Groundbreaking for New USC-Funded Fire Station

The Los Angeles Fire Department and USC held a groundbreaking ceremony at McCallister Field  Thursday morning for the future home of Fire Station No. 15, set to be built on Hoover Street and 30th Avenue.

The old station, located on 915 West Jefferson Boulevard, has served the community for more than fifty years.

Currently, the old station is approximately 9,000 square feet and the new one will be 16,000 square feet. By having a larger and more efficient facility, Battalion Chief Curt Klafta says that they should be able to react quicker.

"We will have access to Hoover," said Klafta, "and can avoid Jefferson all together, which will lead to better response times."

The University of Southern California is funding the construction for the new fire station. Interim Fire Chief James Featherstone said the new station will cost 48 million dollars.

USC President Max Nikias said the new station will better complement the new University Village, which is set to start construction this summer.

"It was very important for us," he said, "given how large the USC community is that there is always a fire station close to the campus."