By Jasmine Lewin
The Daily Astorian
SEASIDE, Ore. — Visitors poured into the newly renovated Seaside Fire & Rescue station during an open house Wednesday to admire a revamped design, optimized spaces and seismic retrofitting.
Money for the project came from a $1.7 million award from Business Oregon’s seismic rehabilitation grant program.
The Seaside Fire & Rescue station had been closed to the public since March 2024 due to the renovations, which were headed by Dan Galligan, the project manager with Portland-based O’Brien Construction.
Galligan recruited local contractors in his efforts to retrofit the station. Seaside companies Inland Electric and Diamond Heating provided electrical installation and mechanical services, while Bob McEwan Construction helped with excavation. Out of Warrenton, Ryan Osburn provided plumbing expertise.
“Just knowing that it was local, and that you’re doing something for the community, is huge,” Galligan said.
Although working on a building where fire engines and staff were still being used was sometimes a challenge for the construction and renovation crews, he said that the firefighters were a pleasure to work with and would sometimes help the crews with labor.
Reinforced walls and concrete flooring were installed in accordance with seismic requirements, along with fresh suppression system piping and a new alarm system.
“That was the main focus of the project, to make sure that the place can keep running, keep operational, even in a seismic event,” Galligan said. “So with some of the structural work we did, if something like that were to happen, (that) ensures that they can keep their doors open and keep their trucks moving in and out, even with a bad earthquake or something that would shake that building up.”
Additional improvements
The retrofitting also gave firefighters the opportunity to upgrade other elements of their station. The city of Seaside dedicated $1.5 million for extra improvements.
Through the refurbished lobby, a freshly laminated staircase leads to an expanded kitchen and dining area, equipped with a larger kitchen island and updated appliances.
Past the kitchen is a new laundry unit, which firefighters can use to wash and dry their turnouts, a necessity after returning from battling a blaze or being exposed to a biohazard.
Before the renovations, the washing capacity was limited. And without a dryer unit, it sometimes took days for the team to dry their turnouts with fans.
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“When people only have one set of gear, that’s, you know, not a good situation,” Fire Marshal Genesee Dennis said. “So we ended up buying a big drying unit that we can fit four turnout sets and all their gear in there, and it can be dried within a couple of hours.”
Firefighters also now have their own turnout racks, where they can store gear without worrying about having it overflow into others’ equipment.
To the right of the kitchen, stairs lead to the most noticeable upgrade: a third floor, which houses four new sleeping quarters. Dennis said that Seaside Fire & Rescue is hoping to use those quarters for 24-hour staffing.
“We had four existing rooms, and those were utilized by the interns,” he said. “And we didn’t want to necessarily let that program go. So that was part of the big hurdle to move forward on 24-hour staffing, is to have a place for them to be.”
Seaside Fire & Rescue recently made a pitch for funding to the city to hire two new line staff, which would allow the team to start the round-the-clock shifts.
The open house also gave firefighters the opportunity to provide education to visitors, some of whom Dennis said were unaware that the department is a combination of volunteer and paid firefighters.
“It was good to interact with the public and show them the building,” he said. “But also to visit with them and educate them on what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.”
Dennis said that the project was made possible through the dedication, hard work and collaboration of many different people and teams.
“The city council and administrative staff provided the leadership and resources necessary to bring this vision to life,” he said. “Our firefighters adapted seamlessly throughout the process, ensuring uninterrupted service to the community.
“We also extend our gratitude to the public for their patience and encouragement, and to the contractors whose craftsmanship has given us a station that will serve our community for years to come. This remodel is more than just an upgrade — it is an investment in the future of our fire department and the safety of those we serve.”
Training tower
And the station isn’t the only new update for the team: Firefighters also have been running drills with a recently constructed training tower on Avenue U , which was first used last August.
“This training tower is a vital investment in the preparedness and effectiveness of our firefighters, ensuring they have the necessary skills and experience to serve and protect our community,” Dennis said.
The tower was funded through a 2022 tax levy and allows firefighters to complete live fire exercises to maintain their certifications. Beyond live fire training, it’s also been used for search and rescue, confined space rescue, elevator rescue and roof operations.
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