posted on April 22, 2011 01:03
The San Antonio Fire Department broke ground Friday on a new 13,000-square-foot station to replace an older, smaller facility on Hillcrest Street.
“Our fire apparatus have literally outgrown this existing station,” says Fire Chief Charles N. Hood. “With the replacement station, our space will grow by over 10,000 square feet to give us the room we need for our firefighting equipment. By building next to the current station, the community will continue to receive outstanding service from our firefighters and paramedics.”
The existing station was built in 1964 and it consists of 2,760 square feet of space. Fire officials say this station is one of a number of older facilities throughout the city that faces challenges in accommodating newer fire equipment. Both the size of fire engines and ladder trucks have increased substantially and it is becoming increasingly more difficult finding vehicles that can fit inside these older stations.
The new station will include expanded bays for the fire engine and medic unit. The station also will be fitted with proper storage areas for personal protective equipment to increase overall workplace safety. The station will also be built using green construction techniques and will have a rainwater collection system to gather water for irrigation.
Guido Brothers Construction Co. is the general contractor for the project. Fire department officials say the company awarded 17 contracts to small, minority or women business enterprises. Disadvantaged firms will perform 73.5 percent of the contract.
“Our goal is to have the least possible impact on the surrounding residential neighborhoods and be considerate of their need as we complete this state-of-the-art facility,” Guido Brothers CEO Maryanne Guido says. “We plan on being proactive and minimize construction traffic to and from the site as much as possible.”
4/8/11, San Antonio Business Journal