By Ken Williams | Editor
After almost a decade of dreaming and planning, Mission Valley finally has its first permanent fire-safety facility. Fire Station 45 celebrated its grand opening on Monday, Nov. 2, at 9366 Friars Road near Qualcomm Stadium.
Construction began in 2014 to replace the temporary fire station located across Friars Road on the Qualcomm Stadium property. The $11.1-million project resulted in a 16,000-square-foot, two-story fire station with dorms for up to 16 firefighters and bays to park five fire vehicles, including a new $1.2-million fire truck.
Station 45 will become the home of the Hazardous Materials (HazMat) apparatus that has been stationed in Mira Mesa.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer and other city officials attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “My goal is to make sure the city is investing more in neighborhood infrastructure, and we’re starting to see results with projects like this,” Faulconer said. “New fire stations are just one of many ways we’re working to boost public safety in neighborhoods that need it most and to make sure we’re providing a more equal level of service across the city.”
City Councilmember Scott Sherman, whose district includes Mission Valley, said the fire station’s opening “was a long time coming.”
“I am proud to finally see the official opening of this state-of-the-art fire station that will serve the heart of Mission Valley where it is desperately needed,” Sherman said.
Fire Station 45 is the first full-scale fire station built in the city since 2008. The next new fire station is scheduled to open in 2017 in the Bayside area along Pacific Highway.
Fire-Rescue Chief Javier Mainar, who was just days from retirement on Nov. 2, joked that he was “going out on a high note.”
“This station gives us so many opportunities to better serve the residents of Mission Valley and the city,” Mainar said. “The addition of a truck here has been needed for some time and improves our response for fires and rescues. Moving the Hazardous Materials apparatus from Mira Mesa puts them in a more centralized location to be able to respond citywide. While we operated well from the temporary station, this facility is immeasurably better.”
[See below for more photos of the fire station by Ken Williams and Jeff Clemetson]
—Ken Williams is editor of Mission Valley News and Uptown News and can be reached at [email protected] or at 619-961-1952. Follow him on Twitter at KenSanDiego, Instagram account at KenSD or Facebook at KenWilliamsSanDiego.
