Florida Construction News staff writer
City officials have joined Orlando firefighters to officially open “The Beast of the East” – the new Orlando Fire Department Station 11.
The 15,125-sq. ft. station, at the corner of Curry Ford Road and Gaston Foster Road, provides Dover Shores and the surrounding neighborhoods with a modern facility, equipped with the latest in technology and space to accommodate multiple, specialized units and equipment.
A mural painted on the station, “Meanwhile at Fire Station 11,” depicts the courage and selflessness of firefighters and EMTs.
Fire Station 11 is the second station built by H.J. High under a contract for three stations awarded in 2017. Architects Design Group designed the stations.
The first station built Was Fire Station 9. The second station was 11 which will be followed by Fire Station 6.
The replacement Station 11 will accommodate 33 firefighters, house four bays, four units – an Engine, a Tower, a Rescue and a District Chief – and is designed to enhance operations while providing top-rated service, functionality and rapid response times to the community it serves. The state-of-the-art facility also further promotes firefighter health and safety and inclusiveness with features, including:
- Individual crew bunk rooms and restrooms to accommodate and promote diversity in the workplace
- A decontamination room with a shower and two airlocks with pressurization to further keep potential carcinogens out of living quarters
- Sleeping quarters and active crew quarters
