SAN MARCOS —— With new stations, updated equipment and a recently expanded staff, the San Marcos Fire Department has not only kept pace with the needs of San Diego County's fastest-growing city, but has also improved its ability to protect it.

As a result of the changes, the department announced last week that it had received an improved fire protection rating from a company that reviews the equipment, staffing, training and location of stations for more than 44,000 agencies nationwide.

Of those agencies, only about 420 across the country and four departments in the county have received a rating as high as the San Marcos department, which serves 85,000 people in a 33-square-mile area that includes the city, Lake San Marcos and the Twin Oaks Valley.

"I have repeatedly said we have the most effective department in the county if not the state," City Manager Rick Gittings said. "It's great to talk about having a good fire department, but it's even better when an outside party recognizes the commitment the (City) Council has put toward public safety."

Public safety a priority

City officials say public safety is their top priority, and they have backed up their words with money —— the Fire Department's operating budget has increased by more than 50 percent in the past three years.

While the city has run a small budget surplus during the same time period, the Fire Department's budget rose from $5.2 million in the fiscal year 2003-04 to $8 million for the fiscal year that began in July.

"The city happens to be in the best financial position it has ever been, and this has allowed us to spend much more money on our programs," Councilman Hal Martin said. "And the money definitely equals better service."

With the large increase in its operating budget, the Fire Department has increased the number of its employees from 61 to 74 since 2003.

A major part of the increase is the nine firefighters the district hired this year to serve at a new fire station in the southwest San Marcos area of San Elijo Hills.

Residents of the upscale master-planned community had lobbied the city to open a station in the area as soon as possible because it is more than five miles from the nearest station.

To serve the roughly 5,000 resident now living there, the department has had a fire engine at a temporary station near the San Elijo town center since July and has plans to open a permanent station around the end of 2006, said deputy fire Chief Todd Newman.

"The temporary station has worked out great and we are getting to the majority of the calls in the area very quickly," Newman said.

Newman said the department had an ambulance stationed in the area, but it took about seven minutes to get a fire engine there. He said it now only takes from two to five minutes for the engine to get to calls, and he said service to the area will only improve when the permanent station opens.

The new station will be located at the point on the top of the hill where Twin Oaks Valley Road will connect with San Elijo Road. Newman said the connection of the two roads will allow engines from stations on Woodland Parkway and Mission Road to more quickly provide support to the San Elijo Hills area.

The position of the new station will also allow it to easily serve the heart of the city area around Cal State San Marcos, Newman said.

He said San Elijo Hills should have grading at the site done by next February, and the city would soon begin taking construction bids for the project.

Newman said it would be difficult to estimate the cost of the station because of the rising price of construction, but he said it would be more expensive than the $4 million project to rebuild the station on Rancho Santa Fe Road.

The new station on Rancho Santa Fe Road should open before the end of the year despite rain delaying the project by about a month, and it will be twice as large as the previous station at that location, Newman said.

The Rancho Santa Fe Road station and the new station near San Elijo are part of the department's efforts to increase its coverage of the city's 73,000 residents.

And with the expansion of the station on Mission Road in 2000, three of the department's four stations have been built or remodeled in the past five years.

"They are all designed for 50-year buildout projections," said fire Chief Larry Webb.

Webb said the new facilities will help improve services because they have more features to help firefighters do their jobs. For example, he said the old station at Rancho Santa Fe Road did not have fuel so the engines had to drive down to the station on Mission to get fuel. Now, they won't have to leave the station to do so in case of an emergency.

Using grants to pay for equipment

In addition to having new stations, the department has been able to purchase a large amount of new equipment in the past couple of years.

The department keeps one fire engine at each of its four stations, and Newman said the department has purchased three $365,000 fire engines in the past year.

"That is pretty unheard of," Newman said.

Newman said the new engines have improved technology to help the firefighters know whether there is a problem with the vehicles and the engines will also require less maintenance.

The department was able to secure the engines with the help of federal, state and local grants. Webb estimated San Marcos has received more than $750,000 in grants in the past three years.

"Chief Webb brings in more money than he gets paid," said Councilman Jim Desmond. "He is worth his weight in gold."

Obtaining grants helps bring federal tax money back home, said City Manager Gittings.

The grants have allowed the department to purchase equipment such as a new emergency rescue trailer, six thermal imaging cameras and heart monitors for all its engines, Webb said.

Webb also found out last week the department has received a $125,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop a wildfire protection plan. The city will be able to look at what to expect and how to handle large wildfires like those that ravaged San Diego County in 2003.

"An emphasis will be spent on evacuation routes, and we will identify routes where people can go because we don't want to be guessing during a time of emergency," Newman said.

In addition to the wildfire protection money, Webb said he expects to soon receive another federal grant allowing San Marcos to develop plans to reduce the amount of brush, and the chance of fires, around about 1,600 homes in the city.

Contact staff writer David Sterrett at (760) 761-4411 or dsterrett@nctimes.com.