Residents Raise $140,000 for Repairs to 1950s Fire Station

Brentwood residents have raised $140,000 to make repairs at their fire station, according to Nancy Freedman, the founder of Adopt Fire Station No. 19.

Built in the 1950s, Fire Station No. 19 had begun to show the signs of age, including rotting wood cabinets, peeling paint, water damage and broken screens.

Concerned neighbors apprised homeowner associations of the problem last summer and a nonprofit account was set up through the Brentwood School for donations, the group said.

“It’s been amazing,” said Freedman. “A lot of people wrote notes about what the Fire Department had done for them, how they had saved lives in their family.”

Another badly needed addition are separate quarters for female firefighters, said Capt. Sam Magno.

“We had a woman here and she had to take turns showering with the men, or get up early,” said Magno.

The annual budget for the Los Angeles Fire Department is $311 million, but most of that goes to salaries and equipment, said community liaison officer Ralph Ramirez.

“Ultimately the department would like to see all our stations at their optimum, but due to budget restraints, we can’t do that at the rate we want,” said Ramirez.