DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Construction is progressing for Fire Station No. 1 in Daytona Beach. 

Having served the community for 100 years, it’s getting a facelift and a new location.  

Last year, Fire Station No. 1 received 4,865 calls for service, making it one of Volusia County’s busiest stations. 

Daytona Beach Fire Chief Dru Driscoll says it’s rewarding to work in a place with so much history. 

“There’s small scraps of memorabilia that might be discarded by others, but are cherished by us,” Driscoll said.

Newspaper articles, old photographs, helmets, and badges line up one area of the station. 

Chief Driscoll loves to take the time to look at each item — each showcasing a story from the past.  

These moments shaped the department to what it is today. 

“I’ve been here 26 years, and we’ve always had a proud cherished history of our department,” Driscoll said.

But the building is starting to show its age. 

“Modern conditions require us to move. The modern conditions of localized flooding, but also, the conditions of modern fire apparatus just don’t fit in today’s facility,” Driscoll said.

Driscoll will miss the building because no matter where you look, you find a piece of history. 

“We have a wooden ladder mounted on the wall from one of our 1952 Mack ladder trucks. Not too many stations still have their gear on the apparatus bay,” Driscoll said. 

And this new location has its perks. 

“Station No. 1, it’s new site is strategically positioned to give us a great north to south avenue so that we can improve a timely response to the community we serve, and Ridgewood Avenue stays high and dry during storm events,” Driscoll said. 

The location aims to bring all administrative personnel under one roof. 

It will have an 80-seat community room which will serve as the primary emergency operations center for Daytona Beach, and it will be positioned on higher ground to safeguard against flooding and sea levels rising. 

This will help maintain services during severe weather. 

Groundbreaking took place late last year. 

Seeing it all come together one piece at a time is something Chief Driscoll enjoys seeing. 

“We started with the tilt slab construction in which the walls are poured on the floor, and then with a large crane, they’re lifted upright to start forming that structure which one day will become our future home,” Driscoll said. 

One by one, the pieces come together. 

After all, it’s great to be a part of something new. 

“With 62 pieces to this puzzle, it’s a strategic and intricate way that they put them all together,” Driscoll said.

Construction is estimated to be completed in March 2026. 

The project costs $27 million. 

Daytona Beach also received a $10 million state grant to help with this project.