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Editor's note: The following story was submitted by contributing writer Dale Smith:
Photos by Dale Smith
Edgewater Fire Chief stands next to a fire truck that barely fits in the bay of Station 55 on Ridgewood Avenue. A vote Monday by the City Council paves the way for a modern station.
EDGEWATER -- After learning there would be no extension for a federal grant to build a new fire station, the Edgewater City Council on Monday night gave the go-ahead to spend just over $2 million to tear down existing Station 55 on Ridgewood Avenue and replace it with a 21st century 6,000-square-foot facility.
The vote was 4-1 in favor of the project with Councilwoman Debra Rogers dissenting. The council by the same vote also approved borrowing $750,000 to pay for the remaining costs of the project.
The city received a federal grant of $1.14 million a year ago and had 36 months to use the funds before they would lose it.
However, two weeks ago, after some city leaders and taxpayers expressed their concerns over the amount the city would have to kick in to finish the project, Councilman Ted Cooper swayed his colleagues to postpone the vote and requested city staff to ask the feds for an extension past the 36-month timeline. That was eventually denied, leading to Monday's decision.
The current station was built in the 1950s and has outlived its purpose, officials stressed.
Edgewater Fire Chief Steve Cousins said when hurricanes become a threat the station cannot be used as a safe haven because the building, and especially the windows, are not up to code.
"We have to move personnel and equipment to another site (when hurricanes hit)," Cousins said. "With a new station, we can stay where we are and operate as normal."
Another big reason a new station is required is because today's modern fire apparatus is much larger. Fitting those fire and ladder trucks in the old bays is no longer an option.
About the contributing writer:
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Dale Smith is a resident of New Smyrna Beach, who has reported on local news in Volusia County since October 2009. His writing background includes a mix of journalism and public relations in several community newspapers and a p.r. firm in northern Virginia. He attended Barton Academy in Barton, Vt., and the Cambridge (Mass.) School of Broadcasting for radio & TV broadcasting.