Fire!!! How close are you to a station?

The five fire stations in Palm Springs all have an interesting history - we take a look! From the very first Fire Hall on Palm Canyon to the most recent - an odd conversion of a structure in the south part of the city.

This episode of A Bert’s Eye View is brought to you by Modernism Week— the celebration of midcentury and modern architecture, design, and culture in sunny Palm Springs, California. Join the fun in October and February with tours, talks, parties, and more—tickets and details at modernismweek.com.

The information presented in this podcast is for general knowledge and entertainment purposes only. All research that was done and opinions expressed are our own and not necessarily those of Modernism Week.

Episode Transcript

(00:06):
Hey there and welcome to Upper Tie View.
My name is Bert and I'm the Buster Operations Manager for
Modernism Week in Palm Springs, CA.
I coordinate all of our double Decker bus tours during our
Modernism Week festivals in February and October.
Many of you have been our guestsand we hope that you'll return.
If you haven't joined us yet, please do.

(00:28):
It's a great introduction to ourcity and its architecture.
While doing research for the bustours, I come across a lot of
information that we just don't have time to share.
This series of podcasts will highlight some of those
interesting details that we cannot cover during your short
time with us. So TuneIn and enjoy a bird's eye

(00:49):
view. Well, that's either a concerning
sound if you're in a car lookingfor a place to safely pull over,
or a welcoming sound if you needlife saving help.

(01:10):
Palm Springs currently has five fire stations to keep our city
safe. Each one is unique in its design
and architecture and meant to blend into the neighborhoods
they serve. Let's start with a bit of fire
department history. In 1921, local Palm Springs
property owners decided that they needed to do something
about Fire Protection in the small but growing city.

(01:31):
They raised $850 and purchased ahose cart that was stored in a
centrally located shed downtown at the corner of the current
Andreas Road and Palm Canyon. They also installed an electric
siren to warn the volunteers. In the winter of 1931, a fire

(01:53):
destroyed the Connells grocery store on North Indian Canyon.
Many residents were concerned that more Fire Protection was
needed and the very next day Mayor Frank Shannon raised the
$500 necessary for the department's first real fire
engine and it was delivered thatsame week.
In 1936, the first official firestation was constructed on the

(02:15):
West side of Palm Canyon betweenAmado and Alejo and dubbed the
Fire Hall. With the growth of Palm Springs
following World War 2, a second fire station was needed and in
1951 the John Porter Clark designed Fire station #2 was
opened at the corner of Sunrise and Ramon.

(02:37):
It was transformed into the Mizell Center in 1991 by local
architect Chris Mills and where fire trucks once waited for a
call, lunch to over 100 people is served daily by the center
staff. A new downtown fire station was
needed to replace the fire hall,and in 1955, the Albert Frey
Robson Chambers designed building was opened on Indian

(02:59):
Canyon as Fire station #1. It is still in operation today,
and while there's talk of relocating the station, the fire
department would like to keep the location the same since it
allows the shortest possible response time to many downtown
locations. Albert Fray's trademark elements
such as colored concrete block and corrugated aluminum are

(03:20):
evident here and its appearance is similar to Fray's design for
Palm Springs City Hall. The fire station is an excellent
example of post war modern civicbuilding and has not been
altered much in the past 70 years.
The station is a Palm Springs Class 1 historic site and is on
the National Register of Historic Places.

(03:41):
Growth on the north side of the city required another station.
In 1961. Hugh Captor was called on to
design the station, and he did so during a brief partnership
with architect Robert Riccardi. Station 3's modernist design on
Racquet Club Rd. fits well into the neighborhood of Palmer and
Chrysler designed Alexander Homes.
The station opened in 1964 and is still operational, is

(04:05):
scheduled to be expanded and modernized as a part of the fire
department's plans. New Captor was tapped again for
station #4 on the South side of the city on Laverne Way in 1971,
and, as Mr. Captor said he wanted it to quote, fit into the
neighborhood. The station went through a
$3,000,000 renovation in 2017, removing asbestos and adding

(04:28):
quarters for female firefighters.
Captor, then in his late 80s, served as a consultant on the
remodel project to better serve airport operations.
A new station, number 2, was constructed on El Cielo Way in
1976. It was designed by Anthony and
Langford Architects out of Huntington Beach.

(04:49):
The station's equipment Bay is super sized to house the special
trucks needed to support firefighting at the airport.
This station also serves as the headquarters for the Palm
Springs Fire Department. The newest station number 5, is
on the southeast side of the city on Bolero Road, just off
Golf Course Dr. opened in 1981. Interestingly, it was not

(05:13):
designed as a fire station. It was originally one of the
model homes for that neighborhood.
The high ceiling living room in the model is now the garage for
the trucks and the standard residential garage became the
Firefighters Day space. I want to thank all the people
at the Palm Springs Fire Department who risk their lives
every day to keep us safe. They deserve our appreciation

(05:35):
and support. And please safely pull your car
to the right side when you hear a siren.
And special thanks to Deputy Fire Chief Lyle, who made sure
all my information was correct.