Newport Beach firefighters back Fire Station 3 move and launch public safety site

The Newport Beach Firefighters Association launched KeepingNewportSafe.com on Monday to support the city’s plan to relocate Fire Station 3 from Santa Barbara Drive to Avocado Avenue. The group says the move would improve emergency response times across Newport Beach and is urging residents to weigh in with the City Council.

Why it matters: - The Fire Station 3 relocation is framed as a public safety shift that could save minutes for neighborhoods farthest from the current station. - The Association says the move would put more homes and families within a four-minute response zone. - Residents can review the group’s analysis and submit comments to the City Council through KeepingNewportSafe.com.

What happened: - The Newport Beach Firefighters Association launched KeepingNewportSafe.com on Monday. - The website backs the City Council’s process to relocate Fire Station 3 from its current Santa Barbara Drive site to a central public safety site on Avocado Avenue. - Association President Robert Salerno said Newport Beach firefighters support the move “without reservation.”

The details: - The proposed relocation would move Station 3 less than a mile to the southeast. - The Association says no neighborhood would lose its first-due fire station under the proposal. - Neighborhoods closest to the current station would give up only seconds. - Communities most at risk today would gain minutes in an emergency. - Salerno said the station should be placed where it can protect more of the city within a four-minute reach. - The Association argues the Avocado site would bring more homes inside that reach than the Santa Barbara site has. - The website includes the Association’s full and unequivocal support for the city’s relocation process. - The Association is asking residents to review the analysis and submit comments to the City Council online. - The release includes the social links Instagram and Facebook.

Between the lines: - The Association is using the website to shape the public debate before the City Council acts. - Salerno’s comments suggest the firefighters view the relocation as a safety decision, not a political one. - The focus on four-minute coverage reflects a standard emergency-response argument: small location changes can alter who gets help fastest.

What's next: - Residents are expected to review the posted analysis and submit feedback to the City Council. - The City Council’s relocation process will determine whether Fire Station 3 moves from Santa Barbara Drive to Avocado Avenue. - Public discussion is likely to continue as the city weighs response-time benefits against neighborhood concerns.