In 1968 in Plant City, a state-of-the-art, fully furnished fire station was beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. But as of June 25, that fire station exists: a modern facility that boasts room for two fire teams, a fully equipped kitchen and a safe room for disasters.
The new fire station, Station 25, belongs to the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue department. It is located at 2606 E. Trapnell Road, and is approximately 9,000 square feet.
The facility replaces one of the city’s oldest stations, a 41-year-old building near Coronet Road, across the street from Alan’s Air Conditioning. Even though the new station has all the bells and whistles, no one will forget it was built on the back of two residents’ hard work and determination for a volunteer station over four decades ago.
A FIERY HISTORY
Plant City resident Charlie Bell and his wife, Ruth Bell, were the owners of their own air conditioning company when they witnessed a fire near their place of business in the early 1960s.
At that time, the closest fire rescue team was located in Valrico. It took too long for rescue teams from the Valrico and Brandon areas to arrive at the scene. The building burned down.
That incident gave the Bells the motivation to create a volunteer fire department. They even kept the fire truck in their own backyard, and many of the Bell’s employees worked as volunteer firefighters.
The couple, along with their daughter, Frances Bell Monticello, were present at the uncoupling ceremony of the new Springhead station June 25.
“It’s beautiful,” Ruth Bell said after taking a tour of the new station. “It’s a wonderful place for firemen to have. I’m proud for them. [It feels] wonderful to know time was well spent to build something like this.”
GOLDEN IMPROVEMENTS
The new station is located closer to Plant City residents and features modern amenities. According to Deputy Chief Ron Rogers, the Coronet building was not large enough to hold two rescue teams in the wake of an emergency, such as a natural disaster.
As Plant City annexed closer to the old station, further issues continued to arise.
“That put the station in kind of a bad place geographically,” Rogers said.
Often, the fire trucks and other emergency vehicles would have to take side roads before reaching a main road because of the Coronet station’s location. It is difficult for the vehicles to take these curves fast, which could have delayed the time it took for an engine to get to a location.
The Coronet station, which was further away from residents, was also becoming dilapidated.
“We would have had to tear it down and rebuild it,” Rogers said.
The new station, which cost $2.3 million to build, is on a main road and allows for rescue teams to respond to emergencies faster than ever before.
“We put it where it really needs to be,” Rogers said. “This location will maximize response time.”
The land that the station was built on was also inexpensive — it was sold to the county by the station’s next door neighbor, George Hamilton.
Although Hamilton passed away in November, his wife, Joan Hamilton, says that her husband was the station’s “sidewalk superintendent.” As the new facility was being built, George Hamilton would observe the station’s progress.
“We saw a need for it,” Joan Hamilton said, who is pleased with the proximity of the station to her home. “The other fire house, it was just too small. There are new homes in this area.”
“We can’t stop the growth of our county,” Nacole Revette, a public relations officer for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said. “Every taxpayer from corner to corner will be able to get the same level of service.”
Plant City residents who were concerned about the costs of building a new station were invited to look at the old building. After seeing it, Rogers said, they recognized the need for a newer, better equipped facility.
Many Plant City leaders agreed that a new station was also necessary for the community.
THE CEREMONY
County commissioner Stacy White spoke at the uncoupling ceremony June 25 and also toured the new facility.
“You walk in and aesthetically, it’s a beautiful facility,” White said. “It’s a great facility for public safety.”
Rev. David Jones, of Turkey Creek Baptist Church, agreed.
“I think it’s awesome,” David Jones said. “I’m excited for the community. It appears to me that this one will be able to help more people, more efficiently. If I was the one in need … I would want the best equipment to come and rescue me or my family.”
Hillsborough Fire Chief Dennis Jones is pleased with the open space that the new fire station allows.
“It allows everyone privacy,” Dennis Jones said. “The quarters are much larger, and the station is more comfortable.
“It was just a very small station,” Dennis Jones said of the station at Coronet Road. “We want to provide the fastest response possible.”
“We’ve accomplished the goal of modern living accommodations,” Rogers added. “[The old building] did not have the reserve capacity.”
Residents of Plant City were invited to attend the uncoupling ceremony June 25. Attendees took a tour of the new station, met members of the crew and enjoyed refreshments. They also saw the station’s fire engine, brush truck and tanker truck.
The new station isn’t the only one popping up in Hillsborough County.
Because of the growth and population in other parts of the Tampa Bay area, the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue department is also working on building other stations.
One station will be rebuilt near Armwood High School, and there are plans in the works to build a new station in Fishhawk. The county also has plans to add new fire stations in the Brandon, Riverview and Sundance areas.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com