According to the San Bernardino County Fire Department, we are in the second months of the deadly fire season. Being in a state that is often hard hit by fires, it is best to make sure that residents have the resources available to keep both themselves and their properties safe.

Due to a population surge which has led to increased development of residential and commercial buildings throughout Fontana, city staff has been hard at work trying to secure more accommodating fire stations to be run by the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Two locations will soon be expanded or be planned for construction.

The City of Fontana's home page, www.fontana.org states that Fire Station 71 is the most often called location in the area. "The station protects the City of Fontana. Located in the downtown area, this is the busiest station in the Valley Division responding to almost 6,000 incidents per year."

Given the large number of incoming calls and responses that take place at Fire Station 71, it was only a matter of time before the facility would require renovations to better accommodate and manage the high level of requests.

In 2005, the City decided to look for an answer through an expansion of the building which is located at 16980 Arrow Boulevard. The ideal site for the purpose of expansion was right next door at the American Legion Post 262. The then City Council proceeded to find the best remedy by making plans with the veterans for the expansion by helping to find a suitable new home for the Legionnaires. By August 2007, American Legion Post 262 completed the move to their new building at 15840 Foothill Boulevard. In the meantime, the San Bernardino County Fire Department and the City have begun the planning process for the addition to Fire Station 71, which is scheduled for completion in 2010.

In the North, an increase in population size, number of residential homes, and commercial venues has created a need for a new fire station. The result has been for the City to partner with the County of San Bernardino Fire Department to build Station 79.

Construction on the facility is now complete. According to Steve Hansen, Assistant Public Information Officer for the San Bernardino County Fire Department, as of Friday, September 21, Fire Station 79 is ready and serving the community.

"The station will be operated by the San Bernardino County Fire Department and will house a medic engine, which can respond to both medical and fire emergencies. There will

be three captains, three engineers, three firefighters and three firefighter/paramedics all of whom are full-time professional firefighters. A captain, an engineer, a firefighter and a firefighter paramedic will be on duty at the station at all times," said Hansen.

The City of Fontana financed the construction of the new station at an estimated cost of $5.2 million. The new facility is located at 5075 Duncan Canyon Road, near Interstate 15 and adjacent to Coyote Canyon Park. This must be reassuring news for area residents and business owners during the fire season.

Join the City of Fontana, the County of San Bernardino, and Centex Homes to celebrate the completion and grand opening of both Fire Station 79 and Coyote Canyon Park. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for Saturday, November 3 at 11:00 a.m. Residents will have an opportunity to visit with Fire Fighters, see the fire station up close and enjoy the park amenities.

For more information about the planned grand opening event, call the Special Events section at (909) 428-8360.

To find out more about the County of San Bernardino Fire Department, please call (909) 386-8408 or visit www.sbcfire.org. The website provides valuable information to include flyers such as "Are You Fire-Safe?", "How to Clear Defensible Space," "How to Develop a Family Evacuation Plan," and includes a Fire Prevention advice page. Any and all of these resources provide essential tools for any family or business.