San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today joined City officials and community leaders to celebrate the completion of the new San Francisco Fire Department Emergency Medical Services Station No. 49, which will serve as the home of the Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services Division and house the City’s fleet of ambulances.
The new 58,451-square-foot facility, located at 2241 Jerrold Avenue in the Bayview, stands four stories tall and replaces the previous Emergency Medical Services headquarters, which was located in San Francisco Fire Department’s logistics warehouse at 1415 Evans Avenue. The new headquarters has state-of-the-art technologies designed to meet the specialized needs of Emergency Medical Services staff and will allow first responders to better prepare their ambulances for deployment when responding to calls for emergencies and health crises.
“The new Emergency Medical Services Station will help our first responders meet the demands of our growing city,” said Mayor Breed. “This new facility will help our first responders do what they do best – get out there quickly to people in need. Whether it’s responding to everyday emergency calls or handling the next big disaster, we need to be ready.”
Each year, the San Francisco Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services Division responds to approximately 90,000 calls, which averages 250 calls on a given day. The division staff, which consists of 200-plus paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians, responds to an extensive array of medical and traumatic injuries, including but not limited to vehicular accidents, large multi-casualty accidents, bicycle crashes, maritime injuries, heart attacks, drug overdoses and behavioral health emergencies.
“This new Fire Facility is a crucial investment for the future of emergency response in San Francisco,” said San Francisco Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson. “As the first facility solely dedicated to the Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services Division, our paramedics and EMTs will be better prepared for the job and able to more efficiently serve San Francisco residents when they need us the most.”
The new facility, which was built from the ground up, is seismically safe and designed to withstand a major earthquake or other natural disaster. Its design achieved sustainable LEED Gold rating for new construction and will allow ambulances to provide optimal operations for first responders across the City. The building is equipped with parking for the City’s ambulance fleet, storage for crucial ambulance supplies and restocking, Emergency Medical Services offices, conference and training rooms, locker rooms and communal space for first responders. There also is an on-site fueling station, an emergency 72-hour generator, solar panels and will feature entry gates with public art by local artist Michael Bartalos. Bartalos' Serving the City speaks to the history and visual vernacular of the Emergency Medical Services and the communities that it serves. The gates depict San Francisco's neighborhoods and landmarks and express the strength, courage and commitment of the ambulance personnel working within the new facility.
“Having a state-of-the-art Emergency Medical Service Station in District 10 has me overjoyed,” said President of the Board of Supervisors Shamann Walton. “The ability to address emergencies swiftly is the difference between life and death, and I’m excited about having this facility in our own backyard. This major investment will save lives and improve our ability to rapidly respond to emergency calls.”
“Whether in times of great disaster or for urgent medical calls, we need to ensure our EMTs and paramedics are well equipped to help,” said San Francisco City Administrator Carmen Chu. “San Franciscans understand the importance of investing in our first response infrastructure including the new home of the Fire Department's Emergency Medical Services Division.”
San Francisco Public Works managed the $50.1 million project and hired MEI/MarJang Joint-Venture Architects for the design of the building. S.J. Amoroso Construction served as the general contractor for the project. From the start of construction in fall 2018, the project has provided 77 jobs, resulting in nearly 100,000 working hours.
“As with each of our construction management and design jobs, Public Works is proud to deliver another world-class project that will serve San Franciscans for generations to come,” said Acting Public Works Director Alaric Degrafinried. “We take great pride in partnering with skilled contractors and other City agencies to provide capital infrastructure projects to serve the critical needs of our diverse communities.”
The San Francisco Fire Department Emergency Medical Services Station No. 49 replacement project was funded by the 2016 Public Health and Safety Bond, which allocated $350 million toward capital improvements for City facilities to meet the critical health and safety needs of San Francisco. San Francisco voters approved the bond with nearly 80 percent support.
To continue work to help meet of the critical needs of the City, San Francisco voters in November 2020 approved the Health and Recovery Bond. This $487.5 million bond will fund essential City infrastructure and support San Franciscan’s mental and physical health with new investments in parks, open spaces, behavioral health facilities and housing and shelter for vulnerable populations. To learn more about San Francisco’s General Obligation bond programs, please visit onesanfrancisco.org.