1/29/22 COMMUNITY MEETING
Since 2019, City of Oakland Real Estate agents have been searching and monitoring the market throughout 2019, 2020, and 2021 using proprietary databases, field surveys, word of mouth and recommendations from the community, for a viable site for the relocation of Fire Station 4.
Initially proposed as an element of the San Antonio Park Master Plan in Spring of 2021, the Fire Station 4 relocation to the park was met with significant community concern, combined with requests for more robust public discussion of alternatives, so the City pulled the process out to allow for a dedicated discussion and decision-making process to be responsive to those requests.
Please join us on Saturday, 1/29/22 @10am, as the Project Team provides analyses on sites reviewed and shares key findings related to the relocation of Fire Station 4:
- In-Person: 1235 International Blvd (Limited space; RSVP by clicking on GREEN button above)
- Online: Zoom link https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83985271042?pwd=MFE1ZFFLak1teVoyYjNuOFJIdFJVZz09
To access the Spanish interpreting of this meeting please call +1 669 900 6833 Meeting ID: 836 8357 9052 To access the Cantonese interpreting of this meeting please call +1 669 900 6833 Meeting ID: 864 4807 6020
BACKGROUND
The current Fire Station 4 was originally designed in 1909 and is located at 1235 International Boulevard; it is one of the oldest public buildings in the City. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is one of the busiest stations, responding to nearly 4000 calls per year, with one Fire Engine and one Ladder Truck.
CURRENT CHALLENGES
- Station does not meet modern fire service standards
- Lacks adequate facilities to accommodate a mixed-gender workforce
- Narrow building width and lack of distance between street and firehouse doors create traffic safety and other related hazards
- Does not meet ADA, NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), or OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards
- Building incapable of meeting a range of community response and resilience needs and unable to serve as a hub for disaster recovery activities due to limited available training, storage, and meeting space
NEW STATION OPPORTUNITIES
- Will be built to stand in support of the neighborhood for a century, just as the existing Station 4
- Newer stations provide a reduced carbon footprint, greater operating efficiency, and lower operating costs for the departments and City taxpayers/residents
- Relocating to a central location, along an arterial thoroughfare, will improve the department’s ability to plan and respond to all manner of incidents in the station’s vicinity, ultimately improving public health and safety
- Opportunities for Fire personnel to play larger role in community with station serving as a usable public space to host a wide range of safety education, community engagement, etc. and provide pathways for mentorship and career development
- With 24-7-365 operating hours, immediate area around station may experience less crime/violence/blight, as station serves as a second home for Fire personnel who have shared community concerns
- Incorporation of community/neighborhood values through exterior design and art for the new station