The Coast Guard held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday for a new search and rescue facility at the Vallejo Municipal Marina.
Coast Guard Station Vallejo's new $14 million, 13,200-square-foot facility will be located about 3.5 miles northwest of its temporary location at the California Maritime Academy.
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"The new station, which has been years in the making, will allow the crew to be co-located with our small boats, greatly improving our response time to continue to protect the lives of mariners in Vallejo and the greater Bay Area,” said Chief Petty Officer Joshua Hollyfield, Station Vallejo's officer-in-charge, in a release.
The facility will consist of a new boat bay for small boat maintenance, berthing for 14 watchstanders, a galley, command center, training room and fitness room.
Station members have been housed in temporary facilities since 1996 and have had to relocate twice due to funding constraints and obstacles.
“I am looking forward to the opening of this incredible new facility, and the positive impact it will have for the Vallejo community and beyond,” said Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Commander Capt. Marie Byrd.
She called the effort to make the new facility a reality an “incredible group effort” between Civil Engineering Unit Oakland, Facilities Design and Construction Center, the Vallejo City Council, Electronics Support Detachment Alameda, the 11th Coast Guard District, Sector San Francisco, Station Vallejo and the California Maritime Academy.
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The station was first commissioned as Station Carquinez in 1977, located at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. After the Navy yard was shut down, Station Vallejo relocated to the California Maritime Academy in 1996. In September of 2001, the station moved to the Vallejo Municipal Marina after the end of the lease at California Maritime Academy. In 2018, it returned to California Maritime Academy awaiting completion of the new station.
Station Vallejo responded to 80 search and rescue cases, resulting in 76 lives saved or assisted in 2020. . The unit consists of 27 personnel, two 29-foot Response Boat-Smalls and is responsible for search and rescue and law enforcement missions. Its area of responsibility extends from San Pablo Bay to Suisun Bay and as far east as Simmons Point.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com
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