Design services approved for Fire Station 68 upgrades

Photo and map credit: Google maps

One of the smallest and most remote fire stations in the area will be renovated to make interior improvements and reallocate space.

Station 68, located on Wickerd Road and Murrieta Road, currently houses only three firefighters at a time. Improvements approved by the Menifee City Council this week will reconfigure and expand the two existing sleeping quarters to accommodate a total of five individual bedrooms. In addition, two existing bathrooms will be upgraded for male and female personnel and a third bathroom will be added.

These improvements are part of Phase 1 of the renovation, according to City documents. Architectural design services were awarded to TR Design Group, Inc., which was chosen from among three bidders to perform the work at a cost of $57,659. A second phase planned for the future includes extending the bay area to house a 60-foot ladder engine; upgrading the kitchen and office area; and adding an exercise area.

Built in the 1980s, Riverside County Fire Station 68 has been owned by the City of Menifee since incorporation. Service calls in the area have increased in recent years. The renovation will allow the station to add two full-time employees.

The station serves a rural area of west Menifee, including residences accessible only by dirt roads in the hills west of Murrieta Road.

Funding for the design project will come from the Citywide Fire Facilities category of the City’s 2020-21 Capital Improvement Projects budget.