By Mary O’KEEFE

It took a lot of work, volunteers, community support and paint to get to the grand opening Tuesday night of The Fire House, a place for kids to come to meet, do their homework, play some games, mingle and hopefully get a break from the “There’s nothing to do here” blues.

“This is something we have been talking about for a long time,” said Susan Dubin, one of the founding members of the CV Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coalition that partnered with St. Luke’s of the Mountains to create the youth center.

Dubin, along with coalition member Aileen Bristow and others, spent two months working to prepare the house for its grand opening.

The Coalition partnered with St. Luke’s of the Mountains and St. George’s Episcopal churches to open a drop-in type youth house. The Fire House stone building at 2563 Foothill Blvd. in the 1930s was Los Angeles County Fire Station 19. Present day Station 19 firefighters were at the grand opening to see how their old station was reborn into a place where kids can spend time playing pool, foosball, video games as well as get help with homework and just hang out.

Many officers and deputies at the grand opening joined Glendale Police Chief Ron DePompa and CV Sheriff’s Station Capt. Dave Silversparre.

“This is for all the youth of the community,” said St. Luke’s Vicar Bryan Jones.

Though owned by St. Luke’s, The Fire House is not a religious-based facility.

Anyone affiliated with St. Luke’s, with another church or no church at all is welcome at The Fire House, Jones said.

Jones was instrumental in making this place happen, Dubin said.

During the grand opening the kids made the rules and wrote a “Wish List” of what they would like to see at the house. Some of the suggestions were Wi-Fi capability, movie night, books from the school to do homework (for those who may have left theirs in the school locker), more video games, musical instruments and dance nights.

At present the house is open on Tuesday nights for high school aged kids but plans to stretch that schedule to Thursday mornings for Rosemont Middle School students. The goal is to have it open every day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for middle school kids and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for high school.

Anyone who would like information about The Fire House can contact Rev. Bryan Jones  at (818) 248-3639.

  Fire House, St. Luke’s Church