information from the Seattle Fire Department
The Seattle Fire Department and Seattle Fire Fighters Union, Local 27, invite the community to attend an Open House and Dedication at Fire Station 32 in West Seattle. The event will take place on Saturday, November 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 3715 SW Alaska Street. Community members will have the opportunity to tour the new station, meet their local firefighters, explore children’s activities, and enjoy refreshments.
Station 32 Background
Located in the center of West Seattle, the new Station 32 houses a battalion chief (Battalion 7), engine company (Engine 32), ladder truck (Ladder 11), and medic unit (Medic 32).
Fire Station 32 is one of 32 neighborhood fire stations undergoing upgrades, renovation or replacement through the Fire Facilities and Emergency Response Program which was approved by Seattle voters in 2003.
The old Station 32 (located in the same location), was approximately 40 years old and needed replacement. The building systems were old, and the station offered inadequate space for modern apparatus and staffing levels. The station was also out of regulatory compliance in many areas, and was structurally substandard for seismic survivability.
Given the old station’s condition and the capacity of the station to play a more central role in West Seattle, the Station was completely rebuilt at the existing location. As part of the rebuild, Station 32 received major improvements and became the lead station for Battalion 7, which covers all of West Seattle, southwest Seattle, Harbor Island and the industrial areas lining both sides of the Duwamish River.
The Fire Station 32 project was developed by the City of Seattle’s Department of Finance and Administrative Services, designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, and built by Howard S. Wright. Construction began in February 2016 and was completed in August 2017.
The artwork in front of the station, “Engine 32 1/2”, was designed and created by Sean Orlando. The artwork is a fabricated steel site-integrated sculpture, designed to inspire and reflect the surrounding community. “Engine 32 1/2” is a nod to West Seattle firefighters of the past, and an inspiration to the future firefighters of tomorrow.
