N.C. Fire receives certificate of occupancy for new Station 5

On the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 30, the County of San Diego provided North County Fire Protection District (NCFPD) with a certificate of occupancy which allows habitation and visitors for the new NCFPD Station 5.

“They signed off on the facility,” said NCFPD deputy fire chief Ed Sprague. “We completed our final inspection on Friday afternoon.”

The certificate of occupancy was granted after county inspectors deemed all of the county requirements to have been met. “The next thing is to work through the process of accepting the facility as complete from the builder,” Sprague said. “We’re going through that punch list right now with Keeton Construction.”

Keeton Construction of Temecula was awarded the construction contract in September 2013, and ground was broken for the new fire station on Oct. 28, 2013.

NCFPD staff will confirm that the construction meets the fire district’s specifications. “The next phase for us is to work through the punch list,” Sprague said.

“You find out what works and what doesn’t.”

After the fire district accepts the building from the contractor, a date will be set for a public open house.

“We’re looking forward to that,” Sprague said.

The fire station will be staffed by three personnel on any given day: a captain, an engineer, and a firefighter/paramedic. Two vehicles, a Type 1 structure engine and a brush rig, will be housed at the station, and the firemen will use the vehicle which is more appropriate for the specific call.

The fire station has a total of three bays.

“We may move some reserve apparatus down there,” Sprague said.

“It’s a good thing for the organization and our community,” Sprague said. “We’re really proud of the new station and we’re looking forward to welcoming the public sometime in mid-March when we have our open house.”