Officials broke ground Thursday on fire stations in Mission Valley and the East County community of Boulevard.
The more than 16,000-square-foot station in Mission Valley will be across Friars Road from Qualcomm Stadium, where a temporary facility has been for seven years.
The two-story structure will have 16 dormitory-style rooms and five vehicle bays, according to the city of San Diego.
Two fire vehicles and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department's Hazardous Materials Team will be located at the facility.
The HazMat crew will move from Mira Mesa to the more centrally located new facility when it's complete, SDFRD Chief Javier Mainar said at a news conference.
The new station also will reduce response times. According to Mainar, the fire trucks now are required to make right turns onto eastbound Friars Road, even when the address to which they are responding is to the west.
Responses also are slowed when stadium events are underway, the chief said.
The Boulevard station will serve 78 square miles of San Diego's fire-prone backcountry. The 7,866-square-foot structure will house both county volunteer firefighters and staff from Cal Fire, according to county officials.
"This is not only a big step for our community, it's an important step for the broader region," Supervisor Dianne Jacob said, who represents the area. "This project is the latest demonstration of the county's commitment to beefing up fire protection and emergency medical response in our rural areas."
The current Cal Fire facility in Boulevard is scheduled to be shuttered when the new station is completed, according to the county.
