Monday, November 23, 2009

The Stock Island fire station kitchen where firefighter Jay Rivera was cutting vegetables Friday looks more like a broom closet.

"Things are always cramped, but we make do," Rivera said.

The aging station off MacDonald Avenue is not even big enough to house an ambulance; it's parked outside. The supervisor's bedroom and office is the size of a utility closet. The beds appear to be made for children, and the washroom is really no more than a shed.

Station 8 is a piecemeal assembly and a nod to the ingenuity of the men who work there.

"We use every space," Lt. Gary Burgess said. "When I came to this station six or seven years ago, there wasn't a kitchen or storage area. No washroom, either. We've made some headway, but there's only so much we can do."

Monroe County Fire Rescue Chief Jim Callahan told the County Commission last week that Station 8, which was built in 1978, needs to be replaced.

"It's livable and its up to code, but the building is a dump," Callahan said. "There is a lot of disrepair. We have four firefighters per shift on duty there. Space is a premium there. I need more space."

One of the busiest stations in Monroe County, it responds to about 600 to 700 calls annually, a call volume that makes it a training station for incoming firefighters like Rivera, according to Burgess.

Callahan wants a new building that can house six to seven firefighters and four bays for modern vehicles, a tough proposition where the station is now.

"Now it becomes a question over where to find an affordable piece of property," Callahan said.

Property search

The county has $4.1 million budgeted for the new station, but the projected building costs alone are $3.5 million, Callahan said. That leaves just $600,000 in the budget for land.

A specific parcel has not been found, said Commissioner Kim Wigington, whose district includes Stock Island.

The County Commission earlier this year suggested land it owns at the end of Maloney Avenue.

"The Hickory House location will not work," Callahan said, referring to the name of a vacant restaurant on the parcel. "It's the wrong location and too small. This is all about response times as well. I need to have my guys in an area that will not decrease our response times."

Consolidating new county buildings that are in the works is one option, Wigington said.

The county is considering building a new Emergency Operations center and a new Public Works building. Wigington suggested adding a fire station and using one building for all three applications.

"That may be the way to go," Wigington said. "Why build three when we can build one and make it multifunctional, which would save tax money in the long run. The county is getting bogged down in building maintenance costs."

High priority

Callahan also is pushing for $2.6 million in upgrades to the Conch Key fire station and a new station on Long Key near Layton.

"Both are very expensive propositions," Wigington said, adding that replacing Station 8 is the priority. "I can remember the need for a new station on Stock Island being discussed as far back as 1992."

The county in October unveiled a modern $3.2 million fire station on Big Pine Key, another much needed new station as the stations on Big Pine Key and Stock Island represent most of the call volume, Burgess said.

Fire Station 13 on Key Deer Boulevard replaces a nearly 30-year-old facility known as the Big Pine volunteer station, which lacked housing for full-time firefighters and was ready to be condemned.

The Stock Island station is not far behind, Callahan said.

Yet the county should not rush the process, Wigington said.

"We don't need to be foolish and make quick and wrong decisions," she said referring to new county buildings. "It's a downright shame that the station has been neglected this long. The men who work there need to be commended. They've done a tremendous job."

Firefighters at Station 8 on Friday spoke about their call volume with pride. Rivera said a fellow firefighter named "Moose" for one would appreciate new sleeping quarters.

"His feet hang off the edge of his bed," Rivera said, laughing. "He's like 7 feet tall."

alinhardt@keysnews.com