CA Fire Department Opens First New Station in 14 Years

For the first time in 14 years, Chula Vista has a new fire station.

On Friday, Fire Station 10 began its official first day of operations at Millenia Avenue across the street from the Ayres Hotel.

Chula Vista likes to celebrate new things. In 2018, the city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new fire engine. But the coronavirus pandemic prevented any festivities at Fire Station 10.

"Normally, we would have held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate Station 10 and invite the community, but with the pandemic, that's not an option," Chula Vista Fire Department Chief Jim Geering said in a statement. "However, the Chula Vista Fire Department is ready to serve the City of Chula Vista and we look forward to meeting our new neighbors in the future."

Station 10 was built to serve the Millenia and Otay Ranch neighborhoods of eastern Chula Vista.

The 13,435-square-foot station will house a fire engine, fire truck and an ambulance. It also has enough space to house 10 firefighter. To maximize response times, the station also as a traffic light-controlled intersection.

Chula Vista paid for the $8.1 million fire station with Development Impact Fees.

The city is currently rebuilding two separate fire stations – both of them in southwestern Chula Vista.

Station 5 will relocate to 341 Orange Ave. and Station 9 will be on 100 Moss St. Both of those construction projects are being funded with Measure P, a sales tax increase passed in 2016.

The price tag for those stations is expected to be $17.9 million and they should be complete by the middle of 2021.

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