City secures land to move, expand busy East Central fire station

May 8—A 64-year-old fire station that fields its share of calls in the city could be moving — but not very far.

Fire Station 12, which was constructed in the 1960s, is one of the busiest stations in Albuquerque, Fire Rescue spokesman Lt. Jason Fejer told the Journal. So busy, he said, that a medic unit was put into use in November 2022 to tackle the high call volume on East Central.

But Medic 12 isn't housed at the existing Fire Station 12 building at 201 Muriel SE. The two-bay facility isn't large enough to house the medic unit.

The high call volume is one reason a new fire station is planned for Central and Shirley. The city recently closed on a vacant lot just west of the Sonic on Central and Juan Tabo, which will become the future site of Fire Station 12. The land cost $1.4 million, and the estimated project cost is $13 million.

The city hopes for a groundbreaking in October, Fejer said, with an approximately yearlong build time. The new fire station will have three bays and likely house the medic unit, according to Fejer.

Last year, Fejer said, Engine 12 was the second-busiest in the city, responding to an average of 12 emergencies per day. Rescue 12 responded to an average of 13 emergencies per day, making it the busiest rescue company in the city.