Mayor Mufi Hannemann and Honolulu's Emergency Services Department will dedicate a new paramedic facility in Wahiawa at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

The 1,512-square-foot structure at 640 California Ave. will provide permanent headquarters for emergency medical workers.

The Wahiawa emergency medical unit has been operating out of a 200-square-foot office at Wahiawa General Hospital for 12 years.

"The city's first responders are on the front line of every call for help, every emergency and every disaster," Hannemann said. "It is important that they are provided with the necessary tools and equipment to ensure the health and safety of our community. "

According to Emergency Medical Service chief Patricia J. Dukes, the Wahiawa unit began paramedic service operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week in 1979.

The department consists of the Emergency Medical Services Division, which provides paramedic services on Oahu, and the Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division, whose officers protect Oahu beachgoers.