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Community members and local City of San Jose officials gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fire Station 32 at the corner of Olinder Ct. and Felipe Ave., a facility that will serve as a response to emergencies and a much-needed community response.
The event on Thursday morning, September 26, featured several high-profile speakers, including San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan; District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan; Fire Chief Robert Sapien Jr.; Public Works Director Matt Loesch; and former Mayor Sam Liccardo.
Also in attendance were San Jose Fire Department (SJFD) Engine 16, several deputy chiefs and battalion chiefs, SJFD officials, City Manager Jennifer Maguire and Deputy City Manager Jennifer Schembri, among others.
“I’m told that Station 32, once it opens, will quickly become the busiest station in the city. There is a huge need for emergency response right now, and this will have a huge impact for the community in terms of making people safer, reducing response times, and relieving our often overstretched Department,” said Mayor Mahan.
The official noted that the station will have separate sleeping quarters and bathrooms that will better serve the women and men of the fire department, and noted that the building will be all-electric as part of the city's goal of being "carbon neutral" by 2030.
Fire Chief Robert Sapien, Jr. reiterated the importance of the new facility and what it will do to improve response times to local residents in need.
"This station that we're at today was identified as the most critical need in terms of call demand. What we learned when we prioritized this site was that the five surrounding stations are responsible for 25 percent of the total call volume that is distributed across 34 different fire stations," he said.
Sapien explained that where the station will be located is a very important central service delivery area, and putting the building there will provide much-needed relief to five other stations, as well as improve response times in the immediate area.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in spring 2026.
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