A fire station built in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood 100 years ago is now officially designated as a historic site.
Old Fire Station 6, located at 1572 Columbia Street, is currently home to the San Diego Firehouse Museum. On Saturday, San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria joined current and retired firefighters at the station to unveil a plaque designating Old Fire Station 6 historic.
During the designation ceremony, retired firefighters who worked out of the century-old fire station shared stories of their service. Gloria took to his Twitter page to share photos from the plaque unveiling.
"Station 6 was the site of some notable inventions for the fire service and is well-deserving of this historic designation," Gloria said. "As San Diego welcomed international visitors for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, the firefighters at Station 6 were using ingenuity and professional prowess to make our region safer."
Tom Rouse, an X-Noble Grand Humbug of Squibob, told NBC 7 the plaque is the perfect way to honor the rich history of the fire station and its innovative contributions to the firefighting world.
“This was the birthplace where all of the fire threads on fire hose were standardized,” Rouse explained.
Rouse said that before that innovation out of Old Fire Station 6, hoses from different fire departments around San Diego communities were unable to connect with one another.
"Now, we can go to a different state and connect to their fire hose," he added.
The San Diego Firehouse Museum was founded in 1962, taking over the Old Fire Station 6 building. Today, it houses a multitude of displays featuring firefighting equipment, engines and tools dating back to the late 1800s.
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The museum is open Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children and seniors.
