Mayor Greg Nickels, along with City Councilmember Jean Godden, Fire Chief Gregory Dean, Fleets and Facilities Director Brenda Bauer, firefighters assigned to Engine 38 and members of the community today broke ground for the new Fire Station 38 in the Hawthorne Hills neighborhood. The current facility, built in 1930, is the smallest among Seattle’s 33 neighborhood fire stations.

Funded by the 2003 Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Levy program, the new station is one of 18 Fire Levy projects. Replacing the old Fire Station 38 is an important step towards bringing Seattle’s fire facilities into the 21st century.

The new, larger station will meet current seismic code — and provide the space necessary for modern equipment and operational requirements. The replacement station is designed to withstand an earthquake and allow firefighters to provide critical services to the community.

Fire Station 38, located at 5503 33rd Avenue NE, houses Engine 38. In 2008, Engine 38 went on more than 1,781 alarms. The new station, located seven blocks east of the current station at 4004 NE 55th Street, will more than triple in size, expanding from 2,568 square feet to 8,328 square feet.

Seattle Fire Chief Gregory Dean and firefighters who work on Engine 35 at Friday's ground breaking celebration.

Fire Chief Gregory Dean and Fleets and Facilities Director Brenda Bauer, along with firefighters who work on Engine 35 celebrated the beginning of construction for Fire Station 35 in the Crown Hill neighborhood. The 89-year-old facility is one of the oldest operating fire stations in Seattle.

The new, larger fire station is designed to withstand an earthquake so that firefighters can respond when the community needs them most. The new station will also provide the space required for modern equipment and operations, including decontamination space so firefighters can remove toxic materials from their gear when they return from fire and medical calls. The new station will expand from one story to two and will have an additional 2,000 square feet of space. Construction is expected to take approximately 18 months. During construction Engine 35 will respond to emergencies out of a temporary station located at 9089 Holman Road N.W.

Mayor Nickels, Fire Chief Gregory Dean, Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and others break ground.

On Tuesday, May 12, Mayor Nickels, Fire Chief Gregory Dean, firefighters assigned to Engine 37 and West Seattle neighbors gathered to break ground on the site of the new Fire Station 37. The new station, will be located on the southeast corner of 35th Avenue SW and SW Holden Street and is just a few blocks down from where the current station sits. Engine 37 will respond to emergencies from the current station until construction is complete on the new station, which is estimated to take about a year.

The new Fire Station 37 will be seismically reinforced and will expand from 4,000 square feet to more than 9,000 square feet. More room at the station is important for several reasons. First, it gives firefighters room to safely decontaminate their gear from the toxic materials they are exposed to when responding to fire and medical emergencies. Second, it means the station will be large enough to accommodate modern firefighting equipment. The current Station 37 was built in 1925, when fire engines were smaller and now, when the Engine 37 backs into the station, there are a only a few inches of clearance on either side.

The new station is part of the Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Levy. More information on this project and other fire station projects going on around the City is available on the Fire Facilities Webpage.

An artist's rendering of the new Fire Station 37.