At Tuesday night’s Atascadero City Council meeting, council members approved temporary housing quarters for the city’s two fire stations while they undergo construction starting in January 2026.
The city dedicated roughly $32 million to its Public Safety Facilities Upgrade Project, which was passed in February.
Fire Station 1 will be completely reconstructed. The new two-story building will have bedrooms and firefighter space located on the top story. Day-to-day operations will take place on the bottom floor with a new engine bay to store more upgraded equipment. Construction is estimated to take 18 months.
The current structure is outdated, according to Fire Captain Matt Miranda. The building was built in 1952.
Temporary housing units for Station 1 include a mobile home for personnel along with garage structures for the fire engines. They will be located down the road from Station 1’s current address, at the armory on Olmeda Avenue.
Fire Station 2 upgrades will include new living quarters, updated restrooms, a lobby and public restroom, as well as a decontamination room to fight toxins. Temporary housing will be on-site and it’s expected to take up to a year to complete.
“It’s like an insurance policy,” resident David Mac said of the importance of local fire stations. “Nobody worries about it until there’s a fire situation. Once the dryness sets in, you have a wind condition… it can turn into a fire emergency. Having a local fire department couldn’t be more important in those situations.
According to Miranda, Station 1’s equipment isn’t all under one roof. The same goes for fire personnel with the battalion chief, fire chief, and fire marshal working from city hall down the street.
Residents say they’re thrilled Measure D-20 tax funds are going toward their local first responders.
They all deserve an upgrade, especially the firefighters,” Shop Little Cousins store owner Katie Rosevear said. “Anything to help them, you know? They do things none of us want to do. I’m super excited for them to get new, new buildings.