DEPARTMENT PLANS PALMDALE FIRE STATIONS.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writer

Talks on adding fire stations in Palmdale have been on hold for five years, but fire officials now say the economy is shaping up and the stations may soon become a reality.

``Things are looking a lot better,'' said Assistant Fire Chief Dave Horn. ``The tax base has pretty much stabilized. You'll see some new fire stations in the next few years.

``Over the past years, we've been working from strict budget requirements. Hopefully, times are turning around, and we'll be able to go ahead with our fire stations planned.''

According to a five-year proposal drafted in April by the Los Angeles County Fire Department's planning and construction office, six new stations are planned in Palmdale and 16 elsewhere in the county.

``The department wants to be responsive to the needs of the valley,'' Horn said. ``This is a fast-growing area and in need of fire stations.''

Palmdale has two fire stations: the headquarters on Avenue P across from the Antelope Valley Mall, and Station 37 downtown.

Station 37 houses an extra fire engine and crew, Engine Company 131, placed there in 1990 until a new fire station planned at 27th Street East and Avenue S is built.

Palmdale's downtown station is the second busiest in the county and has been for four years, averaging 11,000 to 12,000 responses annually.

With the opening of the new fire stations, officials expect shorter response times and hope to offset the increase in the time fire units will spend away from their area with the close this month of Palmdale's only hospital.

With the closure of Desert Palms Community Hospital, paramedics accompanying victims from Palmdale will have to travel an additional 20 minutes to hospitals in Lancaster.

``Eighty percent of our runs are EMS (emergency medical services) calls,'' said Capt. Dirk Wegner of Fire Station 37. ``Oftentimes we get back-to-back runs, and then we have to get assistance from Fire Station 92 out of Littlerock or Fire Station 129 out of Lancaster. Each time we have to go out of our jurisdiction to get additional assistance, it adds to our response time. It's a great impact.''

Fire Station 37 is the only station in Palmdale with a paramedic squad. While all fire personnel are trained emergency medical technicians, they are not trained to treat patients at the level of paramedics.

Horn and other fire officials are studying how to best handle the hospital closure.

``Our ultimate goal is to provide the best customer service. Taxpayers are our boss,'' Horn said.

Options include housing a medical evacuation helicopter in the Antelope Valley, perhaps at newly completed Fire Station 129 in Lancaster, which has a helipad; temporarily placing an additional engine company in Palmdale; and enhancing training and rotating personnel to staff an extra paramedic squad.

First on the list for construction is Station 131, with completion set for summer 1997.

The other five fire stations in the five-year plan are: one near Domenic Massari Park at 55th Street East and Avenue R; Station 133 on 40th Street West north of Avenue S in the City Ranch area; a station for the Ritter Ranch housing development; Station 132 near Sierra Highway and Pearblossom Highway; and a station at Avenue P and 40th Street East.

Stations planned for unincorporated areas of the Antelope Valley include Station 114 in Lake Los Angeles, where firefighters have lived in modular buildings in trailers since 1980.

``This is a plan we do, but it is constantly being reviewed,'' Horn said. ``If another need arises, the plans may be changed.''

While Palmdale has been slow in its fire station construction, the city of Lancaster has built five stations in the past five years, using redevelopment funds and developer fees.

The city of Palmdale has also began work on imposing a fee that would require developers to set aside funds for fire station construction.

``We have been in negotiations with the city of Palmdale off and on for some time now,'' said John Gee, planning chief for the county Fire Department. ``We have no objections.''

``We would like to see fire station growth as soon as possible,'' said Assistant City Manager Ron Cregh. ``But (county officials) know where we stand. Our own ability to fund these stations is very limited right now.''