Con Fire would take over fire services in Pinole under proposal

The City of Pinole is considering having the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) fully operate fire services in the city, including operating Fire Station 73 and Fire Station 74, which would reopen under the proposal.

 

The city is currently seeking community feedback on the plans and is hosting its second of two public meetings on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m. Click here for information on attending in person or via Zoom.

 

Pinole has operated just one fire station — Station 73 — for most of the city’s history, only briefly operating Station 74 from 2003 until 2011. Since the closure of Station 74, the city has explored ways to reopen the station or otherwise expand fire protection and emergency medical services.

In November last year, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors approved using $2 million in Measure X sales tax revenue to help reopen Station 74. Con Fire has proposed to operate both Stations 73 and 74 on the city’s half, funded by the $2 million in Measure X funds currently appropriated to the Pinole Fire Department.

For that to happen, Con Fire must by law receive approval from the Contra Costa County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), the County Board of Supervisors, and City Council.

The city is currently conducting outreach on the proposal. 

Supporting the proposal in principal are the City’s Fire Chief, the County Executive Fire Chiefs, the County Board of Supervisors, and the labor group representing Con Fire’s and Pinole Fire Department’s firefighters (IAFF Local 1230), according to the city.