ROSELAND — Firefighters from the Sebastian are busy packing up their old FEMA trailer that served as a fire station since 2004 and moving into their new fire house in Roseland. They expect to be fully moved in before Monday.
The $2.1 million fire station is located on Roseland Boulevard, about one mile north of the city.
Fire Station No. 9 had to be rebuilt after the hurricanes of 2004, according to Ed Prime, assistant chief in support services for Indian River County Fire Rescue. In the last six months, the station has responded to 1,026 calls for service, according to Fire Rescue. “The hurricanes were a mixed blessing,” Prime told VeroNews.com earlier this month, adding that many of the stations were two decades old or older and had been built for fewer firefighters and smaller engines.
Fire Rescue officials found nine potential sites in and around the city to replace Station No. 9. Prime said that unlike the four other stations the department replaced, the Sebastian station’s property was too small for the new prototype station.
Prime said that the new station will continue to serve the same area it had served at its U.S. 1 location. The response time to the south end of the city might be extended by a minute or two, depending on traffic conditions, the chief said.
The station will be able to withstand wind speeds up to 150 mph — which are associated with Category 4 hurricanes — and will be self-sufficient for a week to 10 days with a gas-powered generator.
The original station was the Sebastian Volunteer Station and had been a 2-story structure on a sand ridge along U.S. 1. The county purchased the building from the volunteers and retrofitted it to accommodate 24-7 staffing.
The new station will have a 5-member crew at all times rotating on three shifts – for a total of 15 firefighters, paramedics and lieutenants.
