A remodel to the Renton downtown fire station will provide paramedics with easier access to South King County.

“The area is perfect for us. The station is a good fit,” said King County’s Medic One paramedic Dennis Doherty, who was moved to the fire station on Mill Avenue South.

Storage rooms were remodeled into two bedrooms and an office for the paramedics, who were previously stationed in the Highlands.

Most of the about $565,000 cost went to fixing the building’s structure, which was damaged during the Nisqually earthquake.

There was a chance it could collapse if there was another large quake, said deputy fire chief Bill Flora.

The remodel was mostly paid for by a federal grant for seismic upgrades. The station was rededicated Wednesday.

“It was getting to the point where it needed the work,” Flora said.

The paramedics’ new location is closer to senior housing and the freeway, which produces the most trauma victims.

Wide arterials and easy access to 405 also makes leaving the area quicker.

The firefighter dorm rooms were remodeled for better privacy and to muffle snoring. The once open rooms now have built-in nooks for beds and night stands.

“The snorers have a place to sleep,” said firefighter Bob McGee.

The paramedics’ rooms are on the opposite side of the garage from the firefighters. However, it’s not much of a divide for them.

“We spend a lot of time over there intermixed with the guys,” Doherty said. “The interaction is really important.”

A sliding glass door was added to the kitchen, making a seamless exit to a patio with a grill.

While the kitchen’s four refrigerators remained, a smaller gas oven was installed for energy efficiency.

Kitchen counter space was about doubled, and most of building got new flooring.

At any given time about eight people can be scheduled at the station, making a big kitchen important.

“It made it a much nicer place to live and work out of,” Flora said of the remodel.