A huge floating fire station will make its permanent home in San Francisco early Thursday morning.
A new Fireboat Station 35 will house the San Francisco Fire Department’s three fireboats and rescue watercraft, replacing the existing 105-year-old fire station on the Embarcadero, according to the city’s Public Works department. The existing building is “vastly undersized” to meet the fire department’s current needs, and does not meet seismic-safety standards.
San Francisco Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson said in a statement that disasters like the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the massive fire that destroyed a warehouse on Pier 45 back in May and constant water rescues performed by the department demonstrate the importance of the new station.
“The project will provide new and upgraded infrastructure and facilities for emergency equipment and personnel that’s needed to optimize the critical work the perform as first responders,” Nicholson said.