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Cool contest, hot kitchen

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published July 16, 2006

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH - The once shabby kitchen, dining and day room at the Pinellas Suncoast Fire & Rescue District's Station 27 sparkled Thursday following a massive makeover that started months ago when firefighters entered a national contest.

The complete renovation of the more than 1,000-square-foot area became a reality when the station won $10,000 in a national "Spruce Up Your Firehouse" photo essay contest sponsored by Maxwell House/HGTV.

The contest was conducted in 10 major metropolitan areas - Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Orlando and Tampa.

"Firefighters give up the creature comforts of home while living at a firehouse," explained David Hyland, senior brand manager for Maxwell House. "Our contest was meant to celebrate these local heroes and reward winners with something that will boost the quality of life at the firehouse."

The Pinellas Suncoast firefighters took up the challenge, wrote a short essay and submitted photos of their drab kitchen, dingy and patched walls, and cast-off furniture and equipment.

When they learned their station was selected as one of two finalists for the Tampa Bay area, the firefighters organized an aggressive campaign urging the public to vote online for their firehouse entry.

That effort helped the beach fire station to win over competing St. Petersburg Fire Station No. 8.

But winning was one thing. Renovating a kitchen that had not been updated since the early 1980s was something else.

Firefighters began by spending much of their time when not answering fire or rescue calls ripping out aging cabinets, flooring and wall-paneling.

"We wanted that money to go as far as possible," says Virginia Lyle, the fire district's executive secretary.

That effort was joined by area businesses and fire district supporters. As a result, the $10,000 prize money was augmented by donated labor and materials, including Corian countertops, new plumbing and fixtures, flooring and even a new set of dishes.

"All the help we received was just incredible", says Lyle, who worked closely to coordinate the project with the contest sponsors.

She estimates the value of donated labor and materials has at least tripled the value of the original contest winnings.

Thursday morning, the firefighters were ready to show off their new digs. Family members, friends, and local officials gathered at the station for an open house tour and breakfast catered by the Black Cat Cafe in Largo.

What they saw was a completely redecorated kitchen that featured engine red cabinetry with stainless steel finishes, decorative light fixtures, new flooring and new appliances.

Mismatched tables and chairs were gone, replaced by color-coordinated furnishings picked out by Deborah Ramos, an area interior designer selected by the contest sponsors. The day room walls featured merchandise donated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A rebuilt termite-damaged pool table had its once-green felt replaced by a bright Buccaneer Red covering autographed during the open house by Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Alstott.

For the firefighters, their spruced-up quarters has given them a welcome respite from continuing political controversies over the fire district's operations and finances.

[Last modified July 15, 2006, 22:25:48]