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County Fire Station Poised For Duty

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By LAURA KINSLER

lkinsler@tampatrib.com

Published: December 11, 2008

ZEPHYRHILLS - In a few days, the American flag will be raised in front of Pasco County's newest fire station. That's how you'll know Station 16 is open for business.

The $1.9 million fire station on State Road 54 is barely two miles from downtown Zephyrhills. But to city residents, it might as well be on the moon.

That's because the city is ending a longstanding contract with Pasco County Fire Rescue in which each agency agreed to respond to emergencies within the other agency's boundaries. But the times the county responded into the city limits were few and far between, said city Fire Chief Keith Williams.

The county paid the city $75,000 to a year as compensation for the city responding to emergencies in unincorporated areas of the county. Williams said the department was losing money under the terms of the agreement. Last month, the city council rejected an offer to renew the contract in March.

The new station, a few miles closer to the city than the current station, hasn't changed anyone's mind about renewing the deal.

"Just because they're closer doesn't mean they would come into the city more," Williams said. "They were not available because of the workload. They still have the same area, they just relocated the station."

Last year, city firefighters made 1,785 service calls to unincorporated Pasco County. By comparison, county firefighters responded to just nine calls inside the city limits.

The new 7,000-square-foot station is about 2½ miles closer to the city than the old station 16 on Chancy Road. Its three bays will hold an engine, brush truck and first responder. The old station will continue to house a volunteer company, but the paid firefighters will relocate.

"This is going to go into Zephyrhills - I can tell you that," said Tom Supeau, administrative chief for Pasco County Fire Rescue. "In some cases, we're going to be closer to some residents in northwest Zephyrhills because we can just shoot right up Dean Dairy Road."

Mike Ciccarello, operations chief for Pasco County Fire Rescue, said the county will respond to city emergencies even if the city allows the mutual aid agreement to sunset in March.

"If they need us to help them or assist them, we'll be there," Ciccarello said.

The contract used to be more lucrative. In 2002, Pasco County paid the city fire department more than $430,000. The payments have shrunk since Pasco expanded its service area around Dade City and Zephyrhills.
Pasco County used to pay Dade City's fire department nearly $600,000 a year to cover the area just outside the city, Ciccarello said. But the county enacted a 10-year plan to provide fire service in the "donut areas" around both Dade City and Zephyrhills.

The county canceled its contract with Dade City in 2003 when it opened the station on Centennial Road between Zephyrhills and Dade City. "When they lost that revenue, they had a hard time finding their own department," Ciccarello said.

The city disbanded its fire department in 2003 and sold its stations and equipment to the county.
Zephyrhills City Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson has said Zephyrhills might be faced with the same dilemma as costs for the fire department spiral upward.

The city will likely have to pay $1 million or more to renovate the downtown fire station, which has been vacant since it was flooded in early February. That's if it can be renovated. Williams is still waiting for an asbestos inspection of the nearly 50-year-old building.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 779-4617.

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