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.