New fire station in St. Johns County hopes to speed up response times

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — St. Johns County is constantly growing and so is the demand for first responders.

That’s why the county is developing a new fire station in one of the fastest growing areas.

Fire station 19 is being built right near Racetrack Road and Veterans Parkway. SJC Fire and Rescue’s Deputy Chief Jeremy Robshaw said the new station would help speed up responding to calls in the area.

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Robshaw said the plan is to have the project completed in spring of 2020.

“We do have multiple stations that are currently serving that area but as that development has expanded its ground, it’s become more dense from a population standpoint,” Robshaw said.

Robshaw said there are currently four fire stations that respond to calls in this growing area.

That is why it was critical to build something more efficient to fill the gap in the northwest portion of the county to meet the growing demands.

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“As that area continues to grow and has been growing, not only are we seeing call volume increase, but we’re seeing the population increase rapidly,” Robshaw said.

There are hundreds of homes and some commercial properties being built in the area.

Robshaw said the growth strains the existing resources when there’s an emergency.

That’s why people who live nearby like, Paul Middleton, are looking forward to the addition.

“I think that’s a good thing. We can always use more fire and police for sure,” Middleton said.

Construction just started at this site, but it’s expected to be completed by spring of 2020.

Cox Media Group