By Jim Steinberg
The San Bernardino County Sun
RIALTO, Calif. — Skylights provide powerful lighting in the hallways.
A sophisticated alarm system sends audio and visual alerts, but only to firefighters and paramedics who will need to respond to a call for help.
The Rialto Fire Department’s new Fire Station 202 is a structure that should provide a comfortable — but a very functional — home to firefighters for the next 50 years, Fire Chief Mat Fratus said Thursday.
With a $6 million price tag for both the land and the 14,283-square-foot building, the new fire station at 1700 N. Riverside Ave. dwarfs its predecessor, which was the size of a house — 1,600 square feet.
Built in 1963, the original Fire Station 202, located a few blocks to the north, was demolished in December 2009 to make way for an In-N-Out restaurant.
City officials are still pursuing that goal.
The Rialto Fire Department is inviting the public to attend the grand opening of Fire Station 202 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The high-tech station has incorporated several new features not found at the original station — and some not found in the city’s two other fire stations.
The state-of-the art, single-story fire station includes dorm-style bedrooms, staff offices, a commercial size kitchen and a multipurpose room that will be open to the general public.
The shift battalion chief, responsible for day-to-day operations, will occupy a separate office/bedroom area in the station with its own door, so his coming and going won’t disturb normal firehouse operations, said Mike Watson, battalion chief.
There is an automated hoist system to lift fire hoses, allowing them to sun dry after use.
Equipment used in fires are placed in special ventilated storage areas so they can dry thoroughly.
For heat- and water-repellent clothing, there’s a specialized washing machine that cleans in a non-abrasive way using chemicals that will not damage high-tech fabrics, Watson said.
Fire and ambulance crews will begin rolling out of the new station starting Saturday, Fratus said.
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