Fire Stations in Mentone, San Antonio Heights and Yucca Valley received new engines and on Feb.19, the community of Mentone turned out recently to celebrate their new engine in style.

Members of the Mentone Area Community Association and representatives of the Mentone Chamber of Commerce joined 3rd District Supervisor Neil Derry and the crew from Fire Station 9 to present the new fire engine at Station 9 to the community of Mentone. The fire engine that previously served the community of Mentone was relocated to Hinkley.

All three engines were purchased by San Bernardino County Fire with partial capital reserve dollars. Federal grant funding was used to equip Yucca Valley’s engine and a Homeland Security Grant will be used to purchase a thermal imaging camera for the Mentone and San Antonio Heights engines, as well as new extrication equipment for San Antonio Heights.

Rosenbauer Fire Apparatus built the new fire engines, and they carry 500 gallons of water on board and have a pump capacity of 1,500 gallons of water per minute. In addition, the new fire engines carry 30 gallons of foam, and have new fire hose, new wild land tools, new forcible entry tools, new scene lighting and many other additions and improvements.