Last week, firefighters at Fire Station 28 in the Rainier Valley moved into a brand new fire station, located at 5968 Rainier Avenue South. Fire Station 28 houses Engine 28, Ladder 12 and Medic 28 and is one of the busiest stations in the City. Ten firefighters live and work at Station 28, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Firefighters working at Station 28 went on nearly 6,000 emergency responses in 2008.

The new Station 28 is nearly double the size of the old station.  Space is important, because over the years, fire engines and trucks have grown in size. The new apparatus bay is large enough to comfortably accommodate modern Seattle Fire Department engines and trucks. The new station also has a drive through garage – so firefighters can drive through the back to park in the station and exit the station through the front, instead of backing into a tight space off of busy Rainier Avenue.

Additional space gives crews room to work on equipment, wash the engines and store their gear. The new station also has an area designated for decontamination – so firefighters can safely clean off toxic materials that cover their gear at fire and medical responses.

Improved comforts inside the living area of the station include individual bunkrooms, so firefighters can rest and decompress during busy shifts and an open watch office in the front – with room for the station library which is full of training materials.

This is the first neighborhood fire station completed as part of the Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Levy, passed by Seattle voters in 2003. More information on Fire Levy projects is available at http://www.seattle.gov/fleetsfacilities/firelevy/.