By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Santee, California, city leaders advanced plans for a fourth fire station to improve emergency response times.
• The planned station would address coverage gaps in the city’s northeast area.
• An interim facility is already in use, but a permanent station remains unfunded.
• City officials identified potential sites and recommended priorities for construction and staffing.
• Design and funding discussions are expected during upcoming budget meetings.
(SANTEE, CA —) Santee city officials are moving forward with plans to establish a fourth fire station in the northeastern portion of the city to enhance emergency response coverage and reduce response times, according to local reports.
The effort follows ongoing concerns about prolonged response times in parts of the city not adequately served by existing fire stations, city leaders said. An interim facility — Fire Station 20 — opened in the southwestern section last year after voters rejected a tax measure to fund a permanent station.
Officials identified two city-owned locations as viable sites for the next interim station: a former ballfield at Woodglen Vista Park and a site near City Hall. City staff recommended the Woodglen Vista site to expedite construction and minimize disruption.
The city council agreed on a staffing model that would add three new positions to the fire department to support operations at the proposed station, with design and environmental review funding to be discussed at an upcoming budget meeting.
Construction of the interim station is expected to begin in January 2027, with operations targeted by December 2027; a permanent station would be sited at City Hall pending future funding.