Lake County Fire Rescue Station 90 finally getting out of hotel?

Firefighters with Lake County Fire Rescue assigned to Station 90 load up and head out on a call near Clermont. They aren't leaving from the typical fire station, though.

Station 90 is a pair of rented rooms at the Value Place Hotel.

The bay that houses the fire engine is simply an awning in the corner of the hotel parking lot.

"It's not the best scenario for our folks to be in," Lake County Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Jack Fillman said. "It got us out to where we needed to be, but it was never intended to be something that has lasted as long as it has."

The firefighters checked into the hotel back in 2008. Six years and about $90,000 in room rentals later, the firefighters might finally be checking out.

The Clermont City Council recently approved building a joint fire station with Lake County. It would be built across the street from the hotel.

The agreement is something the county has never done before. But given the circumstances, officials are willing to try.

Clermont leaders said they are interested in the project because they hope to eventually annex part of the county land east of the city. Leaders said it would mean they also get to build the fire station on county-owned land on Hartle Road. The county got the land for free from a business that will benefit from access to a new road.

Many of the operational logistics still need to be worked out. Right now, most of the costs would be split in half, but a price tag hasn't been established. By the time the station would be built, Lake County officials hope to have an automatic agreement with all of Clermont that would allow the closest engine to respond to calls whether the crews are from the city or the county.

Lake County will need to hold a public hearing on the possible agreement before any deal can be finalized.

"If they need a station and we need a station, it only makes sense for us to share some common areas in those situations," Fillman said of the joint agreement. "It saves the city of Clermont money, it saves Lake County money, and it provides a better level of service for the folks in that area."