West Manatee Fire Rescue Acquires Historic Bradenton Beach Fire Hall
The West Manatee Fire Rescue District has acquired a piece of its history on Anna Maria Island with the purchase of the former Bradenton Beach fire hall.
On Jan. 7, the district executed a $1 million contract with Bradenton Beach Fire Lodge Inc. to purchase the former fire station located at 201 Second St. N. in Bradenton Beach.
The property was originally owned and developed by the Bradenton Beach Volunteer Fire Department in 1931 and served as an active fire station for decades. It remained in use even after the volunteer department was incorporated into the Anna Maria Fire Control District in 1951. When the Anna Maria Fire Control District merged with the West Side Fire Control District in 2000 to form the West Manatee Fire Rescue District, the fire hall was decommissioned.
Ownership of the property remained with the former volunteer organization, which later became known as West Manatee Fire & Rescue Volunteers Inc. The corporation was subsequently renamed Bradenton Beach Fire Lodge Inc., a nonprofit organization that funds youth scholarships in honor of Brian Reed, a West Manatee firefighter who died in 2001 at the age of 39.
William “Buddy” Bowen, president of Bradenton Beach Fire Lodge Inc., also serves the district as a first-class firefighter and paramedic.
The purchase agreement was approved by West Manatee Fire Rescue commissioners on Sept. 9, 2025, following negotiations reached last summer. The transaction was finalized Jan. 7, when representatives from both organizations met to sign the contract.
Following the execution of the agreement, Bowen and West Manatee Fire Rescue fire marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
Kwiatkowski said the property, which sustained damage during hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, could be redeveloped in the future to serve as a fourth fire station.
The district provides fire protection services across Anna Maria Island, though its only island-based station is currently located in Holmes Beach. Supporters of redeveloping the Bradenton Beach property have said a station at the site could improve emergency response times to the southern end of the island.
In the near term, Kwiatkowski said the district is evaluating potential improvements that could allow firefighters to be stationed at the property during spring break.
Bowen said the agreement benefits both the district and the nonprofit, which was unable to afford rebuilding or refurbishing the storm-damaged facility. He said the property could have sold for significantly more on the open market, but was intentionally sold to the district at a reduced price.
According to Bowen, proceeds from the sale will reduce the nonprofit’s overhead and support its charitable mission, with funds remaining within the local community through scholarships and other programs.
