After nearly five decades, Carlsbad will soon begin construction on a new fire station to replace its outdated location along El Camino Real, the city celebrated on Tuesday.
Built in 1969, Fire Station No. 2 was originally designed to house just one firefighter. The building is covered in wooden shingles along the roof and sides that were outlawed years ago because they are, ironically, a fire hazard. Additionally, the engine bays are also too short and shallow to fit modern-day firefighting equipment.
Now that the station is meant to house at least five firefighters and current equipment demands more space, the building is well overdue for a makeover. Carlsbad Fire Department Chief Mike Calderwood said the construction will be a welcomed change.
“I'm thrilled, and not just as a fire chief, but as a former firefighter who used to work out of this station and ride on the engines and ambulances out of here,” he told NBC 7. “It's really exciting and I'm excited for the community and for the firefighters that will be working here in the future, that they'll have a fire station that they can be proud of.”
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Thanks to North County residents approving Measure O in 2016, funding for the $13 million project was approved by voters. The new station will be more than double its current size, have large bays and will offer plenty of space for the crew.
Demolition on the old station is scheduled to begin in July, with construction on the new building set to follow soon after. In the meantime, Fire Station No. 2 will operate out of a temporary location in the parking lot of Dove Library.
If all goes according to plan, Carlsbad’s new fire station could be completed in summer 2022.
