With plans to build a fire station in the Ventura Harbor area moving slowly, extending the amount of time that a roving fire engine patrols the area is among the best bets for improving service there, according to a new report from the Ventura County Grand Jury.

In the report, the Grand Jury highlights the perennial problem of slow response times to the Ventura Harbor area and recommends officials focus on interim solutions while residents wait for the new fire station.

The harbor area is 3.48 miles from the nearest fire station, and responses to medical emergencies there can take up to 11 minutes, according to the report.

The city of Ventura Fire Department's goal is to respond within five minutes.

The department meets that goal only about 10 percent of the time when responding to the harbor area, compared with 57 percent overall, the report states.

A proposal to build a harbor fire station has been on the table for years but has been continually delayed.

The Grand Jury recommends Ventura build the proposed station but acknowledges the city lacks the money to build or staff it.

As an interim measure, the Fire Department should expand the hours of a roving engine company and have it spend the majority of its time in the harbor area, the Grand Jury said.

Formed in 2007, the three-person engine company currently patrols Ventura during four 10-hour shifts on weekdays, spending 5 percent to 10 percent of its time in the harbor area, according to the report. The Grand Jury recommends the company's hours be extended to weekends.

Ventura Fire Chief Michael Lavery said the roving crew has successfully reduced response times in the city, and he is inclined to increase its hours, if he gets more funding.

Funding is expected to come from Ventura's controversial new $1.49 monthly fee on local telephone users for 911 service.

The fee will free up money to hire additional public safety personnel, including three firefighters, city officials say. The city will begin collecting the fee next month.

If the fee proves to provide a consistent revenue stream, Lavery said, he will likely double the roving company's current schedule to 80 hours a week. In the best-case scenario, that could happen by July 2009, he said.

But the proportion of time the crews spend in the harbor area would likely remain the same, he said.

Lavery said the company's current positioning has proved efficient citywide. In the 40 hours a week, it has reduced department response times by 10 percent overall, he said.