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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Cross Bayou Boulevard

Wesley Chapel to get a new fire rescue station

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A new fire station in Wesley Chapel will replace an aging facility that has become inadequate to handle the needs of a growing population.

Pasco County’s Fire Rescue Station No. 13, off Old Pasco Road, is expected to open in January 2019. A groundbreaking was held in mid-March on the same day the Pasco County commissioners approved the construction contract of about $2.6 million.

Funding is partially from the Penny for Pasco program.

Construction is underway on a replacement fire station for Pasco County’s Fire Rescue Station No. 13, in Wesley Chapel. The station is expected to open in January. (Courtesy of Pasco County Fire Rescue)

In addition, Pasco purchased an adjacent property for about $467,000, according to county records.

The additional land was needed to accommodate a new fire station that, at about 9,400 square feet, will more than double the size of the old station at 27329 Dayflower Blvd.

The new station also will have space for a Pasco County Sheriff’s substation, where deputies will be able to write up reports, and conduct interviews.

The new station will have three drive-through bays and will be able to hold six fire vehicles. Currently, five firefighters and a battalion chief work each shift. But, the additional space means that eventually up to nine firefighters and one battalion chief could be accommodated.

Instead of dormitory-style sleeping quarters, individual bunkrooms will be provided.

There will be a larger kitchen, with individual pantries for each shift.

Firefighters will have an on-site fitness area, and a specialized washing system for their gear. Also, there will be customized gear lockers in a climate-controlled room.

For emergency calls at night, a “stumble light” system will automatically turn on lights at the fire station, as firefighters don their gear and board fire vehicles.

The station is modeled after Fire Rescue Station No. 30 at Little Road and Massachusetts Avenue, in western Pasco. In 2015, the station won Firehouse Magazine’s “Notable Architectural Design Award.”

Pasco County Fire Chief Scott Cassin said, “It’s essentially the same footprint and design.”

While the new station is under construction, the old station – built in the 1970s – remains operational, Cassin said. It will be torn down once its replacement is opened, he added.

“It’s really in a good location in the central part of the county,” said Cassin.

The area is also a high growth area for the county, with new residents arriving monthly.

Estimates show Pasco adds about 300 homes each month, Cassin said.

Pasco’s growth in all areas of the county is bringing challenges to county departments that deliver services to residents.

Fire rescue especially is called upon to respond to increasing numbers of emergency calls.

At budget workshops to prepare the 2019 draft budget, fire rescue officials noted that in 2017 firefighters responded to more than 71,000 such calls. Over the next eight years, those calls are expected to increase to 100,000 a year.

Much of that is due to overall population increases, but Cassin said other factors also add to the call volume, including Pasco’s aging population.

Lack of health insurance for some is also a factor, he said.

“A lot of people have dropped their health insurance and don’t get the medical care that they should,” Cassin said. They can wind up seeking medical attention when it becomes an emergency, he added.

“We’re seeing some of that,” he said.

As the county’s growth continues, Cassin said fire rescue is planning to expand its capabilities.

However, that comes at a cost to build new stations, increase personnel and add equipment.

In the general election on Nov. 6, voters will be asked to consider approval of four 30-year general bond referendums for the sheriff’s department, parks, libraries and fire rescue.

Over the life of the bond, if approved, fire rescue estimates collecting more than $70.2 million in revenues. About $2.2 million would cover costs of financing the bond, and leave fire rescue about $68 million for construction projects.

Funds would be used to build nine fire stations, including new ones and expanded or refurbished ones.

Four new stations would be located at Suncoast Parkway and State Road 52; State Road 52 and Majestic Parkway; Meadow Pointe, by State Road 56; and Bexley, off State Road 54.

In addition, five stations would be expanded and upgraded.

They would be at U.S. 41 and Central Boulevard; Seven Springs Boulevard; U.S. 19 and Cross Bayou Boulevard; Shady Hills; and, Crystal Springs.

Published August 8, 2018

Bond issue for jail and fire rescue expansions?

