The sounds of gunfire echoed Wednesday behind Gold Star Family Parkway, site of the future Fire Station 47 as city officials prepared to pave the way for more fire protection for Jacksonville's Northside.
The station is planned next to a barbed wire fence guarding the Jacksonville Youth Academy and police firing range, and across from the Jacksonville National Cemetery. There is not much else next to the dusty site near Lannie Road.
As construction begins on nearby subdivisions on Pecan Park Road, and others rise on Lannie Road, the need will grow for a new fire station, said Jacksonville Fire Operations Division Chief Steve Riska.
"This station, when opened, will significantly reduce property owners' insurance rates in this area," Riska said. "This part of the community is in desperate need of fire rescue services. We are a long way out here; most of you noticed that when you came in this morning. It takes a while to get here. Currently it takes more than 20 minutes for the first arriving JFRD crews to get in this area."
Station 47 will have a fire engine, rescue unit and 2,500-gallon water tanker to fight woods fires where no city hydrants exist, Riska said. Its operation also will improve the current ISO insurance rating, which is Class 10 (lowest) because of the distance to other fire stations, he said. Right now, the closest fire station is No. 33 at 10800 New Kings Road in the Dinsmore community, 12 miles away from the new station's site, Riska said.
"Seconds save lives in our business," Riska said. "And this station is going to save lives in this fast-growing area of Jacksonville."
Wednesday's groundbreaking came only a week after the city's newest station — Station 65 on Bailey Body Road off Arlington Road — officially opened at a cost of $7.5 million. The $7 million Station 47, set to open in about nine months, is the latest in a series of new fire stations opened in growing parts of Jacksonville in the past two years.
A year and a half ago, fire officials opened the $7 million Station 63 on Gate Parkway as well as the new $5.5 million Fire Station 74 at the e-Town Parkway. In late January, ground was broken for a station on Harts Road north of Dunn Avenue area, on the site of a former bank, the ninth fire station started by the city in the past two years.
Station 75 at Wilson Boulevard and Interstate 295 is also in the planning stages. Another groundbreaking is expected soon for Station 76 on the city's Northeast side near Black Hammock Island, fire officials said.
