Las Vegas Sun

November 27, 2009

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Fire station back in service

Monday, Nov. 11, 2002 | 9:15 a.m.

After closing for a week, North Las Vegas Fire Station No. 53 went back into service Saturday morning inside temporary quarters.

A temporary mobile home will house six firefighters per shift, an operating engine and a paramedic rescue unit, Deputy Fire Chief Jim Stubler said.

The station, located at 3001 N. Martin Luther King Blvd. near Cheyenne Avenue, closed on Oct. 31 after expansive soils under the building damaged the structure.

A final decision on what to do at the site will be made by the North Las Vegas City Council.

Built in 1972, the station's problems began about 10 years ago after the city replaced the lawns around the building with desert landscaping to save water. As a result, the soil dried and shrank, causing cracks in the building's walls, floors and ceilings.

By the time the station closed, city inspectors had discovered that the building's roof and walls had disconnected, making the structure unsafe.

Inspectors feared that a severe wind or an earthquake could cause the building to collapse.

While the mobile home was prepared, the North Las Vegas paramedic unit was housed nearby under an agreement with Southwest Ambulance. The fire engine was parked at another station and the crews were reassigned.

Service calls were covered by existing agreement with other North Las Vegas fire stations.

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