- November 22, 2024
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The Palm Coast Fire Department, City Council and city staff at the Fire Station 26 groundbreaking. Courtesy of the PCFD
Members of the Palm Coast Fire Department. Courtesy of the PCFD
Palm Coast City Council and members of the fire department break ground on the new Fire Station 26 project. Courtesy of the PCFD
Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill. Courtesy of Palm Coast
Fire Station 26's new logo. Courtesy of Palm Coast
Palm Coast broke ground on its first new fire station in nearly two decades, and it is already predicted to be the city’s third busiest station.
“When our citizens see this station, what they should think about is that the firefighters want to put them before us,” Palm Coast Fire Department Chief Kyle Berryhill said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “That's what we're about. That's what we're here to do, and we're so grateful for their trust.”
The new station will be located at 72 Airport Commerce Center Way and dedicated to the Seminole Woods and Quail Hollow areas. The station will serve approximately 7,000 households and respond to almost 3,000 calls for service annually, according to a Palm Coast press release.
The Seminole Woods and Quail Hollow neighborhoods are currently served by PCFD Engine 29, which is housed at Flagler County Fire Rescue’s Fire Station 92 on Airport Road. Response times in those area range between 7-15 minutes; when the new station is operational, that will dramatically reduce to 6 minutes or less for over 90% of the area, the press release said.
“That's more than just numbers,” Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin said. “It's about ensuring that every family, every home, every individual in these neighborhoods, has the peace of mind knowing that help is always close by when it is needed most.”
Berryhill said the most important part of celebrating the new fire station is in celebrating Palm Coast’s citizens and the trust they have placed in the Palm Coast Fire Department.
“We are so grateful for their trust,” Berryhill said. “And it's our duty to honor it.”
Palm Coast’s City Council, alongside members of the fire department and city staff broke ground on the construction at the Oct. 24 ceremony. The station will be built by construction firm Wharton & Schultz.
Fire Station has been in the works for over two years, alongside the replacement Fire Station 22, which will be built at 350 Palm Coast Parkway NE, a third of a mile east of the current historic Fire Station 22, the city’s first fire station.
Fire Station 26 is more than just a building. It represents our commitment to the safety and well-being of this community."
— DAVID ALFIN, Palm Coast mayor
Fire Station 26 will be 10,000 square feet in size and include living quarters and will have a six-bay apparatus bay, the press release said. Once operational, it will be staffed by three full-time firefighters, providing Advanced Life Support medical care, and have the capacity to house two additional full-time firefighters from Flagler County Fire Rescue on an ALS transport unit.
It will cost almost $10.5 million to build and take around 12 months to complete, the press release said. The station is paid for by fire impact fees and a $5 million state appropriations, Alfin said.
The PCFD originated in 1973 as the Palm Coast Volunteer Fire Department, with just 36 members. Now, the PCFD handles over 13,000 calls per year.
Alfin said the new fire station will position the city and fire department to provide “the highest level of fire protection to our community.”
“Fire Station 26 is more than just a building,” he said. “It represents our commitment to the safety and well-being of this community.”
