Brand new, seismically safe Cow Hollow fire station opens

San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Thursday helped celebrate the opening of The City’s newest fire station.

Fire Station No. 16, located in The City’s Cow Hollow neighborhood at 2251 Greenwich Street, was designed to be seismically safe and meet national accreditation standards.

In addition to having resilient life-safety systems and accessibility features in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the two-story, 10,870-square-foot building includes a mezzanine and rooftop access.

Additionally, the fire station will be equipped with a rotating crew of 33 first responders, with nine firefighters on duty at any given time. It also has an engine truck and a ladder truck.

The new station was built to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Gold certification.

Breed said in a statement:

“When the next major earthquake hits, our first responders need to be able to immediately get to work helping those who have been affected and restoring critical city services. We cannot risk damage to fire stations and other critical response locations. … The new fire station 16 is a perfect example of the investments the city has made in earthquake safety, and I look forward to working over the coming months to bring people together in support of a new earthquake safety bond to continue to prepare San Francisco for the next major disaster.”

Outgoing Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, who is expected to retire sometime this year, said in a statement:

“With this new state-of-the-art facility, the dedicated men and women of the San Francisco Fire Department will be better equipped to serve the surrounding communities during times of crisis and emergency.”

Construction on the $14.2 million project was paid for through The City’s Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Bond Program, according to the Mayor’s Office.

In 2010, the city’s voters approved a $412 million ESER Bond and in 2014, voters approved a second $400 million ESER Bond.