Fire Station 32 opens its doors for a preview of its future

| Triangle | West Seattle news

For kids, today’s Fire Station 32 open house in The Triangle was a chance to get an up-close look at Engine 32, otherwise only publicly viewable when roaring down the street with lights and siren. For other visitors, it was a chance to preview the station’s future:

Renderings on easels and cardboard models on tables were used for an early look at what the all-new Station 32 will be like.

It’ll be a three-story structure, designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, built on the same site as the current one at 37th and Alaska:

The construction is still a ways off – about a year and a half, according to the timetable the city gave us for this story we published three months ago; the station will have to relocate during construction. Once it’s done, it’ll have an expanded role in SFD operations, as explained on the project webpage.

Aaron June 2, 2013 (11:36 pm)

Too bad I couldn’t have gone. I would’ve asked Seattle officials why it has taken TEN YEARS to get these stations done.

Folks, we voted for this capital improvements levy in 2003!!! I absolutely voted yes, because I think it is very worth it to invest in infrastructure like this. We need our first responders to be prepared. However, had I known it would be so mismanaged, I would’ve voted no.

The program is underfunded, and it has taken the city a decade to get a ***some*** of the neighborhood stations done. Obviously Station 32 is still waiting (and others as well).

Talk to any firefighter from Seattle, and they’ll tell you what the score is. Failure from within the SFD, failure from within fleets and facilities (because Seattle Fire doesn’t actually “own” their stations, instead they “lease” them from Seattle. I know, weired…)

Too bad the media isn’t all over this boondoggle.

Cassandra June 3, 2013 (9:34 am)

With the design for the new stations scheduled for 3 stories I just hope they allow for a fire pole. I’ve heard that some of the remodels are not being built with poles, I’ve spoken with other Firefighters and they worry it could slow their response times especially on a 3 story station. Plus it’s a pretty iconic emblem, my daughters always enjoy seeing the shiny fire pole at the station.

Chris June 4, 2013 (3:48 pm)

State regulations do not allow poles in new fire stations, and new fire stations must have at least the crew dorm on the same floor as the apparatus bay. The city can request a variance, and Seattle has done so for some of their other stations in downtown.

Hopefully the design has a majority of the crew quarters on the main floor. This will allow for even quicker reaction/response times.

Utterly ridiculous that they’ll be building on the same site. Way too small. This levy process has been poorly managed and the station designs are baffling. Hope this one turns out at least “OK.”

robert June 4, 2013 (5:14 pm)

WAY TO MANY POGUES “DOWN-TOWN playing big shot with the funding in stead of using it for what it was allocated for. Seattle has always had to many chief’s and not enough “indians” in the city politics, all of them driving a new PRIUS. they should have a requirement that ALL FIRE DEPARTMENT office personel be firemen or women ,not pencil pushers. things would change very fast..

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