On the southwest corner of Bushard Street and Warner Avenue, an old, vacant office building has been demolished and plans are in place for a new and improved Fountain Valley Fire Department Fire Station No. 1.
The Fountain Valley City Council in April 2023 agreed to purchase the 2.86-acre lot for $8.1 million. The new station will allow the department to improve response times, administer onsite training, implement cost-recovery opportunities, and serve multiple purposes, rather than only fire response, officials said.
FVFD Battalion Chief Matt Barr said while the current campus just one mile south has served Fountain Valley well for more than 60 years, “it limits [FVFD’s] ability to be progressive and carry out our all-risk vision for our organization.”
The infrastructure is outdated, and the near-double acreage will allow for the function of the station to be multifaceted. Barr mentioned the fire department could explore the idea of housing ambulances and ambulance staff in the new station, as well as design an Emergency Operations Center, a facility that would serve as a central location for meetings, classroom training sessions and other administrative needs.
Barr, who has been with FVFD for 22 years, also said the new station could improve response times, since it will no longer be directly across from Fountain Valley High School and Valley Vista High School. The new station is farther north, which is less congested during peak school morning and afternoon rush periods. The new station will be able to support multiple types of training, meaning fire personnel can remain within city limits during sessions.
As for the fate of the old station? The city is currently discussing its options, Barr said, but no decision has been made. Fire personnel will continue to work at the current station until the new station is complete.
“Finding a site to build on that meets our current and projected needs was challenging, since the city is pretty built-out, and we needed to ensure we maintained appropriate station coverage.” Barr said. “As our department continues to evolve to meet the ever-changing demands of the fire service, our headquarters station must evolve as well.”