The station, located on Wood Avenue near San Jose Boulevard, will respond to emergency dispatch calls for South Carlsbad, said Fire Chief Rick Lopez.

The station is the first and only in Carlsbad to have separate dorm rooms for firefighters to sleep in. Lopez said the other stations have one large room with beds.

"The guys deserve it. I'm proud to give it to them," Lopez said.

Lopez said the department hired nine new firefighters to work at the new station, three for every shift. He said the station has been operating for a week and the firefighters have already received calls in the area.

The plan to refurbish the station floor comes as construction is set to begin on a new $1 million tower truck with a 100-foot ladder. The new truck is expected to weigh about 67,000 pounds - roughly 2,000 pounds more than the department's current ladder truck, which is nearing the end of its recommended 30-year lifespan. The truck is scheduled to be delivered in May by the Pierce Manufacturing company in Wisconsin. The truck's cost was covered by an increase to the borough budget's mill rate in April.

Work on a $960,000 ladder truck for the Dayville Fire Company - also being built by Pierce - continues. According to a manufacturer's update on Jan. 6. the vehicle's aerial device was set to be tested by a third-party. Ladder storage racks are being prepared for installation and pump testing is ready to begin. Dayville fire officials are scheduled to conduct a final inspection on the rig later this month ahead of its delivery in February. To see pictures of the new Dayville Fire Company's ladder truck under construction, go here

As Hutson toured the building, he noticed equipment like binoculars and lights scattered on trucks. Some of their flash lights worth $150 each and dive lights were also missing. Thieves also took off with a fire truck surveillance camera they only had about six months. The department has been saving to get more. "If we have the camera, we can go out there and critique each other," explains Captain Mike Butler.

The most expensive loss is a busted system that supplies air for firefighters' tanks. It's vital equipment that can save their lives while trying to save people and property. "Normally it charges up to about 3,000 to 4,000 PSI (pounds per square inch) and we can't get 20 pounds out of it now," explains Hutson. "We got 20 people on our fire department, every one of them has worked hard for every penny that we've gotten."

The fire department gets most of its money through fundraising events and donations, the rest comes from a small tax. The department is waiting to hear back on what insurance will cover. Family members have set up a gofundme page for the department.

Anyone with information on the burglary is asked to contact the Llano County Sheriff's Office at 325-247-5050. You can report information anonymously to Hill Country Crime Stoppers by calling 1-866-756-8477 or visiting their website. You could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000. Neely Roofing is offering an additional $1,000 reward until March 1, 2017.