Few institutions hold our community together like the Middle River Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company. As a Middle River resident — and someone proud to serve on its board — I have seen up close what these volunteers give to their neighbors. So it is a genuine honor to share that they are getting a brand-new station, backed by $9 million in federal funding.
The money was appropriated by Congress as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation Bill and secured by Congressman Andy Harris. Delegate Kathy Szeliga and I were glad to work alongside our federal and local partners to push it across the finish line. This is what it looks like when every level of government pulls in the same direction for a community.
“These brave first responders will now have the facilities and resources necessary to respond quickly, safely, and effectively.”
It matters because our volunteers have been answering calls out of aging infrastructure for far too long. As I said when the funding was announced, “these brave first responders will now have the facilities and resources necessary to respond quickly, safely, and effectively.” Delegate Szeliga put it well, too: the grant “will go a long way toward making Middle River safer by bringing modern infrastructure.”
There is also a taxpayer story here. Volunteer companies save our community enormous sums every year compared with fully paid departments. Standing behind them with modern facilities isn't just the right thing to do for the people who run toward danger — it's a smart investment that keeps response times short and costs down. Funding core public-safety needs first is exactly where government should start.
