Hillsborough County Fire Rescue is inviting the community to join a meeting concerning the erection of a new Plant City fire station, which aims to supplant two aging facilities. A 5.9-acre parcel at 2606 W. Sam Allen Rd. is under contemplation, with the county currently in negotiations to acquire the property. The proposed station is set to amalgamate Fire Station No. 26 - Cork/Knights and Fire Station No. 30 - Midway, both structures having been erected in the early 1980s, as per Hillsborough County.
Fire Station No. 26, dating back to 1982, sprawls at 4,900 square feet and includes a two-bay station. Similarly, Fire Station No. 30, established a year prior, occupies 3,400 square feet and, another two-bay facility. Not only are both stations showing their age, but the surrounding areas of the Midway location have seen stark development, spreading into the municipal boundary and annexed by Plant City, potentially affecting response times and service coverage.
In a leap toward modernization, the new station's design features multiple bay stations and includes a suite of health protections for firefighters, such as decontamination rooms with specialized gear and showers that are instrumental in expunging cancer-causing particulars prior to entry into habitable sections of the premises. Individualized sleeping quarters are also part of the blueprint, designed to hinder the spread of airborne diseases among first responders.
Additionally, the station plans to implement cutting-edge dispatch alerting technology. This tech is hoped to facilitate faster response times, integrating digital data displays, countdown timers, and mobile apps in fire vehicles. Such technology is to employ gently escalating alert tones and selective lighting to signal emergencies, a move that could curtail the cardiovascular stress first responders face due to traditional, jarring alerts while at rest or asleep.
Residents interested in learning more about the project can attend the community meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at Bethany Baptist Church, located at 3409 North Cork Rd., Plant City, FL 33565. Direct inquiries can be directed to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue at (813) 272-6600. Further details on the meeting can be found on the Hillsborough County's official newsroom website.
