New Pismo Beach Public Safety Facility set to improve emergency response

PISMO BEACH, Calif. (KEYT) - The City of Pismo Beach held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday afternoon where it will officially unveiled its long-awaited new Public Safety Facility.

Located at the corner of Wadsworth Avenue and Bello Street, the $51 million facility will be the new home for the city's police and fire departments.

"We're excited to see this vision come to life, and to be able to turn these buildings over to the men and women of our police department and our fire department and really to serve the community," said Pismo Beach City Manager Jorge Garcia. "The community has entrusted us with their safety and we're excited to be able to deliver this project."

According to the City, the new campus features a 22,000 square foot police headquarters and a 14,000 square foot fire station, replacing outdated facilities with modern, high-tech hubs designed to improve emergency response times and provide a collaborative environment for first responders.

"This facility is more than just a building; it’s a commitment to the residents and visitors of Pismo
Beach," said Pismo Beach Mayor Ed Waage. "By integrating our police and fire operations into one modern campus, we are ensuring our public safety teams have the tools they need to protect our community for decades to come.”

Construction on the two buildings began nearly two years ago in summer 2024.

The City said the Public Safety Facility Project aims to implement the city's goal of reducing fire response times by more than one minute, updating the Police Station to meet current and future needs, and honoring the city's history by incorporating the façade of the city's original elementary school into the new design.

"Moving into a police department designed specifically for 21st-century policing allows us to better
serve the public," said Pismo Beach said Police Chief Jeff Smith. "From the advanced dispatch center to the dedicated training spaces and Emergency Operations Center, this building reinforces the professional services that the Pismo Beach Police Department strives for every day."

Garcia said the project cost $51 million to complete and actually came in under the original budget.

"The total budget for this project was just about $53 million," said Garcia. "We're happy to say that we came in $2 million under budget. About $51 million is the total investment. And the way that we were able to pay for that is a 1% ToT (Transient Occupancy Tax) tax that was approved by the voters. That's going to pay for about two-thirds of the project. The other third is being paid for by parking meter revenue. We wanted to make sure that the visitors and the tourists that enjoy our community pay their fair share into public safety."

Garcia also pointed out the two new buildings are both designed to accomodate future growth needs that each department might experience in the years ahead.

"We wanted to be ready for the future," said Garcia. "As both public safety for police and fire evolve, we wanted to make sure that these facilities can grow and evolve with that, so the future was definitely put in mind. The Emergency Operations Center will allow us the flexibility to solve any emergency that comes, here into Pismo Beach, so we're excited to be able to do that."

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