City leaders on Tuesday celebrated the opening of a new San Diego Fire-Rescue Department station in University City.
Station 50 is located at 7177 Shoreline Drive, off Nobel Drive a little west of Interstate 805. The 12,000 square-foot building is three stories high and has three apparatus bays, a sleeping area for up to 10 firefighters, a kitchen, a day room, a watch room, a gym and a training room.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who was scheduled to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony along with fire Chief Colin Stowell, touted it as the sixth new fire station to be built during his tenure, which began in 2014 and will end next month when he reaches the end of his term.
The city has renovated four other stations during that same time, according to a press release.
The new stations were built in City Heights, Little Italy, Mission Valley, Point Loma and Hillcrest. The city renovated stations in La Jolla, Mira Mesa, North Park and Southcrest.
"There's no bigger priority than public safety and the record investments we're making right now to protect the quality of life in our neighborhoods will last for generations," Faulconer said in a statement. "This new fire station will ensure that University City has the public safety facilities it needs as this neighborhood continues to grow and evolve with new homes and businesses near a thriving research university."
The mayor and fire chief were also expected to showcase the city's newest firefighting apparatus, a tractor-trailer aerial truck designed for battling blazes in high-density residential areas.
According to the news release and a video from the city, the hose can be controlled remotely instead of requiring a firefighter at the top of the ladder. It has the capacity to douse flames with up to 1,500 gallons of water per minute.
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