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The Menlo Park Fire Protection District celebrated a big birthday on Saturday, June 27.
“For 110 years, the district has proudly served our communities with a steadfast commitment to protecting lives, property, and the environment,” said Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen in a statement. “This milestone is a tribute to the generations of firefighters, paramedics, prevention personnel, and professional staff whose dedication, courage, and compassion have earned the trust of those we serve.”
The district is responsible for approximately 90,000 residents across Menlo Park, Atherton, East Palo Alto and parts of unincorporated San Mateo County. For its centennial in 2016, the Department commemorated the occasion with a parade down Santa Cruz Avenue.
On June 27, the Schapelhouman Fire Museum offered a tour by the Retired Firefighters Association, and the department is planning to appear in the city’s annual Fourth of July parade on Saturday.
Fire Protection District Board President Virginia Chang Kiraly said the district’s FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, a team put together by retired fire chief Harold Schapelhouman, has been sent to help out with some of “the worst man-made and natural disasters in American history” like the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Chang Kiraly said the recent $56 million in federal funding allocated to FEMA’s National Urban Search and Rescue program is “especially meaningful on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence” and allows the nation’s 28 FEMA task forces to unite to “continue serving Americans during the worst possible disasters.”
Last year, the district submitted a proposal to completely reconstruct Station 1, the main fire station on Middlefield Road in Menlo Park. It plans to replace the 71-year-old existing building with a new two-story firehouse, training tower and 14,700-square-foot administrative office to serve as the district’s headquarters and community meeting space.
The city of Menlo Park conducted an initial review of the plans and is currently seeking a contractor to create an environmental impact report for the project. All funds it expects to need have been set aside in a capital improvement fund.
“Menlo Fire is internationally renowned for what we do,” Chang Kiraly said, “and I think that’s something that we continue to be very, very proud of.”
