Welcome to Station 56
Chief David Lewis welcomes you to The Indian Harbour Beach Volunteer Fire Department’s website. Here you can find information about our department, it’s members, our apparatus and equipment. You can also find information on upcoming events the Department will be involved in as well as statistics on our fire calls. We will be posting pictures of recent fires, training evolutions and community service events on a regular basis.
Station 56 is located at 1116 Pinetree Drive in Indian Harbour Beach FL. Our 4 bay station houses our 3 front line apparatus; a 2007 E-One 1500 GPM Cyclone II Pumper, a 2000 E-One 75′ Aerial Ladder Truck with a 1500 GPM pump, and a 1995 E-One 1250 GPM Pumper. It also houses our restored 1960 American LaFrance Pumper, “ALF”, which we use for parades and events. The station has a large hall used for meetings, training and social events as well as a fully equipped state of the art weight/exercise room.
For more information about us and our equipment just click on any of the tabs. We are always accepting applications to join our department. Anyone interested in joining as a firefighter, trainee or auxiliary member may contact us online or download the attached IHBVFD Application. You can also check our Information Board on the front of the Station under the overhang for fire safety information, upcoming and past events.
Our History
Located on Florida’s Space Coast, the Indian Harbour Beach Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1965 by a small group of dedicated individuals with virtually no equipment, space, or finances. From these humble beginnings, the department has grown to 30+ active members. Your Volunteer Fire Fighters come from various backgrounds and professions ranging from students, engineers, restaurant owners, city employees, teachers, and both retired and active duty service members. The department is led by Fire Chief David Lewis, supported by Deputy Chief Hank Aprea, Assistant Chief Tom Knowlton, Assistant Chief Dick Laye, and Battalion Chief Tony Coleman. This command staff directs the activities of the Lieutenants, Firefighters, and Trainees – both at actual fire scenes and training exercises utilizing our three Class-A pumpers.
Each officer and firefighter has attended various State Certified classes dealing with all aspects of fire fighting. This training process is applied and continued every Thursday night during weekly drills and also on various weekends. The constant training has enabled us to effectively respond to any type of fire or hazardous condition located within our 2.7 sq. mile city. On average, our department responds to approximately 100-120 calls for service each year, varying in scope from alarms to brush fires to structure fires.
The Indian Harbour Beach Volunteer Fire Department Corporation conducts one fund drive via US Mail each year in October. We do not solicit by phone, email, or door to door. Our mailing is on official letterhead with a return postage paid envelope. If you receive any solicitations other than this official mailing that claim to support us, please disregard them and report them to the police. We appreciate your donations and thank you for your continued support of your volunteer fire department.