INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Indian River County Fire Rescue will open a new permanent fire station this week, replacing a temporary structure that had been serving a growing area of the county.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Fire Station 7 is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at 9700 26th Place in Vero Beach. The 9,035-square-foot building is part of the department’s long-term facilities plan and is designed to support day-to-day operations and emergency response.
Assistant Fire Chief of Training Bill Herrington said the station incorporates updated design features aimed at improving functionality and supporting firefighters’ health and safety.
“With the new station, we've got some state-of-the-art design elements that look at functionality, safety, efficiency, includes some features focusing on the health and wellness of crews, updated decontamination areas, living quarters, enhanced training operational spaces, a full gym, and just focusing on allowing our crews to be able to conduct their day-to-day business with efficiency,” Herrington said.
The new facility replaces a less-equipped temporary building previously used by crews in the area and aligns with the department’s broader construction and renovation plan.
“This is going to replace that temporary structure with a permanent facility. It's part of our department's five-year strategic plan of constructing new stations and renovating existing ones. So this is going to help ensure that their new home is going to be able to serve our long-term operational needs,” he said.
Fire Station 7 will house an Advanced Life Support engine, an Advanced Life Support rescue transport unit, a brush truck and a water tanker. Minimum daily staffing will include an engine crew consisting of a lieutenant, engineer and fire medic, along with a rescue crew staffed by a rescue sergeant and fire medic.
Deployment will be coordinated using Automatic Vehicle Location technology integrated with computer-aided dispatch to route the closest available unit in real time.
The project is projected to close at $6,865,961.37, below its original contract value of $7,130,185.74.
Herrington said personnel are expected to begin operating out of the new station shortly after the ceremony.
“We're looking at having all of our personnel up and running out of the station during the first week of March,” he said.
The building is designed to remain operational during severe weather and other emergency events.