INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A new fire rescue station that will allow for quicker and more efficient response times to emergencies along the State Road 60 corridor and Interstate 95, opened Friday. The new complex is the 15th fire rescue facility to operate in Indian River County, officials said. "This was a cow pasture before. Half of the cost was putting in paved roads because there was no infrastructure here," said David Johnson, director of the department of emergency services for Indian River County. "We had to put in roads, electricity, water and sewer." Crowds gathered at the $7.3 million facility at 1:30 p.m. Friday at 9700 26th Place in southern Fellsmere for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Dignitaries made remarks and attendees enjoyed ice cream and tours inside the building. The facility is about 20 miles from Florida's Turnpike, less than a mile from Interstate 95, and five miles from 58th Avenue, Johnson said. <em>Video by Nick Samuel</em> [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://veronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/bdf1f39f-2304-45dd-ae9b-0e476923ed3c.mp4"][/video] The 9,035 square-foot complex will also provide a more efficient work space for the fire rescue unit, according to officials. The crew was previously working out of a portable trailer along 90th Avenue, which Johnson described as a very tight and cramped space. "This will help us just by (improving) the attitude of our crews...the enthusiasm," Johnson said. Fire Rescue Station 7 has an advanced life support engine, advanced life support rescue transport unit, a brush truck along with a tanker truck. "It's a three-bay station. At the maximum we can put six trucks in here if we have to," Johnson said. The station has amenities including a decontamination room, a state-of-the art gym and a gear locker room. On the opposite side, the station has a kitchen, bathrooms, showers, dorm rooms and more. Fire Rescue Station 7 will have 15 firefighters total, with five people working each shift, according to Johnson. The unit consists of the engine crew, which includes the lieutenant, engineer and fire medic. The unit also has the rescue crew, which has the rescue sergeant and fire medic. Johnson said the crew will serve the southwest zone, but the crew could be dispatched anywhere in the county. <span style="font-weight: 400;">"Deployment </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">coordinated </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">through </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Automatic </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vehicle </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Location </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">technology </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">integrated </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">with </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Computer</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aided </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dispatch </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">to </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ensure </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">efficien</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">t</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">real</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">time </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">routing </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">of </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">closest </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">available </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">unit," fire rescue officials said in a statement.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> "</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">station </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">is </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">built </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">to </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">sustain </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">operations </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">during </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">severe </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">weather </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">and </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">emergency </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">events</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">strengthening </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">the c</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ounty's </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">long</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">term </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">public </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">safety </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">readiness." </span> [gallery ids="229241,229242,229243,229244,229245,229246,229247,229248,229249,229250,229251,229252,229254,229256,229257,229258,229259,229260,229261,229262,229263,229264,229265,229266"]