This page is to demonstrate that the County influence and control of the Hesperia City Council is not really a good thing if you pay taxes in Hesperia and expect local services in return. Lets be clear, the City of Hesperia (YOU) paid for a County fire station with your Hesperia RDA money and your Hesperia tax dollars. The cry now heard is about how bad the existing Hesperia Fire stations are. Well the money was spent on County fire station # 305 on the west side of the 15 freeway. $6.7 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH. What part of Hesperia this serves is a mystery, or how the residents who paid for it benefit. There are no Hesperia residents west of the 15 near this County Fire station.

From the City website station #305 is NOT listed as a Hesperia fire station. So Hesperia calls for fire service would not get a response from this station.

Lets start with a Hesperia Star story.

Construction begins on city's next fire station
Joint city-county station will serve west side, Oak Hills
October 15, 2008

BY BEAU YARBROUGH
STAFF WRITER
Construction on Hesperia's fifth fire station began in earnest Tuesday morning.



Firefighters, dignitaries and construction workers converged on a 3.5-acre lot on Caliente Road, west of Interstate 15, the future site of San Bernardino County Fire Station 305.



The new fire station will be the city's first since Station 304 at Eucalyptus Street and 11th Avenue was built in 1991, and the first built in cooperation with San Bernardino County.



"We've got a great relationship with the county fire department," said Leonard, himself a retired city and county firefighter. "I see great things in our future.

"

Both the city and county benefit from the new jointly built station, as its future coverage area will include both Hesperia and Oak Hills (which is the county's jurisdiction).



"Our current station in Oak Hills is inadequate; it needs to be replaced," said San Bernardino County Fire Department Division Chief Dan Wurl. "This station is going to be one that supports the troops out there, doing the job we ask them to do.

"

Money for the project was in question at one point: Before leaving office as First District Supervisor in late 2006, Assessor Bill Postmus proposed using $2.8 million intended for Station 305 to refurbish the assessor's San Bernardino office.

In the uproar after the proposal became public, supervisors yanked the proposal off their agenda before it ever came to a vote.

In addition to local dignitaries and fire officials, Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-41), Assemblyman Anthony Adams (R-59) and First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt were also on hand to mark the occasion.



"All of us know, as we see the fires raging this very day," Lewis said, "The challenges ahead. ... We know that we're all in this together."

Lewis said building new stations in Southern California was especially important as the region is gripped by "a drought that seems to go on forever."



"This is exactly what leadership is," Adams said. "It's putting aside personal interests in the pursuit of common goals."



"When a fire truck shows up to your home," Mitzelfelt said, "It doesn't really matter what the logo on the side of it says."

The 18,478 square foot station has a price tag of $6.4 million and should be completed in a year.

Hesperia's first fire station, Station 301, will also be remodeled this fiscal year, Leonard said.



The next image is a map showing the location of the City funded County fire station. Note the location in relationship to the City of Hesperia and its residents. West of the 15 freeway and west of 395.

The dedication from the County viewpoint.

New Fire Station Dedicated in Hesperia

November 30 - More than 100 people joined officials from the City of Hesperia and County of San Bernardino for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the new Fire Station 305 in Hesperia.

"The County of San Bernardino is dedicated to protecting the health and well-being of the citizens of our County," said First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt. "This state-of-the-art fire station will improve public safety by reducing response times to residents and will provide needed emergency services to homes, businesses and travelers along the I-15 corridor and surrounding areas."



The $6.7 million station was funded through the cooperative effort of the City of Hesperia, San Bernardino County Fire Department and the County of San Bernardino. The cost was $4.5 million below original estimates due to decreasing construction costs.



At 18,000 square feet, Station 305 is now the largest County fire station. The station was built with the area's future growth in mind and can house 15 crew members on any given shift. At the onset, this station will staff a 24-hour full-time crew, as well as paid-call firefighters, and a Battalion Chief and will offer paramedic services.




Station 305 is located at 8331 Caliente Road in Hesperia.