Open House at Station 101

The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District will host an Open House at Station 101 on April 12, 2023, from 5pm-7pm. Members of the public are invited to stop in during that time to visit with the firefighters and learn more about the station and fire safety.

Station 101, originally built in 1977, sustained heavy damage during Hurricane Irma in 2017. The damage rendered the building uninhabitable and firefighters resided in a trailer on the property until the new station, designed and built to meet current building codes for our area, was re-opened in March of 2020. An open house to celebrate the re-opening was canceled in April of 2020 due to the pandemic.

Station 101 was the first station in the district to feature ramp-up alert tones for dispatching. Fire and EMS crews are inundated with stressors to their bodies, many of which are unpreventable. Moving apparatus around in the middle of the night, high-run volume and a very loud alerting system take their toll on our firefighters who are dual-trained as paramedics or EMTs. The lack of adequate rest combined with loud adrenaline-dumping alerting systems can lead to physical and mental depletion by the end of a 24-hour shift. Ramp-up tones gradually increase in volume, which cuts the rapid-heart response to station alarms. Studies have shown this reduces fatigue and potentially long-term negative effects on crew members.

Proper facilities were also designed for firefighters to store their structural firefighting ensemble (commonly referred to as turnout gear) in the apparatus bay, in keeping with National Fire Protection Association standards. There is an increased awareness since this station’s original construction about the connection between firefighting and the increased risk of developing cancer. Multiple studies have found that soiled gear can expose the firefighter to an extremely dangerous cocktail of hazardous chemicals and known carcinogens. This makes it especially important to take steps, such as cleaning gear after every call, to reduce exposure to toxic materials and carcinogens encountered during structural firefighting. The new storage room in the apparatus bay provides a clean-air area to clean and dry gear after a fire. This design is now a feature in all of our new station builds.

We are excited to share Station 101 with the community during our Open House. Members of the public are invited to stop in between 5pm-7pm on Wednesday, April 12. Firefighters will be on hand from 5pm-7pm to talk about the apparatus housed in the station as well as provide tours of the facility.