TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Fire Station No. 24 will be built in North Tampa. It's when the construction is slated to happen that continues to frustrate Tampa City Councilmember Luis Viera.
In February, staff said construction would start in March 2026.
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“Steps were highlighted that were going to be taken to shorten that time, and now we’re being told it’s going to take another six months. For me, I’m extremely frustrated. I really, really am,” Councilman Viera said.
The conversation dates back to 2021, when the local firefighters' union told City Councilmembers Station 13 was overworked. The union found that one in nine calls were being routed to Station 13. They also found that 13 was the 54th busiest station in the country at the time.
The fix was Station 24 and Station 25.
25 is now operating. The city converted an old city building to alleviate pressure on Station 13. Councilman Viera says Station 24 is essential to truly meet the needs of the area.
“This isn’t something that’s not necessary. This is something that is necessary. If we’re pushing it out that far, then I suggest that we’re not doing our due diligence when it comes to public safety issues.”
Councilmembers will revisit the topic at an upcoming meeting.
“We don’t know exactly what it is, which is why we’ve asked the administration to come back on June 26 to talk about exactly what happened.”
Councilman Viera remains hopeful for a more expedited timeline but continues to express his dissatisfaction with the current delays.
“My hope is that when they come back, there's a better plan of action," he said. "I'm very angry about it, and I'm not the only one. All of City Council shares that frustration."
Pasco County woman trying to rebuild mobile home after hurricanes
"I cried, of course, because I've worked very hard getting it nice, which has been difficult for me since I lost my husband and being alone,” Kelly Welty said.
Welty's mobile home lost its roof during Hurricane Milton. She said it was the only one in the Buena Vista community to get totaled by a tornado.
