On March 1, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) will officially assume full operations of fire services in Pinole, and will reopen the long-shuttered Fire Station 74, as expected.
The contract to merge the Pinole Fire Department into Con Fire was unanimously approved by the Pinole City Council, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, and the Contra Costa Local Area Formation Commission.
Fire officials say the merger will improve fire and emergency services to the city’s 19,000 residents. One of the more notable improvements is the reopening of Fire Station 74, which has been shuttered since 2011 due to recessionary budget cuts. Measure X funds are contributing $2 million to the reopening and continued staffing of the fire station.
The new service arrangement is expected to bring “more coordinated, cohesive and streamlined fire and emergency services,” according to Con Fire. The arrangement will also better align firefighting models across districts, creating increased services and improved firefighter safety,” the agency said.
“I am pleased with the partnership with Con Fire that is rooted in empathy, resilience, solutions and actions,” Pinole Mayor Devin Murphy said at a meeting on the topic last fall. “I hope this partnership will continue based on these values.”
