Measure X Funding Supports New Fire Training Tower

On July 24th, 2022 the Oceanside Fire Department held a dedication ceremony for the newly finished Everett Stephens Training Tower. The new, state-ofthe-art training tower replaces the previous training tower that was removed in 2016. The new tower is located at the Oceanside Fire Department’s training facility at 110 Jones Road. Thanks to Measure X funding the new facility will prepare future OFD firefighters for generations to come. The four-story facility has three interior rooms dedicated to live fire burning. The walls and ceiling are covered in specialized ceramic tiles that withstand smoke and fire conditions and temperatures above 2000 degrees F. Each floor has a distinct layout that allows firefighters to practice search and rescue techniques, hose advancement and fire extinguishment. Crews will be able to practice forcible entry on a door prop on the first floor. There is a standpipe that can practice pressurizing a building’s fire system and personnel can practice deploying their fire hoses off the stairwell connections. The rooftop of the facility has a hard-top awning and anchored bolts that allow for rappelling down the side of the building. The new tower replaces a two-story tower that was constructed from stacked shipping containers. The training tower was dedicated and named after Everett Stephens. Stephens became one of Oceanside’s first full-time firefighters around 1940, and served on the department for 29 years. He was known as a skilled professional and dedicated his time to serving and protecting the community. Stephens also is recognized as the department’s first Training Officer.

The Everett Stephens Fire Training Tower will serve not only new OFD recruits and the entire department, but the facility will be available for regional public safety training use as well. The tower was long overdue but thanks to Measure X funding, the project finally became reality. The Oceanside Fire Department would like to thank the citizens for their support. It is anticipated that the Fire Training Center will resume hosting the annual OFD Open House this October. The new tower will loom large over that event!