Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill speaks during the grand opening ceremony for Fire Station 26 on Saturday in Seminole Woods. Photo by Rich Carroll.
Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill stands with Palm Coast Fire Department leadership during the grand opening ceremony for Fire Station 26 on Saturday in Seminole Woods. Photo by Rich Carroll.
From left, Palm Coast City Council member David Sullivan, Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri, Mayor Mike Norris, Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill, Palm Coast City Council member Charles Gambaro and Palm Coast City Council member Ty Miller participate in the grand opening ceremony for Fire Station 26 on Saturday in Seminole Woods. Photo by Rich Carroll.
The Fire Station 26 sign stands outside the Palm Coast Fire Department’s newest station during Saturday’s grand opening ceremony in Seminole Woods. Photo by Rich Carroll.
Palm Coast Fire Station 26 stands ready for service during Saturday’s grand opening ceremony in Seminole Woods. Photo by Rich Carroll.
Palm Coast Fire Station 26 stands ready for service during Saturday’s grand opening ceremony in Seminole Woods. Photo by Rich Carroll.
A ceremonial fire hose used during the traditional hose uncoupling ceremony rests outside Fire Station 26 during Saturday’s grand opening event in Seminole Woods. Photo by Rich Carroll.
Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill speaks during the grand opening ceremony for Fire Station 26 on Saturday in Seminole Woods. Photo by Rich Carroll.
Palm Coast city leaders and firefighters participate in a traditional hose uncoupling ceremony during the grand opening of Fire Station 26 in Seminole Woods on Saturday. Photo by Rich Carroll.
A Palm Coast Fire Department engine sits outside the newly opened Fire Station 26 during Saturday’s grand opening ceremony in Seminole Woods. Photo by Rich Carroll.
The City of Palm Coast officially opened its newest fire station Saturday, celebrating the completion of Fire Station 26 with a grand opening and traditional hose uncoupling ceremony attended by firefighters, city leaders and community members.
Located at 72 Airport Commerce Way in Seminole Woods, the new station is designed to improve emergency response coverage in southern Palm Coast while supporting the continued growth of the city.
Palm Coast Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri called the station a major investment in both public safety and the firefighters who will serve there.
“I’ve said for a long time that I believe the Palm Coast Fire Department is truly the heart and soul of our community,” Pontieri said during the ceremony. “And to give them such a beautiful building is just a small token of appreciation that I feel the community can really show.”
Pontieri, whose husband is a firefighter, said fire stations become a “home away from home” for first responders who spend holidays, birthdays and long shifts away from their families.
“This building is a house. This is their home,” Pontieri said. “It’s really important to me that the community recognizes how much of a role you play in giving them this, because it’s important. It matters.”
Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill said the station represents far more than a building, describing it as an investment in faster emergency response and firefighter wellness.
“This station isn’t just a building,” Berryhill said. “It’s about people’s lives. It’s trained professionals arriving faster with equipment, training and compassion and determination to help people on the worst day of their lives.”
Berryhill said the department intentionally designed the station to reduce response times, with layouts that allow firefighters to quickly move from living quarters to apparatus bays when emergency calls come in.
“We’re in the time business, and this station is designed with that in mind,” he said. “Seconds matter.”
The chief also highlighted new health and safety features inside the station, including decontamination areas intended to reduce firefighters’ exposure to carcinogens and living spaces designed to improve sleep and recovery.
“As Palm Coast has grown, we recognized that some areas of our city were underserved from a fire protection standpoint,” Berryhill said. “Today, with the opening of Station 26, more than 1,000 residential properties will now fall within five driving miles of a fire station in the city of Palm Coast.”
According to Berryhill, homeowners living within that response area could also see reductions in insurance costs.
“Anecdotally, we see a $500 to $1,000 drop if you live within five driving miles of a Palm Coast fire station,” he said.
City officials said Fire Station 26 was funded through approximately $5 million in state appropriations along with local impact fee investments, helping expand emergency response capabilities for residents and businesses in southern Palm Coast. During the ceremony, Berryhill noted that roughly half of the project was paid for through state funding rather than city tax dollars.
The ceremony concluded with a traditional hose uncoupling, symbolizing the transition of the facility from construction to active service, followed by tours of the station and an open house for residents.
