Dare County, in cooperation with the City of Kill Devil Hills, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on Monday, August 5, 2024, to celebrate the recent completion and official opening of the new co-located facility that will serve as Dare County EMS Station 1 and the City of Kill Devil Hills William E. Gard Fire Station 14.
The opening of the facility – located at 1628 N. Croatan Highway in Kill Devil Hills for Dare County EMS Station 1 – marks the completion of Phase 1 of the Dare County Multiphase project to modernize aging EMS facilities throughout the county to provide better care to the residents and visitors of our community.
The ribbon cutting ceremony began at 3 p.m. and included remarks by Kill Devil Hills Mayor John Windley, Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard, Dare County Emergency Services Director Jennie Collins, Kill Devil Hills Fire Chief Troy Tilley and guest of honor Susan Gard Nelson, daughter of Kill Devil Hills Fire Chief William “Bill” Gard, who served as fire chief from 1973 until his retirement in 1994 and who officially dedicated the new Kill Devil Hills Fire Department Station 14.
Mayor Windley expressed his appreciation for the new facility and informed the over 200 attendees about what the new facility will mean to local first responders as well as the citizens of the community they serve.
Following Windley’s remarks, Bob Woodard, Chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners, addressed the crowd and emphasized the county’s ongoing commitment to improving public safety and the significant investments made to ensure Dare County first responders are equipped with the world-class facilities they need to perform their life-saving duties efficiently and effectively.
At the conclusion of his remarks, Woodard turned the podium over to Jennie Collins, Dare County EMS Director, who explained the importance and need to build a new facility as EMS Station 1 for the first responders who dedicate their lives to providing life-saving services to our residents and visitors.
Collins also noted that because of its central location in the heart of Kill Devil Hills, Dare County EMS Station 1 is not only responsible for serving one of the busiest and most populated areas of the Outer Banks, but also serves as the headquarters of the Dare County EMS Department and supports the operations of all eight stations currently part of the county’s EMS system.
Following Collins’ remarks, Kill Devil Hills Fire Chief Troy Tilley was called to the podium, where he thanked city leaders for their continued support of public safety and emphasized the importance of investing in the new facility, which will allow first responders to serve the Dare County community even more effectively for decades to come.
Tilley also emphasized that the new facility will serve a dual purpose for the City of Kill Devil Hills, as the fire department will be used as the city’s operations center in the event of any major disasters or emergencies that may affect the region in the future.
To conclude his remarks, Tilley invited Susan Gard Nelson, daughter of former Kill Devil Hills Fire Chief William “Bill” Gard, to the podium.
As she took the podium, Nelson shared a number of poignant stories and fond memories of her father. His love of firefighting began at around age five because of his family’s involvement in the industry – and eventually led to 30 years of dedicated service to the city of Kill Devil Hills.
Following the speakers, officials from Dare County, the City of Kill Devil Hills and the Gard family – as well as representatives from Barnhill Contracting Company and Oakley Collier Architects – gathered outside the facility and ceremoniously cut a blue ribbon to officially open the new Dare County EMS Station 1 and Kill Devil Hills “William E. Gard” Fire Station 14.
Following the ceremony, attendees were invited to enjoy light refreshments and participate in a self-guided open house. The event featured ambulance and fire engine demonstrations, Stop the Bleed training, Hands-Only CPR training, free blood pressure screenings, and a variety of handouts and activities for children provided by Dare County EMS and Kill Devil Hills Fire Department personnel.
To view a video of the ribbon cutting ceremony held on Monday, August 5, 2024, to mark the completion and opening of Dare County EMS Station 1 and Kill Devil Hills “William E. Gard” Fire Station 14, Dare County YouTube Channelplease watch the video embedded below:
(embedded content)
