By SDCN Editor
Oceanside, CA–The City of Oceanside celebrated the opening of its new downtown Fire Station 1 with a special community ceremony on July 15.
The event featured a procession of pipes and drums from the historic near 100-year-old fire station on Pier View Way to the new station at 401 North Freeman Street.
Construction on the station began in July 2022, replacing the 1929 station, one of the oldest operating fire stations in the nation. Designed by famed architect Irving Gill, the old building could no longer accommodate modern apparatus and equipment and required seismic upgrades. The station will be preserved for future community use.
The new Fire Station 1, adjacent to Oceanside City Hall, is designed to accommodate larger ladder trucks and crews, enhancing service for residents, businesses, and visitors. The 20,000-square-foot facility spans two levels, featuring a ground floor with a lobby, training rooms, and a five-bay apparatus space. The second floor includes living accommodations for up to 12 personnel. The station has an emergency generator, diesel fuel tank, and rooftop solar panels. Artwork by Sasha Furlan, installed around the station’s firepole, pays homage to the former station.
Funding from Measure X, Oceanside’s half-cent sales tax, covered the project’s major design and construction costs. Additionally, a $3.5 million federal Defense Community Infrastructure Program grant, one of only 13 awarded nationwide, helped offset the project’s $18 million cost. Cox Construction Company of Vista constructed the facility.
The Oceanside Fire Department, the third-largest in San Diego County, is an all-risk agency ready to respond to emergencies. The department serves the community from eight fire stations, beach lifeguard facilities, and its headquarters at Oceanside City Hall.
