Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island

A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.

The new station will rise on the same lot, built from the ground up.

Matthew Davis, Assistant Chief of Fire, said, “There is a lot of rust. There has been limited flooding and, obviously, the winds. But the station was built in 1975, and it’s time for a change.”

The $5 million project promises a concrete building with hurricane-rated windows and a roof.

First, crews must demolish the old structure and elevate the land by three feet to mitigate flooding.

Art Castellanos, the head architect, said, “We’re trying to get the county to approve the grant monies to release them so we can start the bidding process.”

He added, “And also site development permit that we’re waiting from them to get an approval for the new station.”

The district purchased two additional acres around the current location for new features.

“One of the items that we’ve added is a helicopter pad. They didn’t have a helicopter pad to land during the hurricane,” Castellanos said. “It also is going to have an office, a large office, meeting space, 800 square feet, for the public.”

Davis highlighted the toll past hurricanes have taken on the current station.

“We have had you change out the roof of this building over the last two hurricanes, all the installation, all the drop ceilings,” Davis said.

During Hurricane Ian, firefighters faced challenges.

“Especially during Ian, probably four or five, six days straight, we took showers in the pools. We use the water from the trucks to make the toilets work. We had water flown in from the military,” Davis said.