- September 27, 2024
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Over the past year, firefighters in Myakka City have watched a new $6 million fire station rise from the ground with only a retention pond separating the new and old stations.
“It’s so exciting,” firefighter Ray Sullivan said. “We just look across the pond and stare at it.”
The public is invited to the grand opening of East Manatee Fire Rescue's brand new Station 11 on Oct. 19.
It’s hard not to stare at the approximately 10,000-square-foot station on Wauchula Road, especially with the old station sitting next door.
The original Station 11 is about 6,500 square feet and looks like it could fit inside the new station’s bay. It was built in 1995 by the Myakka City Fire Rescue, which merged with EMFR in 2021.
EMFR Deputy Chief Paul Wren called the new station a “night and day” difference.
“The board, the fire chiefs, Chief (Lee) Whitehurst, they've done a great job of making sure that our infrastructure is top notch — new stations, new equipment — these guys have everything they need,” he said. “That wasn’t necessarily the case with Myakka City. They were resource deprived.”
Fire districts are funded with taxes. Less residents means less funding.
Some of the equipment was new, but the Myakka City firefighters had to work with what they had, which was a cramped firehouse that wasn’t rated to withstand anything above a Category 3 hurricane.
To personnel who have worked out of other EMFR stations, the new Station 11 will look like the rest. But to firefighters like Sullivan, who started with the Myakka City Fire Rescue, the station will be a major upgrade.
There are nine firefighters, split between three shifts. Each shift of three shares one room in Station 11 now. The crew members will have their own room when they move in next door.
“You don’t have to listen to (Firefighter Steven) Cooley snoring anymore,” Wren joked.
The crew of Sullivan, Cooley and Lt. Ben Carpenter are tight knit, having shared such tight quarters. Carpenter said it works because they all get along so well. Otherwise, it gets “uncomfortable.”
Knowing that a new station is on the way makes the quirks of an old station a joke instead of a hardship. Carpenter jiggled the door of the dishwasher to get it shut, and Sullivan pulled the front door open to set off the squeaky hinges, which are about as loud as an alarm.
“No one can sneak up on us,” he said with a deadpan delivery.
Among the jokes, Wren made sure to note that with a new station on the way, some things were put on the back burner. After moving, all the appliances will be new, not just the dishwasher.
The crew agreed that the next best thing about the new living quarters will be the workout room. Right now, a big rack for weights is tucked into the bay.
The expanded living quarters will also allow for the crews to double and triple up during emergencies.
On Sept. 24, notifications were steadily streaming into Wren's phone as preparations had begun for Hurricane Helene. The new station already was demonstrating its value.
During Hurricane Ian, Station 11 had to evacuate to Myakka City Elementary School. If Helene strengthens into a Category 3 or higher hurricane, the crew and equipment will move next door.
They’ll also have to move back because the station isn't quite ready for full-time occupancy yet, but it will be up and running by Oct. 19 for the dedication ceremony and grand opening.
Wren said the fire district hasn’t thrown an open house like what's being planned for Station 11 in a long time.
“This is truly going to be a Myakka City community event, where we want all the residents to come out and see their new firehouse,” he said. “We’re going to have all kinds of fun for kids and families.”
Mission Bbq is catering. The crew will be giving station tours. Giveaways include commemorative T-shirts and coins. Plus, the kids will leave with goody bags.
Wren understands if residents are leery of a big district coming in and making changes, but he said only the infrastructure has changed because the resources have increased so exponentially.
“If anything, we’re trying to bring a little bit of that old school community feel back into the fire service," he said.
