Planning Waterfront Emergency Response Facilities with the Future in Mind

The new Fireboat Station No. 35 is located at Pier 22½ in San Francisco along the Embarcadero. The existing fire station and fire boat berthing facilities at Pier 22½ were inadequate to meet the San Francisco Fire Department’s public service and water rescue needs. The project provides new and upgraded infrastructure and facilities for emergency equipment and personnel, improving the city’s capacity to meet future demands for water rescue and emergency-response services. Planning for the facility included identifying and securing funding, extensive stakeholder engagement, and adapting to future sea level rise. These were accomplished while minimizing visual impacts along the waterfront and incorporating sustainable design features that allow for continued operation of the facility even after a large seismic event. The float was designed to provide a stable platform for the building which included barge framing and bulkheads to support the walls and transfer span loads. This paper describes the project elements reviewed and systematic approach used during planning and preliminary design of the facility.