Residents and businesses in northeast Anaheim have greater peace of mind with the opening of the city’s first new fire station in 10 years.
Station No. 5, the newest of Anaheim Fire & Rescue’s 11 stations across the city, celebrated its grand opening on July 25.
The event, held in the apparatus bay behind the station’s shiny red roll-up doors, marks a new chapter for emergency response services in Anaheim while rekindling some ties to the past.
“We never stop looking at ways to improve service for our residents, businesses and visitors,” Anaheim Fire & Rescue Fire Chief Randy Bruegman said. “Through our strategic planning process, we determined that by relocating Station No. 5 to La Palma and Sunkist, we would improve response times to approximately 4,000 emergency calls per year. That makes a true impact for our residents and those that visit our city.”
The project brings back memories for Anaheim Fire & Rescue Deputy Fire Chief Tim O’Hara, who oversaw the building and opening of Station No. 5
O’Hara knows the site well — it’s where he got his first real job as a box boy at Sportsman Spirits, a market that once stood in the exact location of the new station.
“Having grown up just down the street, I know this area well,” O’Hara said. “It’s so satisfying to know that this piece of ground will now allow us to better help those we serve.”
The new station improves fire and paramedic response times for those who live and work in the area. Station No. 5 replaces a 56-year-old station at 1154 N. Kraemer Blvd. that is going out of service.
The Anna Drive neighborhood is one example. The neighborhood is home to many first-generation residents and their families who live in tightknit apartments around a U-shaped street off La Palma Avenue.
Working with residents, Anna Drive has been a focus for the city with improvements to streetlights, sidewalks, traffic safety and stronger community ties with Anaheim’s public safety teams.
Station No. 5 continues the effort.
The Station houses two fire engines, an ambulance and a specialty response truck used in major traffic accidents and other significant incidents.
Four firefighters and an ambulance crew of two paramedics call the station home.
The station spans 9,481 square feet and cost $5.4 million to build. Funding for the station came from additional proceeds from a 2014 bond sale to finance the 2017 expansion of the Anaheim Convention Center.
