Fontana, Calif.– A new monument acts as a re-dedication of Fire Station 78 to late Fontana Fire Chief RJ Keen.
Fire Station 78, located at 7110 Citrus Avenue, serves the northern area of Fontana including Walnut Village, Sierra Lakes, Hunter’s Ridge and the 210 Freeway. Since opening on May 7, 2001, the station has displayed a small plaque in which the inscription is difficult to read from the street.
According to Engineering Manager Noel Castillo, “The newer [fire] stations have nice monument signs and it is easy to see the name of the station. It will be a nice new monument and folks will easily be able to see the name and dedication.”
In 1953, RJ Keen joined the Fontana Fire District and quickly began to climb the ranks. He was appointed as Battalion Chief in 1958, Assistant Chief in 1968, Acting Fire Chief in 1971 and Fire Chief in 1972. His vision for a countywide fire service began by collaborating with the Muscoy and Bloomington Fire Districts, thus forming the foundation for the current San Bernardino County Fire Department.
For questions about the re-dedication, please contact Fontana Engineering Manager Noel Castillo at (909) 350-7632 or email at ncastillo@fontana.org. For more information about Fire Station 78, please visit www.fontana.org.
