OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — The construction of a new fire station in Osceola County was delayed for over a year due to the presence of the protected sand skink species.
Osceola County had to wait for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to approve the construction because the sand skink, a threatened species, was found on the site. This delay impacted the county’s ability to provide timely emergency services in a rapidly growing area.
“We are one of the fastest growing counties in the state,” said District 1 Commissioner Peggy Choudhry. “We’re also, in this district, in the Four Corners area, growing the fastest.”
The new Station 75 on Funie Steed Road near West U.S. Highway 192 is now open. This is the third station built in the last six years and the 18th countywide.
The sand skink is a legless, worm-like lizard that lives underground, and its presence was indicated by lines left in the sand. Due to its status as a threatened species, construction could not proceed without federal approval, which took 15 months.
Osceola County has been experiencing 20-minute response times in some areas, and the county acknowledges it is playing catch-up with infrastructure development to meet the demands of its growing population.
With the new fire station operational, Osceola County aims to improve its emergency response times and better serve its rapidly expanding community.
“We’ve always been working on improving our level of service,” said Osceola County Fire Rescue Chief Larry Collier. “We’re not only building for the needs of today, but we’re anticipating the growth down the road.”
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