Editor, Gazette-Journal:

As President of Gloucester Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Inc., and a longtime volunteer, I can tell you that your firefighters and medics need a new station on Main Street to continue to serve citizens well into the future. Some of the current station dates back to 1950. There have been numerous additions through the years but it no longer meets our needs and certain National Fire Protection Association standards.

When we explored the cost of renovating and expanding our existing station, we found it would be more cost effective to start over and build a new one, in a location where we can easily move from old to new without the need for a temporary space.

If the referendum passes, the county would break ground on the new station on Main Street in the spring of 2024. We would be able to sell the old one, with the proceeds going to the county. Construction of a much-needed bunkhouse for the Abingdon Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad would a...