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New fire station coming to Green Cove Springs to keep up with growth in Clay County

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – A new fire station will be built in Green Cove Springs to keep up with the unprecedented growth in Clay County.

RELATED: St. Johns County plans to build 4 new fire stations, regional fire training facility, new sheriff’s office headquarters

There’s only one fire station in Green Cove Springs and it’s small and outdated.

The Clay County fire chief said the new station is the beginning of a long-term plan to add several new fire stations over several years.

“We’re looking to build a 5-bay fire station. That’s a big fire station. We’re going from almost 2,000 square feet to over 18,000 square feet. and that will allow us to handle multiple units and multiple personnel,” Clay County Fire Chief Lorin Mock said.

Renderings of Fire Station 20 that's coming to Green Cove Springs. (Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

Lake Asbury, Middleburg and Green Cove Springs are the hot spots for all the growth in the county. The fire chief said the response times have been slow because of the growth.

Thousands of homes are being built around the new outer beltway that should reach the Shands Bridge by next year.

Amanda Lorentz just moved to Lake Asbury and knows all about the booming growth.

“It’s ridiculous, I literally had a Camry when I first moved here and it kept bottoming out every time. I hit one of the cones and [I have a Jeep now] so I wouldn’t keep bottoming out,” Lorentz said.

She didn’t know about the need for more fire, police and other services but she’s not surprised.

“I live in a neighborhood where there’s only one way in and out, and I get concerned about fire hazards because of all the emergencies if they need to leave,” Lorentz said.

The fire chief said one idea for the county is to pass a bond to pay for all the construction on top of recent property tax hikes that Clay County voters have approved.


About the Author
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Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.

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