Plans underway to build new fire station in Rocklin to increase emergency response times
ROCKLIN — The city of Rocklin is bracing for a population boom. Fire Chief Reginald Williams said another 10,000 people are expected to move there in less than 10 years.
However, no new fire stations have been built in the city since 2002.
"We increase our density and we increase our population, we also increase our needs for calls for service," Williams said.
Interstate 80 divides the city, which currently has three fire stations but none are located on the south side of the freeway.
"We identified the area over near Sierra College as an area that had some late response times and so we're trying to close that gap," Williams said.
Now, the city is budgeting $4.5 million to build a new fire station right on the Sierra College campus. That amount includes $1 million to purchase a new fire engine, and nine new firefighters will also need to be hired.
City Councilmember Ken Broadway said that this particular part of town is expecting significant growth, with new commercial businesses and construction of the College Park development currently underway.
"Which is going to bring additional housing for our community," Broadway said. "We're very excited to have that project now moving forward. It was many years in the planning."
The Rocklin Fire Department's goal is to arrive at an emergency within five minutes. Currently, they're just slightly behind, with a 5-minute and 38-second average.
The hope is this new firehouse, known as Station 22, will allow crews to continue providing a fast response even as the city grows.
"Those goals at some point may start to slip and so we're being advantageous and being proactive by adding this new facility," Williams said.
The city is currently accepting public comments on the fire station design, and groundbreaking is planned for late next year.
