Beaumont Breaks Ground On New Fire Station For West Side

BEAUMONT, CA — Groundbreaking on a new fire station for Beaumont's west side got underway Tuesday, and, once open, the new facility is expected to improve response times for nearby communities, including Olivewood, Tournament Hills and Tukwet.

Fire Station No. 106, also known as the West Side Fire Station, is costing approximately $10 million to build and will be located on the eastern side of Potrero Boulevard, north of state Route 60. Construction is set to begin in a few weeks and the 10,000-square-foot facility on 1.59 acres is expected to take a year to complete, according to the city.

The station will provide firefighting services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Beaumont contracts for fire services through Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department. Staffing at the new station will include three to four personnel, including a paramedic, according to the city.

The West Side Fire Station crew will be equipped with cardiac monitors, advanced life support medications, intubation equipment, trauma life support equipment, auto extrication tools, and other equipment. The apparatus housed in the facility's large bays will be capable of suppressing structure, wildland, vehicle and other types of fires, according to the city.

Beaumont's fast-paced growth has long necessitated a new fire station, according to the city. Since 2010, the city's population has increased by nearly 15,000 to just over 55,000, U.S. Census Bureau figures show.

"The majority of suburban growth has been in the form of low-density, single-family subdivisions and strip commercial development located away from the city’s original town center. Rapid expansion of the city has increased pressure on local services, including fire services," according to an environmental document published earlier this year for the new fire station.

There are two existing fire stations in Beaumont. Station #66 (628 Maple Avenue) is the city’s primary station. Station #20 (1550 E. 6th Street) is a Cal Fire facility and operational costs are shared by the city, the city of Banning, and Riverside County.

The West Side Fire Station is part of Beaumont's first-ever capital improvement plan and the project took off in 2017 when the city acquired the Potrero Boulevard property site. Many meetings and public hearings for the project ensued in the following years, and in 2019 Beaumont City Council approved the station's conceptual design.