Palm Bay funds 2 temporary fire stations to accommodate growth

PALM BAY, Fla. - Palm Bay is growing so fast that the city’s Fire Chief, Richard Stover, said they can't keep up. 

"We have response times to Babcock and the parkway of approximately 18 to 20 minutes, and that's if everything's good," he said.

It's been more than two decades since the city expanded its fire stations, but the Palm Bay City Council has voted to fund two temporary stations to accommodate the city's rapid growth over the last four years. Stover told council members that these temporary buildings could be up and running quickly. 

"They're looking at approximately 60 to 90 days they're on our site. When it gets on our site, they go up in the morning, and we should be sleeping in it that night."

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These stations will cost $3.7 million from the city's undesignated fund. They are set to operate in the northwest and southeast parts of the city. Mayor Rob Medina said this would make the city safer.

"This is a way we can move forward and make an effective change today."

City staff said these stations would be wind-rated, fold-out transportable units that could be quickly deployed and relocated as needed. They explained that these temporary stations would include site work, utility connections, and canopies to cover vehicles. 

"They're very good. They're held up with hurricane standards and stuff like that," Stover said.

Along with the temporary stations, the city council also authorized staff to explore debt service funding of up to $40 million for building new permanent fire stations and police substations.