In September, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded nearly $1.2 million to the City of Tacoma for the $4.1 million renovation of the 30-year-old, weather-beaten Fire Station No. 5 near Old Town Tacoma’s waterfront. The City, in turn, was slated to direct $296,433 in matching funds from its biennial budget for the project. “The funding will add additional moorage and equipment to the Fire Station No. 5 retro-fit project and pay for Port [of Tacoma] security-specific equipment for the Fireboat Commencement and the joint Port of Tacoma/Tacoma Fire fast response vessel,” said interim City Manager Rey Arellano in a report to city council.

In March, Tacoma City Council approved a purchase resolution awarding a $411,105 contract to Reid Middleton to complete design and permitting work on the old fire station.

According to Tacoma Fire Department representative Roger Edington, the fire station, which is located at 3301 Ruston Way and sits on a pier over Commencement Bay, is in need of seismic retrofitting, and the pier’s pilings suffer from “broken brace timbers, marine borer damage, split sections, and heavy fungal damage.” The damage is so severe, a fire boat typically moored at the station was relocated to station 18 on the Tacoma tide flats. “It’s of pretty significant importance in terms of the Tacoma Fire Department providing marine services,” Edington told councilmembers in February. By being located on the tide flats, the fire boat has to travel a significant distance in a five-mile-per-hour zone before it can increase its speed and respond to emergencies on Commencement Bay and near Point Defiance Park and Tacoma Narrows Bridge, added Edington. Renovating the fire station would also help in maintaining the accreditation it was awarded in 2009 by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.

The site has not had any major maintenance work or renovations since it opened in 1980. The $4,088,000 upgrade would be paid for by directing $3 million from bonds issued by the city two years ago, and $1,088,000 from a federal port security grant. The work would be completed in three phases. At one point, the overall project was expected to be completed in February 2013.

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FEMA awards $1.2M toward Tacoma fire station renovation (09/01/11) — http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=2030799&more=0

Tacoma City Council OKs contract for fire station renovation (03/31/11) — http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1951158&more=0

Tacoma moves forward on $4.1M waterfront fire station renovation (03/01/11) — http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1934086&more=0