APOLLO BEACH, Fla. — Hillsborough County officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday for Fire Station 29 in Apollo Beach. The new building is replacing a smaller and outdated station.
Rob Herrin with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue says they first started to use the new facility during Hurricane Ian. He says quick access to U.S. 41 has helped to improve response time.
The new station is 10,000 square feet and holds a tanker truck that can deliver 3,ooo gallons of water. It is also the home of the county’s marine rescue crew. Fire Boat 29, used for water emergencies, can spray up to 3,500 gallons of seawater a minute.
Herrin says the station also includes new health and safety features.
“There’s a decontamination station that they can use to take shower and rinse off before they bring any of those carcinogenic things they may encounter during a structure fire into the station,” he explained.
County officials say the price of the new station was around 4.7 million dollars.