PRESS RELEASE - Construction Milestone Celebrated for Fire Station No. 5 - 1/26/2018

For Immediate Release:  January 26, 2018

Contact: Bryan Dahl, 415-554-6939

             CONSTRUCTION MILESTONE CELEBRATED FOR FIRE STATION NO.5

            Beam-signing ceremony commemorates voter-backed earthquake-safety project

San Francisco, CA – Construction of the new seismically safe San Francisco Fire Station No. 5 in the Western Addition reached a major milestone that was marked today with a community celebration led by Board of Supervisors President London Breed, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru and neighborhood leaders.

Crews completed work on the steel frame for the first-responder facility at 1301 Turk St. and are on track to deliver the voter-backed project on time and on budget for a fall 2018 move-in.

Work to date has included demolition of the original 1950s-era fire station; hazardous-material abatement; removal of underground fuel tanks; and completion of the steel frame structure.

The new 21,193 square-foot fire station will replace its outdated predecessor and is designed to exceed national accreditation standards for first responders and serve the needs of an ever-growing 21st-century San Francisco.

Upon completion, the modern facility will include resilient life-safety systems, ADA accessibility features, a new fuel dispensing system, a modern communications room and improved living quarters – built to be fully operational following an earthquake or other major disaster.

“A major earthquake can hit San Francisco at any time, and it’s critical that our first responders are housed in healthy and seismically sound facilities,” said Breed, who represents the Western Addition and other District 5 neighborhoods. “That’s why we have to do everything we can to improve emergency response functions for our responders, not only for today, but for generations to come.”

The new station will house 11 firefighters each day, with a total of 55 firefighters stationed at the state-of-the-art facility. It will house one fire engine, one ladder truck and one division chief.

In 2017, Station 5 personnel responded to more than 6,000 emergency calls. Since 2012, they have responded to a combined 41,362 fire and medical emergency calls.

“It is the duty of the San Francisco Fire Department to respond during times of crisis and emergency,” said San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White. “We take tremendous pride in protecting the people of San Francisco, and with new infrastructure such as Station 5, we will be better prepared.”

The Fire Station No. 5 replacement project is funded by the Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response (ESER) Bond Program, an initiative to bolster earthquake safety and emergency response resiliency through capital improvements on critical infrastructure, including fire, police and ambulance facilities, and the emergency firefighting water system. San Francisco voters approved the first $420 million ESER Bond in 2010 and the second $400 million ESER Bond in 2014. 

“The replacement of Fire Station No. 5 shows San Francisco’s commitment to improving our public safety infrastructure,” said City Administrator Naomi Kelly.  “Through the City’s Capital Planning Committee and our Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Program we continue to support projects like Fire Station No. 5 in helping to build a resilient city that will protect and support the residents of San Francisco in critical emergencies.”

In collaboration with the CityBuild program spearheaded by the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Station No. 5 is on target to exceed local hiring expectations. It is anticipated that San Francisco residents will provide more than 30 percent of the projected 61,000 working hours estimated to complete the project.

San Francisco Public Works designed and is overseeing construction of the $14.8 million fire station, which is expected to receive LEED Gold certification for energy and water efficiency.

“The project team has been working hard to ensure this facility will be delivered in a timely and fiscally responsible manner,” said San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. “In less than a year’s time, a new, seismically sound fire station will be up and running to serve the thousands of nearby residents, businesses and visitors.”

Added Andrew Nortz, vice president of operations for Alten Construction, which is the prime contractor for Station 5, “We are proud to partner with the City to build this essential life-safety infrastructure. With every new facility we construct, we strive to raise the bar for ourselves and the building community.”

The Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Bond Program is a component of the City’s Ten-Year Capital Plan – a blueprint prioritizing key capital projects that impact public safety. More information on the ESER Bond Program can be found at www.sfearthquakesafety.org.

About San Francisco Public Works: The 24/7 City agency cleans and resurfaces streets; plants and nurtures City-maintained street trees; designs, constructs and maintains City-owned facilities; inspects streets and sidewalks; builds curb ramps; eradicates graffiti; partners with neighborhoods; trains people for jobs; greens the right of way; and educates our communities.

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