The San Diego City Council approved construction on January 8 of the first on-campus fire station, which will serve the university grounds and adjacent neighborhoods.
The fire station is slated to be built close to the North Torrey Pines Road and Northpoint Driveway intersection, near The Village housing. The University and the City of San Diego will cooperate during the construction process.
According to a university press release, the station will house 12 personnel per 24-hour shift. It also plans to include “three drive-through fire apparatus vehicle bays, administrative offices, kitchen and dining area, day room, reception/watch room, training room, wash room, exercise room and crew quarters.”
The new station is expected to improve emergency response times for the area. This decision came after the city commissioned Citygate Associates, LLC to conduct a study on the deployment of existing fire services. In 2011, the report found the number of services was inadequate, resulting in long response times. With the new station on campus, emergencies can be handled faster without drawing personnel from the rest of the city.
The University’s growing population and the eventual addition of Seventh and Eighth Colleges have made a dedicated fire station necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of the community. This development, compounded with the increasing threat of wildfires in California, makes the new fire station a welcome addition to the campus.
Current councilwoman Barbara Bry was one of the advocates for the UC San Diego fire station. She is currently running for mayor of San Diego, relinquishing her spot for the District 1 City Council race in 2020. Business attorney Will Moore and La Jolla firefighter Aaron Brennan have also announced their candidacy for this seat.
Samir Nomani is a Staff Writer for The Triton.