Ocala Opens Fire Station 8 in Northwest

Ocala Fire Rescue's new northwest station entered service on Monday, Nov. 9, with 15 added personnel.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Exterior of a plain modern two-bay fire station with tall glass bay doors on flat ground under open subtropical sky, with live oak trees at the lot edge. — Ocala Fire Rescue opened Fire Station #8 at 2300 NW 45th Terrace on Monday, Nov. 9, adding Engine 8 and Rescue 8 with 15 new personnel. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Ocala Fire Rescue opened Fire Station #8 at 2300 NW 45th Terrace in northwest Ocala, with Engine 8 and Rescue 8 entering service fully staffed. The ribbon-cutting and vehicle push-in ceremony took place Monday, Nov. 9, after eight months of construction.

Why it matters

The station adds emergency response capacity to northwest Ocala and is the first new fire station the department has opened in 36 years. Its site was chosen for access to Interstate 75 and State Road 40.

The station was built in eight months and is staffed by 15 newly added personnel across three apparatus bays housing Engine 8 and Rescue 8. It is the department's first new station in 36 years, and the source does not report projected response-time effects.

The players

Ocala Fire Rescue

The municipal fire department of Ocala, Florida, responsible for fire suppression and emergency medical response across the city.

The details

The station sits on a northwest Ocala site selected for access to Interstate 75 via U.S. Highway 27 and State Road 40 via NW 44th Avenue. Fire Station #8 went into service immediately after the Monday dedication.

Eight months before opening: construction broke ground on Fire Station #8.
Monday, Nov. 9: ribbon-cutting and vehicle push-in ceremony held, and the station entered service.

Openings & Closings

The opening of Fire Station #8 is the department's first new station in 36 years, breaking a long period without capacity expansion in Ocala's fire system. It places a new station on the northwest side of the city, a location chosen for interstate and state highway access.

Residents in northwest Ocala gain a closer fire and rescue station with Engine 8 and Rescue 8 staffed around the clock. The station's highway access supports faster coverage along the Interstate 75 and State Road 40 corridors.

The takeaway

The new station strengthens fire and rescue coverage for northwest Ocala, a practical benefit for residents and drivers along the nearby highway corridors.