Idyllwild fire station due for makeover

In the wake of the the Mountain Fire, an Idyllwild resident is spearheading a drive to improve conditions for firefighters working out of the mountain town’s only fire house.

Sheila Zacker worked as a volunteer dispatcher for the fire department during the Mountain Fire and says she couldn’t help but notice how the fire station needed some basic improvements. “I thought this is unacceptable for these guys who give and suffer and live in these kind of conditions when its home away from home for them,” said Zacker.

Due to budget constraints, the fire house hasn’t seen upgrades for almost 30 years.
The condition of the kitchen and the sleeping quarters are among several areas that need to be upgraded. They are inadequate when firefighters find themselves
working a wildfire the scale of the Mountain Fire.

“We have one shower for instance and we had up to 30 people staying in this building, so we have one shower and three restrooms, so we’d like to upgrade that,” said Idyllwild fire captain Mark LaMont.

For more information on the fire department’s wish list and how you can make a donation to the Idyllwild Fire Department, contact Sheila Zacker through the fire department’s main phone number, 951-659-2153.