Redondo Beach Fire Station No. 1 needs a new kitchen. In fact, the is one of five finalists in The Family Handyman's Rescue Remodel contest. The fire station with the most votes by the end of the contest's run wins a $25,000 kitchen remodel from Swedish home furnishings giant IKEA.
In their efforts to win the contest, firefighters have taken to Twitter, sending messages to many celebrities using the service; gathered the support of the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and various city officials; and called "We Cook Our Food in a Hopeless Place," sung to the tune of Rihanna's "We Found Love."
So why does Fire Station No. 1 deserve a kitchen remodel? According to Division Chief Steve Hyink, while the appliances are new and/or built to last, the cabinets, which were refaced in the mid-1980s, are falling off the hinges and don't close right. The countertops are worn-out, as is the top of the
The sink has yellow rings around it and cracks in places. The kitchen's "pantry," until six or seven years ago, was a broom closet with a sink.
The top of the table is nearly worn away—but that's one thing the firefighters don't want to get rid of, Hyink said.
"The kitchen table, we looked under there ... and it was built in 1959," Hyink said. "It's kind of a piece of (history) ... We know that's original."
Though Fire Station No. 1 remains in third place behind Palos Fire District and Yonkers, Hyink said the department is "hopeful."
"We appreciate all the help we can get," he said.
Check out the photo gallery above for photos of the kitchen.
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