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The Villages
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Firefighting resources to be adjusted to meet demands of Villages of Southern Oaks

Sumter County plans to adjust firefighter resources to meet the demands of the massive Villages of Southern Oaks development south of State Road 44.

The county also plans to accelerate construction of a fire station near State Road 44 and the Florida Turnpike to prepare for a state program to stockpile fuel for emergencies like Hurricane Irma.

County Administrator Bradley Arnold discussed the plans Tuesday at a workshop meeting of the Sumter County Board of Commissioners.

The county operates two networks of fire stations, one serving The Villages and the other serving the rest of the county.

“From the county’s perspective, we do view them as one fire service,” Arnold said.

Station 33, south of the turnpike along U.S. 301, has been staffed by both county and Villages firefighters to protect both the Village of Fenney and other nearby county areas.

Beginning in July, Arnold said, the station will be transferred to The Villages to also provide coverage for the Village of Southern Oaks.

County firefighters will be reassigned to fill in at other stations and eventually staff the new station in a county industrial park near SR 44 and Interstate 75.

Arnold said the cost of the new station will be piggy-backed on borrowing for a jail expansion project so it can be built sooner.

In January, a state report on the response to Hurricane Irma suggested that the state stockpile fuel near Wildwood for future emergencies to increase availability. The new station makes the site more attractive for the fuel depot, Arnold said.

“The industrial park meets the criteria for that location,” he said. “I’m to make sure from the local standpoint that we are well prepared.”

Commissioner Doug Gilpin said the fuel depot could involve a public-private partnership and will enhance development of the industrial park.

“I’m excited about the possibility,” he said. “That’ll be a major growth area at some point.”

Arnold also said the county is looking at establishing a training facility for firefighters and sheriff’s deputies. Two potential sites for the facility are on the Sumter State College campus or near the courthouse in Bushnell.

The county administrator also presented statistics as part of an annual report on the fire service.

Annual calls for service rose about 5 percent to 10,144 in fiscal year 2017, according to the report. Response times rose slightly to 12:45 minutes in rural areas and 8:15 minutes in urban areas.

Participation in the Pulsepoint program of defibrillators rose 39 percent, the report said.

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