck companies, a pair of heavy rescues, a fire boat, and numerous special pieces out of 15 stations.
CFD protects a very diverse and varied area, with the harbor of Hampton Roads to the north, and miles of rural countryside abutting The Great Dismal Swamp to the south. Within this area they protect a busy general aviation airport, a US Navy Auxiliary field, portions of 4 Interstate highways,( 64, 264, 464, 664) 4 US highways (13, 17, 58, 460) and State Rout 168. Five railroads pass through Chesapeake (CSX, Norfolk Southern, and a trio of short lines) as well as a portion of the Intracoastal Waterway (Including a system of locks). CFD also protects miles of waterways, a large coal powered power plant, numerous marine-related industries (The Essex Class carrier USS Franklin was scrapped at Portsmouth Salvage Company, within sight of the The Gilmerton Bridge, which carries US 13 over the Elizabeth River), Innumerable medium and light industrial occupancies, vast reaches of rural woods and farmland, a sizable chunk of The Great Dismal Swamp including Lake Drummond, several historical districts, and some HUGE homes, many of them in the southern portion of the city where water supply can be, shall we say, limited.
An interesting note…Chesapeake has more bridges than any other city in Virginia (And its own bridge maintenance division to prove it!) and THEY lost a bridge recently as well. These bridges form their own kind of challenge as several of the older ones have weight restrictions that keep fire apparatus from using them.
The weather fooled me on the Sunday I picked to shoot the first 10 stations. The sky was clear and bright blue in Chester when I left the house, but clouded quickly as I headed east on U S 460…I was educated on just what ‘Partly Sunny’ actually means. (Apparently it’s actually a P. C. way of saying ‘Mostly Cloudy) as well as being reacquainted with just what the wind that close to the water can feel like. ( C-C-C-Cold…the wind was whipping that day, as the flags confirm!)
All in all it wasn’t bad at all, though, and I had a blast getting the shots.
About a week later, I took advantage of the truly strange work schedule I had at the time, and shot the last five stations (And reshot one) on one of the prettier Wednesdays that Fall in Tidewater can offer up.
Now to the stations
Station 1 South Norfolk
Station 1 was actually the third station I shot. The present Station 1, (South Norfolk) at 1201 20th Street was opened in 1969, and presently runs 3000+ calls a year. An engine, a medic, and a foam rig are assigned to the station. The station is in the extreme northern portion of the city, right at the knight’s forehead, and is the top point of a five pointed star formed by stations 1,2,3,4, and 14
Engine 1 to all units, we've got a glow in the sky!
If God's not a Hokie, Then why do the leaves turn Maroon and Orange in the Fall?
My [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotowun/"]Flickr Account[/url]
If God's not a Hokie, Then why do the leaves turn Maroon and Orange in the Fall?
My [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotowun/"]Flickr Account[/url]
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