Santa Monica firefighters will have a new, seismically safe, home this week.
The newly constructed Fire Station 1 is now operational at 1337 7th Street. The new station replaces SMFD’s first and oldest station located just down the street.
The community came together in 2018 to break ground on a new $41.2 million facility. At the time, city officials and elected leaders lined up to hold golden shovels while parents and small children lined up for hot dogs at the free community event.
The groundbreaking ceremony capped a decades-long effort to build the 28,000 square-foot station, which required a land swap with local developer NMS Properties. A 2007 study found the current wood frame and stucco fire station in desperate need of improvements to come up to code and withstand a major earthquake.
Santa Monica youth will again be invited back to the new station as part of the physically distanced opening ceremony. Kids can draw a welcome picture for the new station and families can drive up to the 7th Street location to drop off the artwork. The pictures will be temporarily displayed in the windows and kids who drive by will receive a goody bag and commemorative fire hat. All SMFD staff will follow COVID-19 protective standards. The drive-by art showcase will be held Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
“While an official community celebration for the opening of Santa Monica’s newest fire station will have to come at a later date, we look forward to inviting youth to help us celebrate the station with the drive by art event. The art will welcome fire fighters serving Santa Monica in this critical moment for community health,” said Chief Bill Walker.
The downtown station is the most active in Santa Monica with about 9,000 calls per year. It also houses the largest equipment and will be home to 15 firefighters.
Station 1 facts:
Able to remain operational after a major disaster, allowing fire personnel to continue providing vital services to the public
Bathrooms and 20 dormitories to accommodate both male and female firefighters
Community room available to the public to reserve for use
Secured underground parking for fire personnel and smaller equipment
State of the art infrastructure that supports fire department equipment storage, maintenance and repair
Rooftop solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity, which will cut down on energy costs
The building will achieve LEED V4 certification to ensure the project is designed and constructed to the highest level of sustainability
For questions about the drive-up event can be directed to email Fire@SMGOV.NET.
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