Gillis Gilkerson - Construction Managers / General Contractors
150 West Market Street, Suite 200, Riverview Commons, Salisbury, MD 21801
Phone: 410-749-4821 - Fax: 410-749-7934

Gillis Gilkerson Completes Eastern Shore Fire Training Center & Burn Building

Gillis Gilkerson, one of the most stable and trusted general contracting and construction management firms on Delmarva, announced the completion of the 900 square foot Accomack County Fire Training Center and Burn Building located at 28598 Beacon Road in Melfa, Virginia.

“We are excited to have been a part of a project that enhances the training capabilities of our local fire crews and emergency responders from across our Eastern Shore,” said Dwight Miller, president, Gillis Gilkerson. “We enjoyed working with The Eastern Shore Regional Fire Training Center and helping them meet a need that serves to ensure safety to our local communities. This project was unique in that it required specific features for functionality and we are pleased to have the opportunity to add it to our custom build portfolio.”

The two-story, cast in place concrete structure was built with fire proof panels and high temperature thermal liners to allow fire companies to practice live burn assimilations. The structure tolerates temperatures up to 1,800 degrees for search and rescue, fire suppression and ventilation hose stream operation training. The center is made available to the twenty-one fire stations and 700 volunteer firefighters on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia.

“The state came in and told us we could no longer operate the existing burn building in the condition it was in,” said Charles Pruitt, Accomack County Battalion Chief. “We trusted in the abilities of the team from Gillis Gilkerson to build a new training center equipped with necessary updates to serve the needs of the local fire emergency crews across the Eastern Shore.”

The building is equipped with five classrooms on the first floor and five on the second floor for instructional space. The burn area inside the building is sectioned off to ignite wood, hay and other flammable materials (cars) for trainees to experience conditions with limited visibility, smoke and sounds associated with real life fire rescue scenarios.

“We never had to build a fire burn building before, said Charles Pruitt, Accomack County Battalion Chief. “We worked closely with Gillis Gilkerson to ensure the structure would function properly in every capacity. They completed the work on time and within budget, without a hitch. Simple or specialized, big or small – I would, without a doubt, recommend Gillis Gilkerson for any type of construction project.”

About Gillis Gilkerson

In its 37th year of building and real estate development on Delmarva, award-winning Gillis Gilkerson has built a reputation as one of the most trusted and stable construction management and general contracting firms on the Peninsula. From new commercial construction to renovation, the company’s construction managers offer broad and deep experience in diverse industries such as medical, industrial, manufacturing, hotels, multi-family housing, houses of worship, restaurants, retail, schools and more. Its full-service real estate development expertise offers custom solutions for land purchase, building program development, turnkey project management, obtaining permits and approvals, property management, property marketing, purchase, lease, and lease/purchase options. The team works in conjunction with architects, government planners, engineers, surveyors, inspectors, contractors, and leasing agents to manage the development process from concept to completion.

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What Our Clients Say

“Your generosity of time, energy, employees and community service has enabled our patient to have safe, reliable access in and out of her home to continue dialysis three times a week. The ramp also provides an exit for the patient in the event of an emergency.”

~ Thelma Price,
Social Worker,
Deer’s Head Center Kidney Dialysis Unit

“Throughout the construction phase of this project it was necessary to page a representative from Gillis Gilkerson on a daily basis. I would estimate the average response time for a response was about three minutes. The team was always eager to address any questions or concerns that I had, and when any small problem did arise, they were always fixed quickly and efficiently. In short, there was little disruption of my busy practice and loss of income due to time spent working with the contractor.”

~ John Burkett,
Burkett and Burkett, D.D.S., P.A.

It has been 16-months since a fire totaled our clubhouse and we are now getting ready to open the doors to our new building and begin a new era at the Wicomico Yacht Club. The Gillis Gilkerson team was professional, constantly communicating with us and sticking to their very accurate timeline. We thank them for a job well done
COMMODORE PETER HANULAK | HEAD OFFICER, WICOMICO YACHT CLUB COMMAND STAFF

Commodore Peter Hanulak
Head Officer, Wicomico Yacht Club Command Staff

We appreciate the work that Gillis Gilkerson has put into the Maryland Food Bank Eastern Shore Branch as part of our Food First Capital Campaign. In addition to revitalizing our office space, Gillis Gilkerson has bolstered our facility to include a cold sort room that will not only enhance our volunteer program experience, but expand our distribution efforts, thus enabling us to improve the lives of even more food-insecure Marylanders on the Eastern Shore

~ Jennifer Small,
Managing Director, Maryland Food Bank, Eastern Shore 

“I want to take the opportunity to thank you and your staff for the outstanding job you have done despite many obstacles you faced (regulating authorities, weather, architectural nuances) … You managed to complete the project in time, on budget and with superior quality and elegance … You should know that your contributions are highly valued and praised.”

~ Nick Kypreos,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees,
Salisbury School

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