Oldest station's demolition marks new chapter for West Manatee Fire Rescue

MANATEE -- West Manatee Fire Rescue's oldest station in Bradenton will be closed Thursday ahead of a planned Nov. 17 demolition, to be followed by construction of a new 9,000-square-foot building.

According to Chief Tom Sousa, the $2.8 million project centered on Fire Station No. 4 at 407 67th St. W., Bradenton, has been in the works for almost two years.

"We finally are getting to where we're actually going to start constructing the building," he said. "It'll be a great improvement for the community. It's going to be a Category 4 structure, which will allow it to be hurricane proof for up to 165-mph winds."

Firefighters at the station have been moving belongings out all week into the agency's administration building at 6417 Third Ave. W., Bradenton, on a temporary basis. Sousa said rooms there will be designated for the station's crew, which is comprised daily of up to four firefighters and two emergency medical services paramedics.

The station is expected to close for good Thursday evening.

"We just wanted the public to know that if for some reason -- because everybody knows that station's been there so long -- they come to get their blood pressure taken or might be having a medical emergency, we just want to make sure that they know that we're not going to be there," the fire chief said.

Sousa said a sign will be posted on the door Thursday letting the public know the station is closed. After the building is demolished, Sousa said construction will begin and take up to nine months.

"It's going to be large enough to house all of our fleet, as far as the Holmes Beach station one by City Hall, in a hurricane," Sousa said. "The design is set so we can have enough room to bring that fire engine during a hurricane and put it inside the building."

West Manatee Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Rich Jasinski, with the agency for 25 years, described the project as a huge step forward.

"We're getting into a facility that will be able to withstand hurricane winds and house all of our vehicles in case of a major storm," he said. "The guys are looking forward to it."

Jasinski said he was looking at old slides recently of when the old station was new -- photos of firefighters moving into the building and of the fire apparatus and equipment used at the time. It was a different building, he said.

West Manatee Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Christopher Kiernan, the project manager, said the new building will have three bays to be able to fit in more equipment and be more energy efficient because more windows will let natural light in.

"I'm excited about it," he said. "There's a lot of history there that's going to be going away, but it's much needed."

Amaris Castillo, law enforcement/island reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7051. Follow her on Twitter@AmarisCastillo.

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Oldest station's demolition marks new chapter for West Manatee Fire Rescue ."