Desert Hot Springs breaks ground on new, badly needed fire station

Lina PortmanJune 4, 2024

1 2 minutes read

Desert Hot Springs has broken ground on a long-awaited new fire station, which is expected to reduce response time to emergencies and ease pressure on one of its other stations.

The city currently has two stations: Stations 36 and 37. The latter, located on Pierson Boulevard, is one of the busiest in Riverside County and responds to most of the city's calls for service. Indeed, station 36, located on Karen Avenue, is further west of the city center.

Fire Station 98, the new station, will be located on Hacienda Avenue, approximately three miles east of Station 37. The city held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 30 to mark the start of its construction.

Why does the city need another fire station?

Rob Roseen, spokesman for Cal Fire in Riverside County, said Station 37 had the second highest number of calls in its primary response area in 2023 among all stations in the county. There were 6,187 calls in total. Its fire engine, Engine 37, responded to 5,597 calls and was the county's most heavily used resource, he added.

“(Fire Case 98) is designed not only to reduce response times and improve coverage, but also to improve overall department efficiency,” Rosen said. “With the new station in place, we anticipate a more balanced distribution of calls, which will relieve some pressure on Station 37 and ensure the community receives prompt and efficient emergency services.”

Like many other cities in the Valley, Desert Hot Springs contracts fire services with the Riverside County Fire Department, which in turn is staffed by Cal Fire.

When will the new station be completed?

The city estimates it will finish construction of the new station on May 19, 2025.

How much does the new station cost?

Deputy City Manager Doria Wilms said the city's construction contract with Oakview Constructors Inc. totals $8,857,200, which includes a 10 percent contingency. She said all construction costs would come from bond proceeds.

In 2021, the city approved a $14 million public facilities bond for capital improvement projects that included money for a new train station.

Where is the new station?

The new station will be located at 69-111 Hacienda Avenue on the east side of town. Fire Station 37 is in the center of town and Fire Station 36 is on the west side of town.

Mayor Scott Matas, who was a volunteer firefighter at Station 37 from 1990 to 2010, said brain injuries can take five minutes without oxygen, but response times on the east side of the city can sometimes take up to 'at eight minutes.

Lina Portman

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