LAKE FOREST, FOOTHILL RANCH : Fire Dept. Dedicates Its 48th Station

Just up the road from a brand-new shopping center and office complexes, local officials gathered Thursday to dedicate the newest addition to the young Foothill Ranch community--Orange County Fire Station 54.

Although it has been relatively quiet at the 10,000-square-foot station since it opened in late September, fire officials say they’re ready to grow as Foothill Ranch more than doubles in size in the coming years.

The $3-million fire station--the first building in a future corporate center--also serves Portola Hills and parts of Lake Forest and Mission Viejo. About 3,500 people now live in Foothill Ranch.

For now, the fire station at 19811 Pauling, near Lake Forest Drive and Portola Parkway, will house one engine and three firefighters at all times, Battalion Chief Steve Whitaker said. Eventually, the station, the 48th in the Orange County Fire Department, will also house a paramedic unit, a hook-and-ladder truck and up to 10 firefighters and a battalion chief.

The station includes living quarters for up to 10 people, an exercise room, piped-in music and a sophisticated sprinkler and fire alarm system to prevent any in-house disasters.

“It’s state of the art as far as stations go,” said Ralph Compton, a fire engineer based at the station.

For County Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, one of about 50 people who attended the dedication ceremony Thursday, the station is an important example of providing important services “in advance of development or side by side of development.”

“This fire station is another strong landmark indicating that philosophy,” he said.

Funds for the station construction and equipment were raised through the Foothill Ranch Community Facilities District, a special tax district that will also help pay for a future school and library.

Until this fall, the nearest fire station to Foothill Ranch was several miles away off Irvine Boulevard in the Irvine Spectrum.

“This is a real important station,” said Chip Prather, chief of operations for the Orange County Fire Department.

Other dignitaries on hand for the dedication ceremony, sponsored by the Foothill Ranch Co., included Lawrence J. Holms, director of fire services; Alan Buck, Foothill Ranch Co. project manager; the Rev. John Sammon, chaplain of the Orange County Firemen’s Assn.; and city officials from Lake Forest and Mission Viejo.