St. Cloud city, fire and building officials marked the ceremonial groundbreaking of Station 35 Tuesday. (Photo/St. Cloud Fire Rescue)
Residents in areas west of St. Cloud in places like Tohoqua, Kings Crest and Kindred and the coming residents of building neighborhoods like Edgewater and Whaley Platt along Kissimmee Park Road will have a closer fire station for responder protection.
The St. Cloud Fire Rescue Department held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday to mark the start of construction of the $11 million Fire Station 35, which will be located at the corner of Breezewood Street and Neptune Road, just west of the entrance to the growing community of Tohoqua. The station's location makes it ideal for providing service to thousands of new residents in planned communities west of the Turnpike.
Construction is expected to take approximately 14 months, city and fire officials said.
"This has been years in the making," SCFR Chief Jason Miller said. "It's a great occasion for the St. Cloud Fire Department to grow again.
"New fire stations are investments made for the health and well-being of our residents and help ensure our communities are safe." said Fire Chief Jason Miller. "This station also will provide our firefighters with the safe, functional, and healthy workplace they deserve."
Station 35 will be staffed by an engine and a rescue, with room to expand in the future. The station's design features three bays for fire rescue equipment and living quarters for firefighters who work 24-hour shifts.
St. Cloud Mayor Chris Robertson said the new station will bring relief to a department that "has the whole community on its mind."
"They go to sleep thinking about the safety of its citizens," he said. "As our community continues to grow and we annex new subdivisions in, we want the people in them to know our services will be top-notch and we'll continue to protect them.
