Lake Wales Moving Forward With Plans for New Fire Stations

The City of Lake Wales is moving forward with the expansion of the city's fire department after city commission approval of design work for a third station planned for Hunt Brothers Road.

A five acre site at the southeast corner of South Ninth Street (Nest Egg Road) was purchased at a cost of $300,000 in November after a search in that area turned up no other site that was both appropriate and available. Fire Department Chief Joe Jenkins told the commission at that time that the site "will improve our response time."

Courtesy Lake Wales Fire Department

This shiny new truck is the city's newest fire-fighting vehicle. Plans call for the construction of a new fire station on the city's south side, and eventual addition of a fourth on the northeast side of town.

"We didn't just close our eyes and point at the map," Jenkins said. He explained that station locations are critical to meet the department's goal of less than five-minute response times, which he said the department meets "90 percent of the time."

Last week the city commission approved $246,000 contract with Parlier Architects for the design of the new station, which will be a prototype for future stations as a fourth station is eventually expected to be needed on the city's near northeast side.

The commission also approved a $71,910 contract with Colliers Project Leaders to manage the design phase of the project.

"We plan to have a fire station within five miles of most locations within the city limits," Jenkins said. The new design will be a prototype for future fire stations, streamlining the development.

Courtesy Lake Wales Fire Department

Some of the officers and men of the Lake Wales Fire Department posed recently with their newest truck. The city currently maintains two fire stations and will soon add a third.

Station Two, located at 600 Chalet Suzanne Road, is being expanded to accommodate more staff. Renovations at the northern station include expanding the dayroom, adding sleeping quarters and two new bathrooms.

The department recently received three new vehicles to become more responsive to emergencies, including a 2024 Pierce Saber Fire Engine, labeled 'Engine 2.' The other new vehicles are a 2024 Ford F-150 command vehicle and a 2024 Kawasaki Mule Pro DXT.