The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department continues to add stations and service as officials celebrated the grand opening of Fire Station 61 on Friday.
Assistant Chief Teresa Kinstle said the opening "marks a special occasion not only for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, but also for the city of Jacksonville."
Station 61 had its groundbreaking in June, three days after the ribbon-cutting of Fire Station 73 on Aviation Avenue in Cecil Commerce Center. In September the department also opened a temporary home for Fire Station 63 on Gate Parkway near the St. Johns Town Center.
The newest station is at Old Middleburg and Collins roads and will serve the Argyle and Oakleaf communities.
New fire stations usually cost about $3.25 million, but the city already owned the land for Station 61, officials previously said.
"This station is now going to serve over 200 businesses, 14,300 homes and four schools," Chief Keith Powers said.
With about 9,300 square feet, the new station features the latest technology for diesel exhaust extractors that remove any exhaust that leaks from fire trucks. This is important for any fire station because the exhaust has been linked to cancer-related illnesses in firefighters.
The station also installed new gas appliances and an independent generator crucial to keeping the fire station operating during a major power outage.
Before the opening, crews operated out of Station 52 on Collins Road.
"We began operating Station 61 out of a fire station right down the road," Powers said. "We saw the average response times of this area reduce from about 9 minutes to about 4½ minutes."
Powers has served with the fire department for over two decades. After recently serving as interim director and fire chief, Mayor Lenny Curry appointed Powers to the permanent position In November.
Curry led the ribbon-cutting at the ceremony and spoke on the future of the station.
"As I was thinking about this building and what will happen in the years ahead, bonds will be built here and memories and lives will be saved as a result of the work out of this building," Curry said.
The new station will also help homeowners and businesses save money on their property insurance.
Powers said about 5,700 homeowners and 100 businesses are within 5 miles of the fire station, qualifying for the rate reduction.
The station will serve as Jacksonville's 58th fire station.
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