CORRECTION (Published 8/18/2012)
A story about the closure of an Alameda County Fire station in Livermore incorrectly reported the name of the deputy chief for the department. He is David Rocha.

LIVERMORE -- One of the oldest fire stations in Alameda County retired recently, in a move that county fire officials say will improve responses to calls in the east side of the county.

Alameda County Fire Station No. 8, built in 1938, had its services relocated to the Alameda County Regional Emergency Communications Center at Lawrence Livermore Lab on July 31.

When it was built 74 years ago, its location on College Avenue was considered the eastern end of Livermore. Since then Livermore has expanded further east, said David Rocha, deputy chief for the Alameda County Fire Department.

"The misconception was that the station served the city around it," said Rocha about the relocation. "We respond to the unincorporated areas and moving out to the lab enables us to do that more efficiently."

The county fire department and the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department have planned a community meeting to explain the move and alleviate concerns resident have about the change, The meeting will be 8 a.m. Aug. 29 at the retired station, 1617 College Ave.

Rocha said the county department doesn't plan to rent out Station No. 8, but plans to use it to possibly store a reserve truck or for some other county fire purpose.

Station

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No. 8 was one of 30 stations in the county department and along with Fire Station No. 20 was responsible for calls in eastern Alameda County that spans roughly 360 square miles and includes the Altamont Pass down to the Santa Clara County border.

The relocation coincided with the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department's move of its dispatch services from the Livermore Police Department to the regional communications center at the lab.

There will be no delays, or reason for "alarm for a reduction in service," said Joseph Rodondi, Deputy Chief of Livermore-Pleasanton Fire. "... Many of the calls for the county station involved the Altamont Pass and grass fires or crashes."

Area residents should see more efficient service as a result of the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire move of its dispatch services, said Rodondi.

The closest fire station that serves the area where the county's Fire Station No. 8 was located is the Livermore-Pleasanton's Station No. 7 at 951 Rincon Ave. Livermore Pleasanton Station's No. 6 and No. 9, at 4550 East Ave. and 1919 Cordoba St, respectively, also respond to calls in the College Avenue area, said Rodondi.

Contact Robert Jordan at 925-847-2184. Follow him at Twitter.com/robjordan127.