Pasco County has opened Fire Rescue Station 38, a new station built to serve Wesley Chapel.
A ribbon cutting took place on Aug. 27 to celebrate the new station, which began operation several weeks ago.
This is the first station added to a fire coverage area in the county since 2009, and is intended to reduce emergency wait times.
A big crowd gathered to celebrate the moment, including Pasco County officials and firefighters, as well as Fire Chief Scott Cassin.
“This is yet another great day for Pasco County Fire Rescue, and [an] absolutely awesome day for citizens of Pasco County,” the fire chief said.
The estimated $3.5 million project broke ground last September and has been a decade in the making. This was funded primarily by the county’s fire impact fees.
The fire station is situated in the Watergrass community, off of Overpass Road.
“This station, itself, will help the response time to get better safety, emergency help, and fire help [to the] community, and strengthen the fire services for the entire county. That’s so important to our residents,” Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley said, during the ceremony’s opening remarks.
“With the ever-growing emergency call volume here in the Wesley Chapel area, and the other surrounding portions of Pasco County, this additional capacity stands to do just that,” Cassin added.
The 10,850-square-foot facility is the county’s second largest fire station. It can accommodate up to 13 firefighters.
The station is equipped with four bi-fold, bay doors that slide open at a quicker rate than the traditional overhead doors that roll up.
It now has a paramedic engine and an EMS supervisor SUV, but it can house up to eight vehicles at once.
“The station is also environmentally friendly, highly energy-efficient and storm-hardened, which are all critical elements of today’s infrastructure,” Cassin said.
Features include a vehicle exhaust extraction system – the first to be installed in a Pasco County fire station. This helps to deter the spread of diesel fumes, which have been identified as creating an increased risk of lung cancer.
The station’s call alert system is designed to handle a high demand of inquiries, with six to eight crew members working on any given shift.
Amenities at the station include a kitchen, a gym, multiple bunk rooms and climate-controlled storage rooms.
Several housewarming gifts were presented to add to the station’s interior. Those included a signed promotional poster for actor John Cena’s upcoming film. The Pasco County resident was not present at the event.
County officials joined the fire chief in a ribbon cutting, which was followed by a tour of the station and refreshments.
Published September 04, 2019