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Pasco County commissioners are considering a possible referendum to see voter approval for a 30-year bond issue that would pay for a jail expansion, four new fire stations, and the expansion of five existing fire stations.

The $185 million bond issue, earmarked for public safety, would be placed before voters on the November ballot.

County commissioners got preliminary data on the bond at a Jan. 30 workshop in Dade City. The matter will be discussed again at a Feb. 13 workshop in New Port Richey.

If approved, households on average could expect to pay about $22.50 a year, based on a home value of about $100,000.

Station 22, at 9930 Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, is on a list of Pasco County fire stations that need to be upgraded, and potentially could benefit from a proposed bond. (Kathy Steele)

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco and Pasco Fire Chief Scott Cassin made their cases for why the bond is needed.

“We’re between a rock and a hard place now,” Nocco said.

The county’s detention center, in Land O’ Lakes, is overcrowded, and the situation is getting worse. The facility was built to house 1,432 inmates, but on Jan. 29 held 1,842 inmates, according to county jail records.

By 2020, projections peg inmate population at nearly 2,400 a day.

The bond issue would pay for a 1,000-bed expansion.

At the present time, some inmates sleep on the floor or on cots, as jail cells routinely are filled to capacity, Nocco said.

“The rate of growth is tremendous,” he said. “The need for public safety is there.”

Sheriff’s officials have looked at two options to relieve overcrowding.

One would involve agreements with other counties to house Pasco’s inmates. Of nine counties contacted, Polk and Seminole counties responded.

Polk would house up to 200 inmates daily at a cost of about $8.2 million a year. Seminole would house 50 inmates daily at a cost of about $1.4 million.

Those costs don’t include transportation or medical costs, Nocco said.

The second option would be to lease stainless steel trailers to place on jail property. More than 100 inmates could be housed in six trailers. A three-year lease would cost about $1.9 million.

Fencing, camera security systems, food, and additional staff would be needed as well, for an estimated cost of about $900,000, the sheriff said.

Both options would be temporary solutions until the existing jail could be expanded, Nocco said.

Pasco’s fire rescue department also has challenges in responding to emergency calls as the county’s population explodes.

“We’re responding to more calls every day as a result of population growth,” said Pasco Fire Chief Scott Cassin.

Currently, there generally are no new stations being built “where people are moving,” Cassin said.

One exception is a new fire station at Overpass Road in Wesley Chapel in an area booming with new development, including master-planned communities of Epperson and Mirada. Construction is slated to begin in May or June, Cassin said.

The need for more fire stations is apparent from current data, he added.

On Jan. 22, Cassin said there were 265 emergency calls. Response time for 90 percent of those calls was under 15 minutes, but he said, “The (call volume) is going off the chart.”

In 2017, fire rescue responded to about 71,000 emergency calls. That is expected to increase to about 100,000 in the next eight years.

To cover the county, about 65 percent of the time, fire trucks are sent to locations outside their assigned zones, which impacts response times, said Cassin.

In the next four years, Cassin said four new stations should be built.

They would be located at Suncoast Parkway and State Road 52; State Road 52 and Majestic Parkway; Meadow Pointe, by State Road 56; and Bexley, off State Road 54. In addition, five stations need to be expanded and upgraded, he said.

They would be at U.S. 41 and Central Boulevard; Seven Springs Boulevard; U.S. 19 and Cross Bayou Boulevard; Shady Hills; and, Crystal Springs.

If the bond were approved, the county would still need to find money for operational costs.

“That is something we’d have to figure out how to do,” said Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles.

County commissioners also face funding needs for necessary repairs and upgrades at county parks, and improvements to county libraries.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey would like to include parks and libraries in the same bond as the jails and fire rescue.

“Can’t we get revenue for capital repairs for a few more dollars?” Starkey said.

During the economic recession, funding for parks and libraries were repeatedly cut.

“There’s no doubt the parks have been stripped and stripped,” said Pasco County Chairman Mike Wells Jr.

Biles said he would provide additional information on funding parks and libraries at the Feb. 13 workshop.

Published February 7, 2018