DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A new fire station will soon be built in Daytona Beach to meet modern standards and better serve the community.
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The current building on Beach Street, situated along the Halifax River, is almost 100 years old.
Chief Dru Driscoll said the location is no longer ideal, adding that the station has had to be evacuated several times due to flooding. The current facility is too small, and the doors don’t fit modern-day fire trucks.
To help, the state has given the city a $10 million grant for a new station to be built on Ridgewood Avenue. It will be 31,000 square feet compared to the current 8,000 square feet. It will have a community center and museum.
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Driscoll said it will also address a great need for firefighters, keeping them comfortable away from home.
“The new facility includes a lot of elements that deal with firefighter health and safety, and mental health is a big challenge in the fire service, so I think they’re going to enjoy the new accommodations,” said Driscoll.
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The city hopes to lease the historic station building to a business, but no final decisions have been made.
Crews will break ground on the new Ridgewood
Avenue location in December with the goal of getting it completed by 2026.
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