Volusia County hopeful for new fire station and EOC expansion.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

The Emergency Management and Fire Rescue divisions in Volusia County have collaborated and entered a project proposal to construct a new fire station and expand its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to enhance future capabilities. Both divisions, whose responses were critical during Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, submitted the proposal to the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) for consideration for a Building Resilient Infrastructure Communities (BRIC) award.

According to a release, the BRIC program makes funds available for hazard mitigation associated with climate change (hurricanes) and risk mitigation activities that promote resilience concerning those hazards. The project presented would expand the infrastructure of the EOC by adding a dormitory and flex space with a new fire station constructed nearby at the intersection of Red John and State Road 92. Both additions would double as saferooms that can withstand major hurricane-force winds. Both projects will give critical workforce employees a haven during high-risk incidents (hurricanes) to provide rapid response and recovery efforts immediately afterward.

"The proposed project exhibits our commitment to continuously looking for ways to increase capacity to protect the public in a fiscally-responsible manner," said Emergency Services Department Director Jim Judge. "This project's return on investment will be monumental."

If approved by the FDEM, the proposal will be submitted to FEMA for a competitive selection process in March 2023. The total estimated cost is $24 million, but Volusia County will only be responsible for 25 percent of the project's cost, approximately $6 million.