ReportWire

Tag: Hits The Road

  • New Seminole County fire station will serve 32771 ZIP code

    New Seminole County fire station will serve 32771 ZIP code

    [ad_1]

    SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A new fire station under construction in the Heathrow and Paola area of northwest Seminole County is on schedule for a fall 2024 opening.

    County officials say it will reduce response times in the area while relieving the call volume of neighboring fire stations.

    “It’s very exciting. This is a state-of-the-art fire station,” Seminole County Fire Chief Matt Kinley told News 6. “This will provide (our crews) with the facilities to not only be comfortable, but respond quickly.”

    Seminole County leaders were talking about the need for a new fire station more than 23 years ago when Kinley began his career here as a firefighter and paramedic at Station 34, which currently serves the area. It is located near the intersection of Interstate 4 and State Road 46.

    “Station 34 is maxed out,” Kinley said. “In just in the past decade, their call load has increased 53%.”

    The new fire station, which is being built on First Street near Orange Boulevard, will be responsible for handling some of the 5,200 calls annually that are currently received by Station 34 while also alleviating call volume loads from three other nearby fire stations in Sanford, Lake Mary and unincorporated Seminole County.

    Current fire station service areas surrounding site of Station 39. (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.)

    [EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

    Upcoming fire station service areas following the completion of Station 39. (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.)

    “The addition of this station is going to decrease response times by two minutes or greater in some of the area, and by a minute in most of the area,” Kinley said. “The quicker that we put water on a fire, the quicker it goes out (…) The quicker we get to somebody who’s not breathing, or whose heart is not beating, the higher chance we have to save their life.”

    At 13,356 square feet with four apparatus bays, Station 39 will be Seminole County’s largest fire station.

    The $10.7 million station will house a truck with a 100-foot-tall “aerial tower” capable of responding to tall apartment buildings that have recently been built in the area.

    The fire station backs up to the Seminole Wekiva Trail, making it easier for emergency crews using a utility vehicle to access hikers and cyclists.

    “We were approved a couple of years ago for the 30 personnel that it takes to open a station of this size with this apparatus,” Kinley said. “We’ve already begun hiring those people so that we have trained people on staff by the time this opens in fall 2024.”

    Jeff Atchison, who lives in the 32771 zip code, contacted News 6 with questions about the new fire station as part of “WKMG Hits The Road.”

    “I was a former Jacksonville Fire Rescue volunteer, so I appreciate it,” Atchison said. “This is going to be a big help with the 429 (Expressway) extension and the new construction that’s going in.”

    Atchison said he has been informed by his property insurance company that his premium will drop slightly when the new fire station opens a few blocks from his home.

    He is also comforted knowing first responders will likely get to his home faster if there were to be an emergency.

    “I’m impressed,” Atchison told News 6. “I really appreciate you looking into this story for me.”

    [Tell WKMG what everyone should know about Sanford, Midway and Heathrow, 32771 ZIP code]

    Come join News 6 on Wednesday, April 10, from 4-7 p.m. at Hollerbach’s German Restaurant for a live broadcast of the stories you told us you wanted covered.

    Hits The Road, 32771 (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.)

    The stories you told us you wanted us to focus on range from the city’s rich history, to the impact of the area’s rapid growth, the rising cost of living and the hot spots everyone should know about in Seminole County.

    We will also be talking to local leaders and highlighting the everyday heroes who make this community so unique.

    Learn more about this free family-friendly event by clicking here.

    Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily:

    Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.

    [ad_2]

    Mike DeForest

    Source link

  • ‘Community, diversity’ ingredients for neighborly population in this Central Florida area

    ‘Community, diversity’ ingredients for neighborly population in this Central Florida area

    [ad_1]

    ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – WKMG Hits The Road. It’s all part of a new initiative where WKMG highlights different communities within Central Florida.

    The initiative kicked off in the 32825 zip code. News 6 anchor and Insider Guide Crystal Moyer wasn’t too familiar with east Orange County as she drove around and spoke with residents about what makes the area special.

    State Road 417 and State Road 408 cut through the 32825 zip code. Right off the highway stables with horses can be seen, so Crystal pulled up to AAA Equestrian, built and run by head horse trainer Adalyn Garcia and her family. AAA named after mom, Anna and her two daughters, Adalyn and Adrianna.

    “All of our staff are women and I love that it shows strength,” Adalyn said.

    AAA Equestrian offers lessons, pony parties, boarding, trail rides and more.

    “This area, it’s extremely different from the beach or the amusement parks, which we’re known for, so it is really calming to be able to help my clients relax and escape for an hour or two,” Adalyn said.

    Adalyn’s family is Cuban and she said the diversity makes the 32825 area special.

    “We became so diverse that now this neighborhood has become a melting pot which is awesome,” Adalyn said.

    “The 32825 isn’t all rural, this is just a rural part of the zip code. It’s very residential. A lot of people come here and say ‘I never knew this was back here, it’s so beautiful.’ It’s a slice of heaven away from the rest of the city,” Adalyn said.

    Crystal then drove to one of the plazas in east Orange County to speak with residents about what they like about the area.

    Crystal met Marzean Hatcher, a 50-year resident of the area. She says it’s grown a lot.

    “It used to be 32817 zip code, but they changed it as it grew,” Marzean said. “This [plaza] didn’t used to be here when I moved here. We didn’t have a grocery store nearby. We had to go down State Road 436 to get to a grocery store.”

    Marzean said the area is quiet and that’s why she likes to live there.

    Keep in mind, the 32825 area is in close proximity to the Orlando International Airport so it’s common to see — and hear — planes flying overhead.

    Another neighbor, Sabrina described the area as “neighborly.”

    Josue Gimbernard grew up in the area and described it as “beautiful, accessible and fun.”

    So where do neighbors hang out in the 32825? Many recommended Don Julio.

    It’s a Mexican restaurant in a plaza off Chickasaw Trail. That’s where Crystal met Alberto Echeverri, who brought his family and friends for lunch.

    “The music, the ambiance. You can see everyone get up and start dancing,” Alberto said.

    Alberto also said it’s the diversity that makes the 32825 so special.

    “It’s one of the few areas that’s predominately Hispanic. It’s very welcoming. The neighbors are friendly and you’ll spot people outside walking and hanging out and they’ll talk to you. It’s not like other neighborhoods where people don’t know each other and no one hangs out outside,” Alberto said.

    East Orange County is also home to Valencia College East Campus serving 21,000 students each year.

    47-acre Downey Park off Flowers Avenue offers a variety of recreational activities and a popular dog park.

    And we can’t forget the historic Rio Pinar Golf Course & Country Club that has hosted champions and is now aimed at attracting families across the community in east Orange County.

    As part of WKMG Hits The Road, News 6 will be broadcasting live from Rio Pinar on Wednesday, March 6, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The public is welcome to visit and meet News 6 anchors and investigative reporters during the event.

    You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below:

    Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.

    [ad_2]

    Crystal Moyer

    Source link