Monday, March 10, 2025

Nature: WBOC TV Features Indian River Renovation & Construction – Long Neck Facility Initiative

Address:  25375 Banks Road, Millsboro, DE 

On Monday, March 10th, the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company was featured by the WBOC TV Station which highlighted and discussed the upcoming renovation and construction initiative to expand our Long Neck Station.

The feature segment is illustrated below: https://www.wboc.com/news/indian-river-volunteer-fire-company-seeks-community-support-for-expansion/video_f867e25b-a586-501e-8436-693a01c10f53.html

Indian River Volunteer Fire Company Seeks Community Support for Expansion

Jack Ford Mar 10, 2025 Updated

MILLSBORO, DE – As Sussex County continues to grow, so does the demand on emergency services. The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company is looking to expand, with plans for a new facility to better serve the increasing number of calls.

Standing adjacent to the current station on Banks Road near Millsboro, the proposed expansion would include a $3.5 million facility with four new truck bays, a training room, and additional space to accommodate the department’s needs.

Firefighters say the current station, originally built in 1972 as a storage facility, is no longer sufficient.

“The demand is so prevalent, and what we used to fight fires for—grass and woods—is now developments,” longtime firefighter Bill Tobin explained. “The roads can't take it, the accidents we have, and we need the additional space to support the community.”

One major challenge for the department is space. Not only is the current building too small for their growing equipment needs, but they can’t fit some larger ladder trucks inside.

Adding to the difficulty, Indian River Fire is not connected to a town or county government and operates as a 100% volunteer organization. Fire President Patrick Miller says this means the project will depend largely on grassroots funding through a Capital Campaign Initiative.

“We have no local municipality or town to go to because we're in a rural, unincorporated area,” Miller said. “So we have to rely on our community contributors, our community partners and businesses, as well as our residents to generate the financial needs to pursue this.”

Over the years, the fire company has gradually acquired the land for expansion, and now, with the need more pressing than ever, they are moving forward with their renovation and construction initiative.

You can find the link to support the fire company, and more information on the project - https://www.irvfc.com/messageCenter/detail?id=53196

Identified herewith are informational flyers or posts with links to our website for additional information:

• Indian River’s Renovation & Construction Project Initiative -

  • https://irvfc.com/gallery/detail/53381 and

  • https://www.wboc.com/news/indian-river-volunteer-fire-company-seeks-community-support-for-expansion/article_29e249ba-fdf1-11ef-aef2-c3caa6afe623.html

• Indian River Commences with Capital Campaign Initiative –

  •  https://irvfc.com/gallery/detail/53199?ss=1

• Indian River Approves Capital Campaign Initiative Commencing in February 2025 –

  • https://irvfc.com/messageCenter/detail?id=53196

• Indian River Groundbreaking Event for Station 2 – Renovation & Construction Project –

  • https://irvfc.com/messageCenter/detail?id=53392