May 19, 2023

Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for

KDH Fire Department Station 14

and Dare County EMS Station 1

Last week, the Town of Kill Devil Hills and Dare County marked a monumental milestone as we broke ground on a new 36,000-square-foot facility, which will serve as Kill Devil Hills Fire Department Station 14 and Dare County EMS Station 1.

The new co-located facility, which will be constructed at 1630 N. Croatan Highway in Kill Devil Hills, is part of a multiphase project to improve and modernize numerous outdated the facilities in order to better serve residents and visitors.

The groundbreaking ceremony symbolized the physical start of construction and the continued mission of the Kill Devil Hills Fire Department and Dare County EMS to best serve our community.

KDH BOC and Staff at Groundbreaking event for new fire station

Mayor Ben Sproul shared what the co-located facility will mean to the community he serves. “We are entering into a new era, and I couldn't be more excited about it,” said Sproul. “This building will soon be the home away from home to approximately 40 career, volunteer and support fire personnel who, as you all know, demonstrate acts of selflessness and dedication every day. It's with great pride that I can say that this new fire station will be giving these men and women a more modernized and efficient place where they can continue to grow as a department and courageously answer our community's calls for help.”

Sproul also expressed his appreciation for the Town of Kill Devil Hills’ partnership with Dare County and the integral role it has played in bringing the project to fruition.

“We are always working together, and partnerships are a huge part of what we do on the Outer Banks, and I am here to tell you that without Dare County working with us on this joint venture we would probably not be here today breaking ground,” said Sproul. “It would have taken us a good little while longer to get here, so we appreciate that partnership, and as we move forward together with the construction of this new facility, I know that our partnership will continue to strengthen.”

KDH Mayor Ben Sproul speaking at Groundbreaking ceremony

Kill Devil Hills Fire Chief Troy Tilley shared how an updated and improved facility will benefit his crew members that operate out of Kill Devil Hills Fire Department Station 14, as well as the members of the community they protect and serve.

“This new fire station will house a dedicated team of firefighters that are prepared to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to the emergency response needs of our community no matter what that situation is or the weather conditions. Snow, rain, ice, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, Kill Devil Hills Fire is here for our community,” said Tilley, who noted that the new station will feature a designated decontamination room for equipment and personnel, a physical fitness area, a training room for current and future firefighters, and areas where firefighters can get much-needed rest and nourishment when they’re serving a 24-hour shift at the facility.

“The overall goal is to support our ability to respond to our community and keep our firefighters healthy and prepared in order to serve and respond to the emergency responses,” Tilley continued. “This groundbreaking of a new fire station is a monumental moment for the Kill Devil Hills Fire Department as we ensure we have a firm foundation for our department so that we have the ability to continually respond to the needs of our community well into the future, and I'm looking forward to that future.”

Click to read the entire release

View a video of the Dare County EMS Station 1 groundbreaking ceremony on Dare County’s YouTube channel

KDH BOC and staff breaking ground at new fire station site

Breaking ground at the new site of the fire and EMS stations

Kill Devil Hills is holding an event to support local animal shelters. We are accepting donations of dog food and supplies to help dogs in need.

It's a Paw-ty!

Come join the Town for a dog-on good time!

Kill Devil Hills is holding an event, Mary's Paws Park Celebration, on Friday, June 2nd from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. at Aviation Park (103 Veterans Drive), to support local animal shelters. This is a free event and will include giveaways for dogs and owners, free ice cream treats, KDH dog tags, t-shirts, and other merchandise available for purchase. Please consider bringing a donations to help dogs in need. A list of requested donations can be found below.

ADA Transition Plan Survey

Please help us become a more accessible Town. Take a quick five minute survey on accessibility in KDH. Your input is important and valued.

ADA Transition Plan Survey (surveymonkey.com)

The Town of Kill Devil Hills is completing an American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan. This plan will look at challenges with accessibility and ways to improve access to Town services, buildings, sidewalks, and streets. This survey will guide the ADA Transition Plan and help to identify areas for improving our accessibility throughout the community.

This is just one way to let the Town know about accessibility in Kill Devil Hills. The Town will be hosting future opportunities for the community to provide input on where to improve access to sidewalks, multi-use paths, beach accesses, parks, services and buildings.

Thank you for your help.

Spongy Moth Treatment

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will soon start treating our area for spongy moth, formerly known as gypsy moth. Treatments are weather dependent.

Prior to normal spongy moth mating periods, low-altitude fixed-wing aircraft will disperse SPLAT Gypsy Moth-Organic Mating Disruption infused with the naturally occurring spongy moth pheromone.

The presence of the pheromone makes male spongy moths unable to follow the natural pheromone scent trails released by the females. This causes a decrease in mating success and reduces the spongy moth population. The pheromone is not harmful to humans, animals or plants, and it will not affect other insect species.

Spongy moths feed on the leaves of more than 300 different species of trees and shrubs, predominantly oaks and hardwoods. When areas become heavily infested, trees may be completely stripped of foliage, leaving yard trees and entire forests more susceptible to attacks from other pests. Severe infestations often lead to tree death. Spongy moth caterpillars can also pose public health concerns for people with respiratory problems. In areas with high-density spongy moth populations, the caterpillar hairs and droppings may cause severe allergic reactions.

More information