The city of San Jose hosted a virtual groundbreaking Monday to announce the new Fire Station 20 at Mineta San Jose International Airport.
The new station replaces the existing fire station built in 1963, which served the airport for nearly 60 years.
With new major developments in North San Jose as well as record-high passenger traffic in the airport, the station needed to be upgraded to a state-of-the-art facility, according to city officials.
Station 20 will be a hybrid station, able to put out plane fires and serve the airport as well as the surrounding area’s residents and businesses.
“This will protect the 16 million people that travel through the airport and are in and around the airfield,” San Jose Fire Chief Robert Sapien said in the virtual groundbreaking. “Additionally, the ability to respond outside of the airport will support very busy areas of town, for example, the downtown core and freeway areas as well.”
The fire station will be relocated to the west side of the airport on Coleman Avenue and have an additional bay built to easily access the community.
The relocation will also provide extra space for the airport’s future expansion, which includes a new terminal south of Terminal B, a hotel and a parking garage.
“I am most excited to provide a fire station to our firefighters that meets the professional demands that they confront on a daily basis,” Sapien said.
The new 18,300-square-foot fire station will also have new firefighting technology and training rooms, as well as six firefighter dormitories with showers, a laundry room and a kitchen.
“(Our airport) is our connection to the rest of the world,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said. “It is an important center for employment and of course, it’s a critical economic driver… so we need to continue to invest in this airport, to shine this jewel.”
The total cost of the project will be about $22 million and is expected to be completed by spring 2022, according to fire officials. In the meantime, the old station will continue to be operated.