City of Fort Meade Press Release
City of Fort Meade Awarded $1.95 Million in State Appropriations for Fire Department Enhancements
FORT MEADE, FL – The City of Fort Meade has been awarded $1.95 million in state appropriations to bolster fire department infrastructure and equipment. The funding, which was secured through the efforts of Representative Melony Bell and Senator Ben Albritton, with the approval of Governor Ron DeSantis, will be allocated as follows:
$1.5 million for the construction and hardening of a new fire house
$250,000 for essential fire safety equipment
$200,000 for a state-of-the-art fire command vehicle
Fort Meade Mavor Petrina McCutchen was excited to learn the appropriations made it through the budget process. “This is great news for Fort Meade, and we are grateful to everyone who worked to make this happen. It will make our city safer and is a major boost to our efforts to transition to more of a full-time fire department,” she said.
Fort Meade had a volunteer fire department for nearly 100 years since the department’s inception in 1926, but the city commission voted to transition to a combination department last ear. While a combination fire department will have some volunteer staff, it is mostly composed of full-time, fully certified career firefighters.
“This funding will allow us to significantly enhance our fire department’s capabilities, ensuring that our brave firefighters have the resources they need to protect our residents and their property effectively,” said Interim City Manager Dustin Burke.
The new firehouse will be constructed with the latest safety features and designed to withstand severe weather conditions, ensuring continuous operations during emergencies. The fire safety equipment will replace aging gear, enabling firefighters to respond to incidents with the most up-to-date tools and technology. The fire command vehicle will serve as a mobile command center, improving on-scene coordination and communication during critical situations.
“We are thrilled to have the support of our state and local leaders, and look forward to putting these funds to work for the benefit and safety of our community,” added Fort Meade Fire Chief Matt Zahara.
