Charlotte County Fire & EMS Invites Community to Station 12 Open House

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (Sept. 23, 2026) - Charlotte County Fire & EMS invites residents to a community open house from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 26, at Fire Station 12, 2001 Luther Road in Punta Gorda.

Station 12 serves as the home of Charlotte County Fire & EMS' Special Operations Team and houses the department's squad and hazardous materials response resources. Special Operations personnel are trained to respond to complex emergencies, including high-angle rope rescues, confined-space rescues, trench rescues, structural collapses and hazardous materials incidents.

During the open house, visitors can tour the station, view fire, emergency medical and special operations apparatus and meet the crews who serve the community. Personnel will also be available to explain the specialized equipment and capabilities used during technical rescue and hazardous materials responses.

"Our fire stations are part of the communities they serve, and we are excited to welcome residents inside Station 12," said Charlotte County Public Safety Director and Fire Chief Matthew McElroy. "This open house will give residents a firsthand look at the specialized training, equipment and capabilities our personnel use to respond to some of the emergencies in Charlotte County."

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Additional Charlotte County Fire & EMS community open houses are scheduled for Oct. 10 at Station 4 and Oct. 24 at Station 9.

For information, contact Ashley Turner at 941-833-5610 or [email protected].

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