OCTOBER 24, 2005 --The Winter Park volunteer firefighters are ready for duty. But in just seven days, the department is shutting down, ending a 54 year history.
Chief Alex Stanland has been saving lives with the department for over 20 years. "They say all good things must come to an end, but I hate to see it."
Winter Park's history is full of highlights. Remember when firefighter Drew Peterson breathed life back into a dog during a fire?
More recently, they supported other stations during a devastating fire at the old Children's Museum and Rippy's Auto Body Shop on Market Street.
The volunteers were going to stay on the job until a new county-run station opened in the Murrayville area, but it's not working out.
For several months the department has been working on a new contract with the county. But they weren't able to agree on who would pay off a new fire truck. Chief Stanland says, "I wished we could have worked it out, but we'll see what happens from here."
The 23 volunteer firefighters will be transferred to other stations around New Hanover County. It's the same for Chief Stanland. He says his passion for fighting fires isn't easily extinguished. "It's not about the glory. It's about saving lives and property."
But at the end of the month the rescues from Winter Park fire station will come to a close.
