New Jonesville Fire Station #17 To Be Ready For Operation In March 2009
By Chris Wilson

The new and improved Alachua County Fire Station #17 will be the first to have “green” and energy-saving features. The station, which will replace the current #17 station on C.R. 241 behind the Publix Steeplechase shopping plaza, will be located on C.R. 241, just south of  NW 39th Ave.and just north of the Jonesville Park.
 
Lawmakers and fire department officials held the groundbreaking on the new facility in mid-February and the building is expected to open in February or March 2009.

“This building will serve the needs of the rapidly growing western part of Alachua County, particularly here in Jonesville,”?says Alachua County manager Randall Reid.

The new $2.9-million facility will be constructed by GMC Construction and the building was designed by engineers from CH2M Hill, according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

“We will benefit from building green for a number of reasons,” explains Alachua County facilities manager Charlie Jackson. “It will reduce the electrical costs for the life of the building. It will reduce water consumption in the building. We will have solar (power), to help reduce the costs of heating and cooling the building.”

The current Fire Station #17, which was constructed as a temporary facility in 1986, is approximately 1,400 square feet and it is a metal building. The new station will be approximately 6,000 square feet and will feature more living space for firefighters, more office space and additional space for storage of equipment.

When the original facility was constructed in 1986, it featured one fire truck. The county later added an Advanced Life Support unit to the facility.

Jackson says the building will be constructed to withstand disasters, such as hurricanes and tornadoes, and it will be equipped with its own generator. The current Fire Station #17 has to be evacuated and equipment has to be moved during such natural instances.

The Board of County Commissioners will decide what to do with the current Fire Station #17 when the time comes. “The staff is going to recommend that we look at other potential uses for that facility that would benefit the community,” says Jackson. “We have had some input from people about how that particular facility can be utilized. The sheriff may have some need to have some presence out in this area. There are other needs for a tax collector or property appraiser (office), too.”

Alachua County Fire Chief Will May says the service the station provides to the Jonesville area will not change with the new station. “We’ll have the same personnel, the same equipment,”?says May. “This will provide the long term base for emergency response for fires, medical emergencies, natural disasters or any kind of accident for 25 or 30 years.”

May says the Jonesville fire station is the primary response from NW 98th St. west to about halfway to Newberry, north to Millhopper Rd. and south to SW 46th Ave.The unit overlaps slightly in its service area with both the Fort Clarke Blvd. station or the Newberry department if there is a need for a two engine response.

May says another advantage the new building will provide is more protection for the fire trucks and equipment. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of equipment we have that sits outside (at the current station),”?he explains. “You keep it normally for 14 or 15 years. But, because it’s been weathered, we have to replace it in nine years.”

The new facility also is expected to be more comfortable for the firefighters. The current station has five bunks in a room that was designed for four. The new building will have room for up to twelve bunks. The current station also has one shower room facility, while the new one will have separate men’s and women’s locker rooms.