An effort is underway to renovate a small fire station in La Jolla’s Mount Soledad area, with local Rotarians looking to raise more than $100,000 to upgrade the sleeping quarters for the firefighters stationed there.
The city of San Diego has approved what is considered a Phase 1 plan shepherded by the La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club to replace walls and doors in the sleeping areas, as well as other improvements.
Fire Station 16 at 2110 Via Casa Alta was built in 1982 and has had small upgrades since, but no major renovations, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
“The station was designed as an open concept and had partial doors that covered from the ground to a height of about eight feet,” said Assistant Fire Chief Dan Eddy. Rather than doors built floor to ceiling, they are corrugated plastic sheets.
“Multiple stations in SDFD still have shared dorm rooms separated by curtains or doors like Fire Station 16,” Eddy said.
That presents chances for firefighters’ sleep to be disrupted, Rotarians say.
“The whole room is controlled by one light switch, so without doors that go to the ceiling, if someone turns on a light, they would affect everyone else,” said Sunrise Rotarian Parker Davenport. “Same for heating and cooling. They are all in one space, which is not ideal.
“We propose to construct floor-to-ceiling walls and doors so they have privacy and can control lighting and air flow through windows, which we are replacing. It’s giving their living standards a big upgrade.”
The doors of the sleeping quarters at Fire Station 16 in La Jolla are planned to be replaced. (Parker Davenport)
Over the past year, Davenport added, the club has worked with the Fire-Rescue Department, Fire-Rescue Foundation and applicable city departments to make the improvements happen.
“The whole station could use a remodel, but because of restrictions on day-to-day operations, we are limited to remodeling the sleeping quarters,” Davenport said. “But this is the most important part to remodel because sleep is the most important thing for firefighters. The sleeping quarters are not good, and I don’t think anyone that lives in that jurisdiction wants their firefighters to get bad sleep.”
Cindy Goodman, a member of the Rotary Club of La Jolla, which is supporting the Sunrise Rotary Club in the effort, agreed, saying “If you go up there, you wouldn’t want to sleep there and you wouldn’t want anyone you care about to sleep there. … They are in terrible condition.”
Four crew members at a time are assigned to Station 16 daily, Eddy said.
“We have had the opportunity through city and community funding to [provide] upgrades over the years at other stations, but not all,” he said. “The generosity of the Rotary Club in wanting to make these changes is greatly appreciated. This upgrade would allow for more privacy and better air flow in the station. It would also allow for sound blocking/dampening when crew members are resting.”
Should Rotarians come up with the money and materials, the city will provide the labor, Davenport said.
Thus, Sunrise Rotary and other clubs plan to present fundraisers big and small to raise at least $120,000 for the project. Davenport said a final number isn’t immediately available, as the city is working on its estimate.
The Rotarians already have secured a grant for around $12,000 to kick-start the fundraising. The hope, Davenport said, is to start work on the project at the beginning of next year, but he said it depends on how fundraising goes.
For Davenport, causes like this are personal.
“Going through college, I was a lifeguard, so I had a lot of friends that became firefighters,” he said. “And I know [that] as a first responder, a lot of things can go wrong, so you want to be as prepared as you can be. … We chose sleeping quarters first because it is so important for them to get good sleep.”
Through his job with Arista Architects, Davenport worked under fellow Rotarian Trip Bennett, who helped with a similar project to renovate a La Jolla fire station.
“He is a big figure in my life and he handed it off to me, so this is an homage to him,” Davenport said. “It feels like a passing of the torch.”
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation can accept donations earmarked for this project. Learn more at sdfirerescue.org.
Davenport said any excess funds would be rolled over to the next phase.
Eventually, he said, the plan is to renovate the rest of the station to include improvements to the kitchen, make the bathroom compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and rearrange the laundry area.
Though work hasn’t started yet, the Rotary clubs are already getting acclaim for their efforts.
“I thank the La Jolla [Sunrise] Rotary Club for their fundraising efforts, those volunteering their time and expertise and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation for their collective efforts to deliver this long-overdue renovation of Fire Station 16,” said San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes La Jolla. “Every community project has its moment, and I am grateful that the firefighters of Station 16 can look forward to improved sleeping and operational accommodations.”
LaCava added that this effort is “similar to previous privately funded renovations at other fire stations” in District 1.
In the early 2000s, Rotarians raised $700,000 in monetary and in-kind donations for renovations to Fire Station 13 across from La Jolla High School. The project, which included upgrades to the living quarters and exercise areas, was completed in 2007 after 18 months.
Also in the 2000s, community members launched the “Give in Kind to Station 9” initiative, encouraging La Jollans to donate to the fire station at 7870 Ardath Lane. The station received a total of $82,000 between 2010 and December 2012. ♦