New Clearwater fire station aims to improve safety, response times

Clearwater opens new Fire Station 47

Clearwater is celebrating a milestone for public safety: the opening of its new Fire Station 47, which is aimed at improving safety and response times. FOX 13?s Regina Gonzalez reports.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Officials in Clearwater are cutting the ribbon Tuesday on a new fire station, replacing the previous decades-old location with a spacious, high-tech facility.

The new Fire Station 47, located just off Gulf to Bay Blvd. and Hercules Ave., takes the place of a firehouse built in the early 1970s – one that city officials say "does not meet current best practices and standards.

By the numbers:

Construction of the new Fire Station 47 cost about $10.3 million. It measures 10,442 square feet and features four bays, 10 dorm rooms, and four bathrooms. It's also built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane.

Pictured: Clearwater Fire Station 47.

Timeline:

City leaders approved a design work order for the project in November 2020, with construction beginning in March 2024.

Operations were transferred to the new Fire Station 47 in June 2025.

READ: Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach partially reopens Monday nearly a year after back-to-back hurricanes

What they're saying:

"We are better suited for the ever-evolving emergencies that are coming in and that we get called for. So for us, 50 years ago that may have been a great location — but now, in 2025, this is just a better location for us to serve the citizens of Clearwater," Clearwater Fire Rescue interim Deputy Chief John Klinefelter said.