TF’s Fire Station Initiative
Our mission is to promote Tierrasanta’s general welfare and interests through various community events that benefit the well-being and quality of life of all Tierrasantans. We raise funds by putting on events and then we spend the funds on initiatives that improve the community.
The Foundation started the Fire Station Initiative in 2018 to replace and improve the neglected landscaping of San Diego Fire Station 39, located on La Cuenta Drive in Tierrasanta.
Neglect began when water restrictions imposed by the State and City and budget cuts, and this resulted in the Station 39 having the worst landscaping on the street. On top of that, it was left to the fire station crew to maintain the landscape … without the benefit of any water!
The Foundation worked closely with the City of San Diego and San Diego Fire & Rescue Department to remedy this. We submitted a landscape design plan, obtained the necessary Right of Entry permit, and paid a huge insurance bill in order to change the Station 39’s landscape into something much nicer and more drought tolerant. The new landscaping was completed in 2019. Our thanks to Andrea Sills Landscape Design for her donated design, and to Joel Nealon of Nealon Landscape for his donated labor to complete the work.
Word gets around in the rank and file first-responder community, and now TF’s success in improving Station 39 is being replicated in other stations across the city. In 2020 we broke ground to renew the landscape at Fire Station 12 in Lincoln Park, and in 2022 we’re working on the landscapes of Station 29 in San Ysidro (still in progress) and Station 5 in Hillcrest (this work is done).
Our efforts outside of Tierrasanta, though infrequent, is not unique. Our overall goal is to get a new firehouse built in Tierrasanta to replace the existing facility that does not house all crew members under one roof (the ambulance crews, made up of 2 members, must live in an old trailer behind the station). On top of that, the crews do not have a safe area in which to exercise; due to space limitations, the workout equipment is in the garage area next to the fire truck, which is a toxic and carcinogenic environment.
TF’s long goal is to replace this fire station and turn it from one of the worst in the city to one of the best. If you’d like to help, please donate to our Fire Station Project today by clicking the button below!
Fire Station 39 - Tierrasanta
Fire Station 29 - San Ysidro
Fire Station 12 - Lincoln Park
Fire Station 5 - Hillcrest
