East Lake Fire Rescue Hosts Housing Ceremony, Safety Event

EAST LAKE, FL — It was a full firehouse at East Lake Fire Rescue's Station 57 on Tarpon Lake Boulevard Saturday as the fire rescue hosted a double celebration to officially launch a new Rescue 57 ambulance into service and open its doors to the station's first Fire Prevention Extravaganza.

In a longstanding tradition in the fire service dating back to the 1800s when horse-drawn fire apparatus had to be physically pushed or "housed" into the station by firefighters, East Lake Fire Rescue held a "housing ceremony."

The community had an opportunity to inspect the new ambulance's cab, compartments and innovative features.

Families attending the fire safety event also met Sparky the fire dog and Smokey the Bear, see live side-by-side fire demonstrations, tour the station, received some hands-on fire extinguisher training and see some fire trucks up close, as well as get safety information from nonprofit organizations and enjoy the culinary offerings of food trucks.

Among those attending were East Lake CERT, the Florida Fire Sprinkler Association, the American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter, the John Geigle YMCA - North Pinellas, East Lake Community Library, Rotary Club of East Lake Sunrise, Publix Super Market at Brooker Creek, Calvary Church - East Lake Campus, Lutheran Church of the Resurrection Palm Harbor Florida, the Suncoast Safe Kids Coalition, DJ Phil the Thrill, the East Lake High School football boosters, East Lake High School Flag Football and the Florida Forest Service.