Sunday, another sunny Florida day we planned to head south again but to go west again. We drove south on US 41 through Fort Myers to the Iona-McGregor Fire District southwest of Fort Myers. We stopped at Sta#1 and saw a large sign saying that it was closed for remodeling. On to Sta#2 where we had a nice reception and took some photos of a couple of engines - E250 - a 2005 Sutphen 1500/750 and E22 - a 1987 Pierce "Lance" 1500/750 and the Special Operations Unit - a 1995 International/Hackney. We next went to the new Sta#4 downtown which includes the training grounds and tower. We shot E260 - a 2006 Sutphen 1500/750, E24 - a 1987 Pierce "Lance" 1500/750 and Ladder 30 - a 1982 Duplex/Grumman 1500/250/102' platform. Also parked in the backyard was the Lee County USAR rig, a 2005 International/Hackney tractor/trailer unit, nicely positioned in the sun.

We then headed for Fort Myers Beach with a stop at Iona-McGregor Sta#3 on the way. There we photoed aE230 - a 2005 Sutphen 1500/750 and Rescue 118 - a 2006 Ford/American LaFrance. Off to Ft. Myers Beach Sta#2, on the mainland. A small two bay station housed E32 - a 1992 Pierce "Quantum" 1500/750 and Ldr33 - a 2006 Sutphen 1500/500/70' platform. We started for Ft.MBFD Sta#1 on the island buy saw that traffic over the bridge was backed up for about three-quarters of a mile and moving very slowly if at all. A quick U-turn got us headed back north to Cape Coral to see if we could catch the rigs that were elusive on Friday. Ron had a couple of specific rigs he wanted pictures of for the E-One sales and marketing group at the plant in Ocala.

We stopped at Sta#1 to inquire what stations they might be at. They didn't really know so we started out on our own to explore various stations. We had shot Sta#1 rigs two years ago and they still had the same ones. We again went to Sta#4 as we did on Friday. Again no one around, no cars in the parking lot, no sign of any activity. Continued on to Sta#3 and found in lt two reserve rigs, a 1989 E-One 1500/750 and a 1991 E-One "Hush" 1500/500 running as E3. Sta#3, as e several others were rebuilt in the last two years as hurricane proof buildings, whatever that is. Just takes them longer to blow away I guess. All of the new stations are identical single story-three bay drive thru stations. Sta#3 is built at the end of a dead-end street alongside a major road. The rigs have to go down a narrow residential street for a block, the turn right for a block to reach the main road. Strange. We shot the rigs and were directed to the "new" Sta#4 about 5 blocks north of where it used to be. I remarked to Ron as we drove up that it was positioned just right for great shots in the afternoon sun. Little did I know, but soon found out, that the rigs went out the back door on the shady side. The station is on a parkway,law ie; a road with a grass median about eight feet wide. The city wouldn't pave the median in front of the station so the rigs could cross so they have to exit out the back onto a side street and go around the block. We got photos anyway, in the shade. Truck 4 is a 2005 E-One 2000/300/95' AP, while Rescue 4 - a 2001 Kenworth/Pierce 1250/750, Rescue 4 was recently redesignated an engine, E4.

We then headed to Sta#8 to shoot the new squad - a 2006 E-One "Typhoon" 1250/750/30 which we had seen on the road on Friday. The Lt. that pulled the rig out for us noticed my Twin Cities fire T-shirt and Coon Rapids FD cap and advised that his in-laws lived in New Brighton. (For those readers not familiar with the Twin Cities area, New Brighton is only about 6-8 miles southeast of Coon Rapids in the north Twin Cities suburbs). We ended the day and very successful 3-day photo shoot at that point and headed back to US 41 for an hour plus ride back to Venice. We did grab a quick shot of Sarasota County E21 - a 2007 E-One "Typhoon" 1250/1500 in a supermarket parking lot in Venice. Wrong side in the sun but no driver around to move it. I can always go about two miles from the house and shoot it - someday.