LA County Fire .com - LA County FD ''Signals'' a new station opening on the ''Hill''.

DPhyre writes "

On November 6th 2003 the Los Angeles County Fire Department began to provide contract services to the City of Signal Hill after more then a decade with the Long Beach Fire Department.

Signal Hill Fire Department was formed on February 4th, 1924 and became part of the Los Angeles County Fire Protection Districts as Engine 12 when a hose wagon was loaned to the department from American La France. Later that year they bought an American La France 600gpm pumper, and moved into a station. On July 24th, 1925 the district was dissolved due to incorporation and the opening of their own city department.

In the 1960?s Signal Hill fire department was once again consolidated with the LA County Fire Department, and became Station 154. In 1987 the city contracted to the Long Beach Fire Department for protection. During that time the County of Los Angeles still took taxes for fire protection from Signal Hill, and then paid Long Beach Fire Department to provide the contract. The City of Long Beach paid the LA County Fire Department $1 per year for the lease of the station. Long Beach Fire Department provided protection with a Pierce telesquart, and a Mack foam unit was also housed at the station.

When the Long Beach contract came up for renewal it was decided that Long Beach Fire Department was asking too much, and at that point it was decided to return to county fire protection.

When LA County Fire Department took over fire protection to the city of Covina in 1998, the original number 154 was recycled. The number 60 which was assigned to the Universal Studios station which was recently renumbered to 51 was used for the new Signal Hill station.

Station 60 operates a 4 person paramedic engine company, using a former 1990 KME reserve apparatus. This apparatus has around 165,000 miles on it, and is expected to be replaced in the next apparatus purchase.

The contract to transfer the station to LACoFD was to begin October 30th, but due to the brushfires raging across Southern California, the station transfer was moved up to November 6th. Engine 60 was placed in service on the October 30th and began to fill for companies moved up to the fires. Engine 60?s first assignment was to station 31?s and then to station 122?s and then over to their new quarters on November 6th."