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| Changes in motion for local fire department |
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| Written by John Saiz / Patterson Irrigator / | |
| Wednesday, 05 September 2007 | |
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“This is going to be just such a cool thing. They can fight fire without the actual fire.”
 Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator Six new paid firefighters have joined the team in the past 18 months, and the city is contemplating merging aspects of Patterson’s department with the agency that serves the unincorporated West Side areas. The changes are necessary because of Patterson’s growing population, Division Chief Steve Hall said. “It’s going to be a huge benefit,” he said, “not just here but districtwide.” Along with cutting down response times to calls in west Patterson, the station on Keystone Pacific Business Parkway will serve as a training facility for 100 volunteers on the West Side and in neighboring jurisdictions. All that’s left before firefighters move in are a few minor details and some cleanup, Hall said. Probably the most noticeable feature of the new station is the four-story tower where firefighters will run through all sorts of training exercises. Once the department moves in, passers-by are likely to see people rushing up ladders and bursting into smoking tower rooms or rappelling down the tower’s sides. The tower can be filled with smoke, allowing trainees to simulate conditions they’ll face when fighting real fires. It can also be used in ladder training and as a place to hang wet hoses. “This is going to be just such a cool thing,” Hall said, as he ascended the stairs of the tower. “They can fight fire without the actual fire.”  Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator “(Making the trip to Modesto) doesn’t happen often,” Hall said. “If they take off, then we don’t have them here.” The new station is also much more roomy than the fire station on West Las Palmas Avenue. “Oh, this is much bigger,” Hall said as he walked through the almost-completed meeting room. New amenities include a full kitchen, a gym and four bedrooms with two beds each. The department does not intend to abandon the older station. That building, which was built in the 1930s and has undergone several remodels, will still house the administrative staff and many of Patterson’s volunteer firefighters. Though the paid staff has seen significant growth recently and Hall expects the department to add three full-time firefighters soon, volunteers are still the core of the department.
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