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.