Fire Station No. 18 made its first call Tuesday, Nov. 14, one day before a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opened it. After almost a year under construction, the city’s newest fire station is now ready to serve at the corner of Ayers and Saratoga. It will cover the west side and part of the south side of the city.
The $1.8 million, two-bay station is complete with living quarters, office space and a training room. Funding was approved by voters in a 2008 bond package.
The station is designed to take some of the work load off Fire Station No. 10, one of the busiest stations in the nation, recording more than 9,000 calls last year. That’s an average of 24 calls per day, according to reports.
Meant to hold 15 new firefighters, the station is instead being staffed by crew from Fire Station No. 1 downtown, reported the Corpus Christi Fire Department. Some residents, especially those in North Beach, are raising concerns that downtown area coverage will be stretched and unreliable because of the double staffing. City Council is expected to address the issue during a December meeting.