New fire chief Not alarmed by growth

In 2006, the housing market was booming, but the greater Lakewood Ranch area largely remained agricultural. Cow pastures are a mainstay on the north side of State Road 70.

Since then, State roads 70 and 64 in East County were widened and Interstate 75 began bustling with more traffic.

For firefighters in the East Manatee Fire Rescue District, growth became the new normal.

“We’ve been dealing with growth a long time now,” said Lee Whitehurst, who started as East Manatee’s fire chief Jan. 9. “We’re used to it.”

During the past decade, East Manatee Fire Rescue, which has a district roughly spanning from University Parkway north to the Manatee River and from the Braden River east to County Road 675, has evolved from a district that responded to brushfires and rural emergencies to one dealing with suburbia.

The growth is projected to continue, and East Manatee is ready, Whitehurst said. The district acquired land four years ago for two new stations — Station 7 to be placed on property between Lakewood Ranch’s boundary and Panther Ridge, off State Road 70, and another near the intersection of State Road 64 and Dam Road.

It already has enough money saved to build Station 7, but the rooftops still must come to necessitate its construction.

“It’s not just the station. It’s not just the apparatus,” Fire Commissioner Bob Conley said. “We have to fund personnel. That’s the expense that’s ongoing.”

Whitehurst said development of Lennar’s 1,567-home Lakewood National project largely will dictate the station’s construction because the station will share a road with it.

“That’s going to help determine the tempo on building that station, and we’re prepared to do that in our five-year plan,” Whitehurst said.

The State Road 64 site is available, but there is not yet a need for a station there.

Whitehurst, who started with East Manatee as a volunteer firefighter in 1983, said he feels comfortable handling growth and will focus on setting a clear vision for the district in his new role. He spent every Friday for the past year meeting one-on-one with East Manatee’s 80-person staff for two-hour sessions.

At each, he shared his ideas for the district and solicited employees’ thoughts and ideas free from the influence of peers. His vision is to improve communication among his employees, encourage and foster new ideas and ensure the district is training and preparing personnel to advance into management-type positions.

Now, his first order of business will be new hires for three firefighting positions, as well as for his replacement as deputy chief. The firefighter positions will help cover the departments when employees are out for vacation, sick days or training, Conley said.

In the near future, Whitehurst hopes to restructure the deputy chief position and split it so one person handles day-to-day operations while a newly created administrative position manages the business side of the district. Whitehurst previously performed both jobs.

“There’s a bit of a politics side of this job, as I’m finding out,” said Whitehurst, who noted his wife, Carol Ann, has been supportive of the extra hours he’s working as chief. “I enjoy the challenge. I expect things to settle down. Right now, it’s exciting.

“I view this role for me not as being the captain of the aircraft, but being the air traffic controller,” Whitehurst said.