After more than four decades, firefighters at San Diego Fire Station 16 are finally getting something most people take for granted: a quiet, private place to sleep.The station on Mount Soledad is undergoing its first major renovation since opening in 1982, replacing cramped, makeshift sleeping quarters with insulated private rooms designed to give firefighters the uninterrupted rest they need between emergency calls.The nearly $150,000 project, now in its final stages, culminates years of discussion and planning.Led by the nonprofit San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation, the Rotary Club of La Jolla and La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club, the effort has drawn support from architects, contractors, businesses, city staff and hundreds of community donors.“This has been in the works since before the pandemic, so it’s been a long journey to get here,” said Wendy Moore, executive director of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation. “But once we finally got everything lined up and in place, it happened surprisingly smoothly.”
Prioritizing firefighters’ well-being
The renovation replaces the station’s aging open-concept dormitory, where firefighters slept behind makeshift partitions and accordion doors that were short in length.
“The firefighters’ bedroom doors were corrugated plastic that latched and squeaked,” said Cindy Goodman, president of the Rotary Club of La Jolla. “They didn’t even go to the ceiling, so every sound, every smell, every light — it all went from room to room. There was no privacy.”The remodeled dorms include insulated walls, full-height doors, new windows, flooring, lockers, cabinets, desks, chairs, mattresses, bedding, televisions, individual lighting, white-noise machines and additional storage. The station is also sporting a new exterior and fresh interior paint.Moore said the improvements are about much more than face value and a higher level of comfort for the firefighters.“Sleep deprivation is so closely linked to mental health and cardiac issues, and they’re working these strange hours,” Moore said. “Anything we can do to help them rest and restore themselves is important.”Architect Parker Davenport, who has donated his time to lead the project, said the sleeping quarters are the team’s top priority.“What’s really important is their ability to get a good night’s sleep so they can respond efficiently to calls,” Davenport said.Davenport, a member of La Jolla Sunrise Rotary and a project manager with Arista Architects, was recruited by retired architect and fellow Rotarian Tripp Bennett, who helped lead the successful remodel of Fire Station 13 in 2007,
New windows that provide firefighters views from nearly the top of Mt. Soledad at FS 16 (Photo by Karen Pearlman/Special for Times of San Diego)“Being in the architecture profession, I had the tools to create a floor plan and work through the cost estimates,” Davenport said. “It was a good opportunity to use those skills through Rotary to give back.”He said one of the most rewarding moments has been watching firefighters see their new rooms take shape.“It’s been really awesome to see the firefighters walk into their rooms after they were framed,” Davenport said. “Seeing their reactions has been pretty gratifying.”Goodman said the renovation reflects what can happen when community organizations, businesses, and residents work together.Two grants — $5,200 from the City of San Diego’s Community Projects, Programs and Services program, and $11,000 from Rotary District 5340 — helped fund the project, along with donations from local businesses and residents. One of the most memorable gifts came from students at The Evans School, who raised more than $8,000 through their annual gratitude project.The renovation has also benefited from donated materials and services provided by Arista Architects, Tucker Sadler Architects, Cultura, Sherwin-Williams, JB Pacific, Foundation Building Materials, Classic Hardwood Floors, Geneva Flooring and Tri-West Flooring, along with support from San Diego Fire-Rescue Department personnel and City of San Diego staff.Fire Station 16, at 2110 Via Casa Alta, serves La Jolla and surrounding neighborhoods across approximately 3.45 square miles.Construction has been carefully phased, so emergency response continues uninterrupted.During the renovation, firefighters spend nights at nearby Fire Station 52 on the UC San Diego campus before returning to Station 16 during the day.Project organizers hope to begin a second phase in the future to renovate the station’s kitchen if additional funding allows.Capt. Paul Shuttleworth, who serves at Station 16, says the improvements represent an investment in the people who protect the community.“Having a safe, comfortable place to rest between emergency calls isn’t a luxury — it’s essential,” Shuttleworth said. “This dorm remodel will make a real difference for the crews who serve our community every day.”
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