Long-awaited Bonita Grande fire station opens

Bonita Springs firefighters in Station Four no longer have to spend multiple hours in their fire engine in a quiet parking lot while on 12-hour shifts, or in an unfinished, dark bunker room, both with no bathroom. Last Wednesday Station Four opened the on-duty firefighters' wing of the new headquarters station on Bonita Grande Drive, after long construction delays.

The new facility means great things for residents in the district, firefighters said last week, because now Station Four will bounce back to the normal 24-hour shifts, like the other districts. Because the firefighters work long shifts, a functional station has always been a staple for catching up on sleep during down time, cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner, working out, and filling out reports to send to State Fire Marshal officials.

Last Wednesday the firefighters on shift in Station Four, such as Armand Calzadilla and Rob Schmidt, spent the day moving in new mattresses, bed frames, office furniture, kitchen supplies, and other essentials, and then unpacked the new goods.

"We're thrilled to death today. It's a good day for all the residents in this district," Lt. Don Brazelton said.

In the near future, although no tentative date has been set, the other half of the new headquarters station will open up to house the department's ad ministration, fire prevention, public education and information and training divisions, a press release said. Currently, the headquarters staff is staffed at Station One on Old 41 Road.

According to Debbi Redfield, public information and education specialist, the construction on the new station broke ground on Aug. 22, 2003, after a lengthy permit process.

Right now, the station will house the one fire truck with three to four firefighters, but the new facility has three bays to house up to six fire engines in the future, with room for more firefighters, too.

The Bonita Springs Fire Control and Rescue District has grown over the years, just as the population has increased. According to its Web site, www.bonitafire.org, the department started out as a volunteer unit in 1950 and then changed to an independent taxing district in 1965, giving it property tax dollars to fund the purchase and upkeep of equipment, hiring staff and building stations. In 2003, when the Bonita Springs Fire Control and Rescue District broke ground on Station Four, it had an operating budget of more than $21 million, and is one of the largest in the area.

Photo by LIANE EDIXON, Banner

Armand Calzadilla, left, and Lt. Don Brazelton unpack new kitchen gadgets and gizmos.

The fire district is governed by a five-member board of fire commissioners, who are elected by the public. Fire Chief Dan Gourley, along with other staff, provide services including fire protection, rescue, medical response, fire prevention, and public education and information.

The fire engine at the newly opened Station Four was purchased to cover that district in 2005, but because the station was not complete, the crew began 12-hour shifts in it for the district spending the majority of the shift inside the engine in a parking lot.

For the last four or five months firefighters were able to move their shifts into one room of the new fire station, but still did not have the comfort of beds, bathrooms and a kitchen.

"It's been really grueling for the firefighters who had to pull these shifts," Redfield said.

Lt. Brazelton said: "It was like living in a cave."

Since the firefighters work a 24-hour schedule with 48 hours off, bunk rooms are an essential element of a fire station. The new station has nine individual bunk rooms, so each firefighters has privacy when trying to catch up on sleep. Station Four is the second station in Bonita Springs to have individual rooms.

Photo by LIANE EDIXON, Banner

Rob Schmidt, left, and Armand Calzadilla move new mattresses into the newly opened fire station in District Four last Wednesday.

If firefighters aren't in their room during slow times, they can rest in the day room, which has leather recliner chairs and a television set.

Also, most firefighters work another job because of the one day on, two day off, schedule, so often times they will use slow periods at the station to catch up on any projects they may have.

For meal times, most of the firefighters cook and eat at the station during their 24-hour shift.

A state of the art kitchen with stainless steel appliances and brand new pots, pans, dishware, glassware and utensils was also completed, so the firefighters can eat in the station, instead of eating out three times a day.

According to Redfield, another great aspect of the station is new and matching furniture, kitchen appliances, pots, pans, glassware and weight sets in a large exercise room.

"This building will be occupied 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, forever," Redfield said.

The exercise room has free weights, machines, treadmills and stairclimbers so the firefighters can keep in shape during their shifts.