Tampa Opens First New Fire Station Since 80s

Tampa Fire Rescue broke ground Monday on Fire Station 24, the city's first new fire station equipped with suppression apparatus built within city limits since the 1980s. The 17,000-square-foot facility at 4902 E. Whiteway Dr. in the Terrace Park neighborhood will include four apparatus bays, modern living quarters, administrative offices and a training tower.

City officials stated the station's design will improve response times by facilitating quicker movement for emergency personnel. The new station aims to alleviate pressure on Fire Station 13, a critical hub for the Busch Gardens and Fowler Avenue areas that has operated as one of the city's busiest since about 2020.

Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera noted Fire Station 13's historical workload, stating it once handled about one in seven calls for Tampa Fire Rescue. The strain on Station 13 was evident when a crew from the new Station 24 temporarily operated out of it, doubling up in space not designed for two teams.

Nick Stocco, president of Tampa Firefighters Local 754, said the gap between the city's population growth and its fire rescue infrastructure strains residents and first responders. "The city proper hasn’t had an additional fire station with suppression apparatus since the 1980s," Stocco said. The new station "will provide better service for the residents as well as the guests for the city of Tampa and in this area."

Engineered for resilience, the station features reinforced concrete exterior walls, impact-rated openings and emergency systems designed to withstand hurricane-force winds. The structure also sits above the 100-year flood plain.

Tampa Fire Rescue has hired 239 new firefighters since 2021 and added seven new engines and 18 new rescue units to its fleet since 2020. Construction is expected to finish in fall 2027.