South Beach fire bond offers practical, cost-conscious approach

Published 1:30 am Monday, June 29, 2026

For decades, South Beach firefighters have answered emergency calls from a building that was never designed to be a fire station.

The Westport station has served our community well, but it was built in 1972 for another purpose and later adapted to support a volunteer fire department. Today, our community relies on a modern emergency response organization that responds to fires, medical emergencies, rescues and natural disasters. The building no longer provides the functionality, safety features or location needed to support that mission.

That is why South Beach Regional Fire Authority voters will consider a bond measure on the Aug. 4 ballot to renovate an existing building into a modern fire station.

Importantly, this proposal is not about constructing a brand-new facility. It is about making a fiscally responsible investment in a building we have already acquired. Renovating the Englewood property will cost less than building a new station while providing many features our firefighters and community expect.

Public safety is one of the primary reasons this project is needed.

The current station is located in a flood and tsunami zone and was not built to modern earthquake standards. It is also not centrally located within our growing service area. The Englewood property sits at a higher elevation outside identified flood and tsunami zones and offers faster access to major roadways in multiple directions. During a major disaster, first responders must be able to remain operational and reach residents when they need help most.

Just as importantly, a fire station should be a place where community members can seek assistance and refuge during an emergency. The proposed location is better positioned to fulfill both of those responsibilities.

The project is also about protecting the firefighters who protect you.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of firefighter line-of-duty deaths. Anyone who has spent time in the fire service knows colleagues, friends or mentors whose lives have been changed — or cut short — by occupational cancer. In our current station, firefighters sleep, eat and spend much of their time directly above the apparatus bay. That means they are continually exposed to diesel exhaust and other contaminants that modern stations are specifically designed to control.

The renovated facility would allow us to incorporate modern health and safety improvements, including diesel exhaust removal and decontamination systems that help reduce firefighters’ exposure to cancer-causing carcinogens. That investment is important not only for the people serving today, but also for recruiting and retaining the next generation of firefighters who will serve South Beach in the future.

This bond measure represents a practical, cost-conscious approach to improving public safety, strengthening emergency preparedness and providing firefighters with a healthier and safer place to serve.