But inside, up to 10 firefighters work and sleep in cramped quarters during any given shift at the station just a few blocks from the intersection of 40th Avenue and Pembroke Park Road. And after years of waiting for an upgrade, Pembroke Park officials and fire union members say they've had it with what they deem poor working conditions for a station that serves about 50,000 residents including four neighborhoods poised to become Broward County's 31st city.
"We have been patient," said Pembroke Park town manager Bob Levy. "Now, we are tired of it."
About 35 firefighters work at the station on round-the-clock shifts. While the station has a large living room and kitchen, the two bedrooms resemble college dorms, each about 10-foot by 10-foot. Four years ago, officials from Pembroke Park and Broward County agreed to set aside $1.5 million to build a state-of-the-art fire station. But over time, plans changed and the project stalled.
Pembroke Park eventually contracted with Broward County Fire Rescue and the town's firefighters moved into the Blatch station until the new station could be built. Then in late 2003, fire rescue merged with the Sheriff's Office and temporary became permanent.
Area firefighters and local officials have expressed their concerns about the crowded workspace.
In a May 27 letter to Broward County Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin, Pembroke Park officials complained about the project's delay and the reduction in funds set aside for the new station -- from $1.5 million to $840,000.
"Our mistake was not putting a timetable in the contract with a penalty clause," they wrote. "Rest assured we are not signing any new contract with Broward County or the Sheriff's office until this issue is resolved."
Officials also pointed out that other Broward fire stations are much larger. The new Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue station, set to open next week, has three floors and ample space for 21 firefighters at a time.
Wasserman-Rubin said the letter's tone surprised her. She plans to meet with everyone involved to figure out how things got to this point.
"We all have a different perspective on what's going on," she said. "I want to know what happened, how we got to this point."
Because firefighters belong to a union, many said they didn't want to speak publicly. But during a recent Pembroke Park town meeting, fire captain Bobby Sadahla pleaded with commissioners to get the station updated.
"That fire station is a good 20 years old," said Joe Benavides, president of the Broward County Council of Professional Firefighters. "It's not modernized. There is not a lot of personal space."
Benavides said he hopes the County Commission will vote on a budget and start the station renovation soon.
"Bottom line is, you would not want to live there, you should not expect others to live here," Benavides said.
Still, Levy and town officials said the county has made many decisions regarding the fire station without including them.
"I normally don't get that way," said an agitated Levy. "But those people are living under horrific conditions."
