San Jose Fire Station No. 8 managed the trick of being both 113 years old and celebrating its grand opening at the same time.
A ribbon-cutting was held Thursday for the new Station 8, a 5,562 square-foot, all-electric structure on 13th and East Santa Clara streets that draws a quarter of its power from the solar panels on its roof. The new home of Engine 8 — staffed by 12 firefighters who work in four-person crews — replaces its previous facility, which traces its origins back to 1913 and sits on the eroding west bank of Coyote Creek four blocks away.
San Jose Police Chief Robert Sapien remembers riding the bus downtown from East San Jose in his youth and always hoping for a glimpse of the firefighters working there.
San Jose Fire Chief Robert Sapien Jr. speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the San Jose Fire Department’s new Fire Station 8 on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
An exterior view of the new Fire Station 8 of the San Jose Fire Department on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
General contractor John Dominguez, who worked on the construction of the San Jose Fire Department’s new Fire Station 8, and his son, Johnny Dominguez III, 2, arrive for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Fire Chief Robert Sapien Jr. speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the San Jose Fire Department’s new Fire Station 8 on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the San Jose Fire Department’s new Fire Station 8 on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Firefighters, city officials and community members mingle during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the San Jose Fire Department’s new Fire Station 8 on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Portraits of firefighters working at the San Jose Fire Department’s Fire Station 8 are displayed in the new station on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
A table decorated with an Engine 8 insignia featuring an 8-ball is pictured inside the San Jose Fire Department’s new Fire Station 8 on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Firefighters and community members mingle during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the San Jose Fire Department’s new Fire Station 8 on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
A framed illustration depicting the old San Jose Fire Department Station 8 is on display inside the new station on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
A workout room inside the new Fire Station 8 of the San Jose Fire Department on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
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San Jose Fire Chief Robert Sapien Jr. speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the San Jose Fire Department’s new Fire Station 8 on Aug. 27, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
“Some time later, I joined the San Jose Fire Department and I learned that Fire Station 8 is a pretty special place even within this amazing organization … I came to learn very quickly that working here was something that was very much a privilege,” Sapien said, ruefully noting that while he’d worked some relief shifts at the storied station, he never had the seniority to grab one of its 12 spots.
No doubt due in part to its location near downtown and the Northside and Naglee Park neighborhoods, Station 8 is one of the busiest in the city. City officials report that it responded to 4,054 calls in the 2025-26 fiscal year, making it the second busiest station in San Jose.
“Today, we pay back their commitment with a facility that befits the incredible work they do,” Mayor Matt Mahan said. “The new Station 8 is built for the San Jose of today and for the San Jose we are becoming.”
Station 8 began life in 1913 as Chemical No. 6 in a Mission Revival building on the edge of Coyote Creek. Local historian April Halberstadt believes the station was situated there to help serve East San Jose, which had been annexed in 1911, and the new subdivision of Naglee Park. While chemical rigs were new technology, they were still pulled by horses in those days until they were phased out in 1915. The department was reorganized in the 1946 and Fire Station No. 8 was born — and received a makeover for its then 36-year-old building in 1949.
Somewhere along the way, a black eight ball became the station’s unofficial logo. Look around Fire Station No. 8 and you’ll see the image of an eight ball all over the place — even on the fire engine itself. The firefighters currently staffing Station 8 brought over lots of artifacts from their old home, including a coffee table made out of the old station’s sign and a plaque that pays tribute to William Anger, an 11-year department veteran who was killed when a speeding driver crashed into the fire truck he was driving.
Funded by Measure T, passed by voters in 2018, the new building is a significant improvement over the old with new sleeping quarters, office space, a weight room, a spacious kitchen and a living room with four comfy recliners and a huge TV. There appeared to be a grill on the balcony overlooking Santa Clara Street. And yes, there’s still a brass firepole, although there are stairs and an elevator, too.
Artist Jesse Hernandez created a metal sculpture, “Tlaloc,” which adorns the brick walls on both sides of the station’s parking lot gate. It depicts the Aztec rain god, with a jug of flowing water that includes images of waves, a fire hose and a ladder.
“In designing the piece, we wanted to do something that reflected the community and the history of the area and then also to bring a blessing as well,” Hernandez said at the ribbon-cutting.
And if you’re wondering what will happen to the old fire station, it may be a while before that answer is known. It’s surplus city property now and will undergo a process for potential sale. After 113 years of service, I hope it gets a proper sendoff and not just an anonymous date with a bulldozer.
JUBLIEE GAME: Sacred Heart Nativity Schools in San Jose is having a Jubilee Year — with its school for boys celebrating its 25th anniversary and its Our Lady of Grace school for girls marking 20 years. The school is celebrating those who helped build them — including the late Msgr. Mateo Sheedy and the late Rev. Peter Pabst — and others who have continued their legacy.
The festivities are kicking off with a special night at the San Jose Giants game at 5 p.m. Saturday where they hope to get 100 members of the Sacred Heart community out to watch Principal Kevin Eagleson throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
DANCING WITH PRIDE: Queer Silicon Valley Gallery in downtown San Jose is opening its new exhibit, “Traditions Without Borders,” (Tradición Sin Fronteras), this Friday to coincide with Pride Weekend. The exhibit explores the history of Folclórico Colibrí, an LGBTQ folklorico group based in San Jose and directed by Arturo Magaña and Juan Serrano.
Friday’s opening reception, from 6 to 8 p.m., will include live performances. The gallery at 240 S. Market St. also will be open Aug. 29-30 and then every weekend in September from noon to 4 p.m. Go to www.queersiliconvalley.org for more information.