Lakeside QRU gets new home

West Shore emergency services have now taken a giant leap forward – the Lakeside QRU will soon have its own building.

The QRU finished up the final paperwork Friday morning and announced on site that afternoon the donation of 2 acres of property west of the current fire hall the QRU has been sharing with the Somers-Lakeside Fire Department on Bills Road.

Al and Cora Luna contacted the department over a year ago to offer up a portion of their property for the community.

Steve Rosso, president of the Lakeside QRU, said they've been working on the process since then.

The Lunas moved to Lakeside in the 1960s when Al was assigned by the U.S. Air Force to the radar base where Youth With A Mission is today. They later bought the property and the portion their house, which they built in the 1970s, sits today.

Since its founding in the 1980s, the QRU has gone through a number of changes including a new ambulance and the addition to the fire hall, but none have been as large as this, Rosso said.

"This is a big step for the QRU," Rosso said at the announcement.

The QRU has been raising funds for quite some time, having outgrown the shared space at the fire hall.

The building, which is slated to go under construction in the spring, will have three garage bays to house the current ambulance and future emergency vehicles. It will also have overnight accommodations for staff in case of a need for 24-hour response as the area's population grows.

For many area organizations and committees, one of the more exciting aspects of the new building will be a meeting room with a capacity for 200 people that will be available for community functions. When the Baldy fire broke out in September, area emergency services had to seek out a place for public update meetings, since now large-scale meeting place existed. The meetings were held at Lakeside Community Chapel.

The property will also include a permanent landing site for the ALERT helicopter. Al Luna suggested that instead of a plaque or other recognition for their donation that the pad be named "Luna's Landing."

The QRU plans to leave vacant 50 feet on the east side of the property in line with a vacant lot for a possible roadway connecting Bills Road to Bierny Creek Road in a future north-south corridor. The suggestion earned applause from the 30 people present at the announcement.

Due to financial constraints, the project will have to be completed in phases, but Rosso is optimistic that the QRU will be able to move into a partially finished building next fall.

"All of our members are very proud to be part of such a generous community," Rosso said.

For the Lunas, this was an emotional moment of gratitude for the QRU's efforts.

"This is the best thing I've ever done," Al Luna said. "We should give you thanks for taking care of us."

The building work will be possible through numerous donations. Rosso said Lakeside summer resident Robert Howard has been the largest single financial contributor to the fund. Many other individuals have contributed by raising funds at summer benefits, he said.