The morning belonged to Winter Haven’s finest firefighters as the City dedicated the new $5 million Fire Station #1 at the intersection of Avenue G and Third Street SW. The 22,000 sq. ft. facility is in the process of seeking certifications as a Gold “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED) building. A Gold certified building chalks up savings of $71.31 per sq. ft. or an annual savings of $1.5 million. And as Chamber President Howard King noted in his remarks, “That’s good for you and me and all who are served by our brave and dedicated firefighters.”
The dedication ceremonies were brief and impressive featuring the ceremonial flag transfer from the old location to the new escorted by the Tampa Pipe and Drum corp and members of the WHFD pictured above. The event was capped with the “Ribbon Cutting” performed by Ladder Truck 1 as it drove through the appropriately chosen “green” ribbon.
What a moving ceremony with the culmination of a tour of this incredible facility. My hat’s off to Tony Jackson on the great job in orchestrating this mornings event and to all who were a part of making this dream a reality.