Osceola County has broken ground on its 18th fire station, to be located west of Kissimmee.
Osceola County Fire Rescue & EMS held the groundbreaking ceremony for Fire Station 75 on Wednesday. The station will be located at 7701 Funie Steed Road, just south of U.S. Highway 192, west of Interstate 4.
That area, home to the Margaritaville complex and thousands of vacation homes, had been served by Stations 71, located west of State Road 429, and 72, near Celebration. Station 73 in Reunion also serves the northwestern part of the county. Fire Station 71, to be located on Westside Boulevard, is being built as the new home for Engine 71 and Rescue 71, which are currently in service at a station facility on West U.S. Highway 192.
The construction timeline for stations averages 10 months, Fire Rescue & EMS spokesperson Joshua Holder said, so barring any construction delays the station, which will include new engine and rescue companies, could be ready to go into service in Fall 2025.
The County’s Comprehensive Plan outlines a department-wide response time goal that 70% of calls attain a response time of 8 minutes and 30 seconds or less.
“The resource availability and coverage provided by Station 75 will play a crucial role in meeting that goal,” Holder said.
The ultimate goal, Osceola County Fire Chief Larry Collier said, is to create a strong, unified continuity of coverage across the department’s service area.
“In this part of the County, our chain of services extends from Celebration and Four Corners down to Reunion, through Campbell City, and back up through Poinciana Boulevard and Calypso Cay,” Chief Collier said. “The construction of Station 75 and re-housing of Station 71 will add critical resources and personnel to this area, strengthening our capabilities and increasing our capacity to meet the needs of our community.”
