RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — A new fire station in Riviera Beach opened Saturday and the 31,000 square foot building is complete with technology designed to help the physical and mental well-being of firefighters.
The new station is located at 1920 W. Blue Heron Blvd.
Residents and visitors enjoyed music and food while exploring the building's cutting-edge features, including a gym, wellness room and decontamination facilities that will minimize firefighters’ exposure to carcinogens.
The new fire station also features lighting tuned to the body’s circadian rhythm, zoned alerting, passive environmental controls, energy pods and detox saunas, the city said.
“Mental health is taking a toll in the fire service. There are statistics that states firefighters are more likely to die from suicide than in the line of duty,” Fire Chief John Curd said. “The mental health and wellness rooms allow our firefighters to decompress, and the energy pods allow our firefighters who had a rough day to disconnect for a while.”
There will also be a therapy dog on-site specially trained to help firefighters cope with the demanding tolls of their jobs.
In front of the fire station is a memorial site that honors the firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11.