Foundation settlement issues has lead to some structural damage on the 55-year-old building, which does not conform to current building codes. In addition, the facility doesn’t provide for female accommodations, according to a City Staff report.

The building will be demolished to make way for the new 11,740 square-foot facility.

The new station will feature three bays, a mechanic shop, a kitchen, rooms for dining, lounging and medical supplies, a gym, fuel station, hose-drying tower, emergency training area and 10 dorm rooms.

Costa Mesa Fire Department Chief Dan Stefano said the improvements is a win-win for the public and the department.

“It will have a number of things that will assist not only our efficiencies but also firefighter safety,” Stefano said Tuesday.

Given to age of the structure and its outdated wiring and facade, it was easier to start from scratch rather than perform individual repairs and upgrades, said city spokesman Tony Dodero.

“It would have been the spot for an incident command post for that fire and we would have had an earlier jump on that fire,” Blowing Rock Fire Chief Kent Graham said. “Fortunately, Laurel Fork Baptist Church made their facility available for an incident command post. They were absolutely fantastic.”  

Currently, Blowing Rock Fire Department operates its largest station on Valley Boulevard and Station 2 on U.S. 221. The facility under construction (Station 3), which has been planned since before the property was purchased in 2011, is located at 2409 Aho Road.

Station 3 will feature three bays and have room for an engine, tanker and a brush truck. Graham noted that down the road a medical support response vehicle could be stacked in a bay with a brush truck. The facility will also feature a bunkroom for manning during special situations and a community room for citizens in the Aho and Sampson areas.

Currently, Station 1 is nearly 5 miles away from the future Station 3 location.

Graham noted that the construction of Station 3 should bring all of the property within the Blowing Rock Fire District into a protected fire insurance classification, which will improve both response times and insurance premiums to that area of the fire district.

Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue is borrowing up to $1 million to build Station 3.