Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department opens new fire station in E-Town

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A new Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) station is officially open in E-Town, a rapidly expanding community.

It’s home to Sandra Columbero, who decided to move into one of its retirement communities a year and half ago from South Florida.

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“Wasn’t supposed to be this large, and then they just kept growing and growing,” she said. “It’s nice because I’m inside the gates and I can walk the sidewalks and if I have difficulty I can get home very easily.”

And now she knows firefighters can get to her easily too. That’s because next door, Jacksonville Fire Station 74, a $5.5 million investment, is officially open.

It will welcome about 15 firefighters to start their shift on Thursday morning.

“E-Town and the entire area was in dire need of a fire station to reduce response time,” said JFRD Chief Keith Powers.

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“Love it,” Columbero said. We’re very happy that it’s here.”

JFRD has a Class 1 designation from the Insurance Services Organization, or ISO. It’s the highest designation, and it’s awarded based on how well the department can protect its citizens.

Fire Station 74 has helped JFRD keep its ISO Class 1 designation, and that’s because of how close it is to nearby structures.

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That could also help homeowners save on property insurance. According to the Insurance Information Institute, a fire and lightning claim from 2016 to 2020 averaged $77,340 in insured losses.

The consumer financial services company Bankrate.com says insurers could factor in fire preparedness, and ISO ratings to calculate premiums.

“It’s good for us because our homes are wood-based,” Columbero remarked. “Knowing that [the fire station] is there, [firefighters] don’t have to go through miles of traffic. They’re right around the corner.”

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