OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A new fire station planned for Buenaventura Lakes in Osceola County is expected to improve public safety and create additional recreational opportunities for residents, Osceola County officials said.
“Public safety is always our top priority. Osceola County cares about its residents and wants to protect them. A new station is overdue for our community and for our firefighters,” said Commissioner Viviana Janer, whose district includes BVL. “Ultimately, the new station is the most cost-effective way to make the community safer.”
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The existing fire station will move to the corner of Buenaventura Lakes Boulevard and Royal Palm Drive, which is about one-third of a mile away, officials said. It will be on about three acres on the eastern edge of the 65th Infantry Veterans Park.
"This is a small footprint -- and the rest of the park’s 31.33 acres will not be impacted," officials said.
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Officials also said the county plans to add amenities to the park, including two new picnic shelters, domino tables, sidewalks and an area for military memorials.
“These improvements will be beneficial to those who use the park and will allow us to enhance the way we honor members of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Borinqueneers,” Janer said.
The station will also feature something new for community members to use. Officials said they plan to include a community room for small meetings inside of it.
County officials said they're studying the best way recreational uses for the old station's site.
With the existing station having been built over thirty years ago, officials said it pre-dates today’s full-time professional firefighting service. Most significantly, they said firefighters are forced to evacuate during times when community members need them most because the station's current wood-framed structure cannot withstand severe weather.
Officials said there are also some issues with the station's current location that cannot be fixed. They said the fact that the station is so close to the road makes it difficult for trucks to pull out, and that there is no safe way for engines and rescues to exit in both directions.
"Today’s vision is very different. At more than 12,000 square feet, the new station will be about 3,000 square feet larger and will feature a four-bay design and be able to sustain winds of up to 150 mph when it opens in early 2018," officials said. "As the second station to use the department’s new prototype design, the station will be environmentally friendly -- with paint that has zero volatile organic compounds and lighting provided by energy-efficient LED lights."