East Manatee Fire Rescue opens Central Station

MANATEE COUNTY — East Manatee Fire Rescue’s newest station is now in operation.

Administrators have spent the last month quietly getting the building in working order, and firefighters began reporting to work at the station Dec. 8.

“This has been a two-year project,” East Manatee Fire Chief Byron Teates said. “I think it’s going to be a great benefit to the residents of our community. This is the primary backup for all but one of our stations.”

Located at 3200 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., the new 14,316-square-foot, five-bay station is the most centrally located station within East Manatee’s district. The facility will house the organization’s specialized equipment, including the ladder truck, tanker and boat, so those resources are more readily available to all stations within the district.

Central Station also is designed to be able to absorb any of the district’s other stations should one temporarily close because of a hurricane or other reason.

“Every station we’ve built in the past has been outgrown in just a couple of years,” Teates said. “This station and Station 5 were built for 15 to 20 years — for growth. Once (home construction) starts taking off out east is when we’ll fully take advantage of this station.”

Although the station is not yet at capacity, it’s already offering added benefits to East County residents. Lee Whitehurst, deputy chief of administration for East Manatee, said the new station already is shaving off three to four minutes in response times to residences on Upper Manatee River Road.

“That’s big — whether it’s a fire or a person’s not breathing,” Whitehurst said. “Already, there’s been an impact.”

Residents in Waterlefe, in particular, will benefit from the new station, he said.

“They’ve been on the outskirts of the five-mile radius (that is) recommended,” Teates said.

Whitehurst said having the battalion chief directly across the parking lot from East Manatee’s administrative offices already has made communication easier as well.

“There was a disconnect (before),” he said.

Construction began on the five-bay building in March and finished in November. East Manatee Fire Rescue spent the next month installing equipment and preparing the building for daily use. Teates said there is still much work to be done to have the facility in full working order.

“It’s kind of like you are moving into a new house,” he said. “You are in it, but you aren’t settled.”

The $1.86 million project was funded through an ad valorem tax voters approved more than five years ago and was paid in full the day it opened.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].