Good News: Clayton Fire Station Reopens Today

Shuttered for several years while the county weathered the storms of the Great Recession, the Clayton fire station reopened today due in part to a $9.6 million federal grant, a Contra Costa Fire Protection District official said.

Fire Marshal Robert Marshall said the station closed in 2013 as a result of ongoing budget difficulties.

“When the recession hit and property values went down, it was a direct hit to our budget,” Marshall said, adding the fire district is funded by property taxes.

The fire district tightened its belt, reducing the number of stations within the district from 30 to 23. No one was fired, but Marshall said many firefighters “retired out.”

As the economy improved, Marshall said the district was able to increase its staffing levels. In June 2014, the district began hiring more firefighters and Marshall said they plan to add a total of 41 firefighters to the district, including many who are in the academy now.

Although the improving economy is one significant factor, Marshall said the new hires would have come on a lot more slowly if it weren’t for the help of a federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, valued at $9.6 million.

“We’re excited about it,” Marshall said. “It’s one of those things where you take those hits when they come and when you go from 30 companies to 23, you think all that’s really happening is you’re losing people.”

With the Clayton station reopening, the district will now have 24 stations operating, which means quicker access to medical emergencies and to fires before they begin to spread.

“Particularly when you get out to that area of the district, our response times will drop,” Marshall said. “So, now we’ll get there sooner and that’s a benefit to everybody.”

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District held a small ceremony to reopen Clayton Station 11 today. The station is located at 6500 Center Ave. in Clayton.

--Bay City News

--Image courtesy of PIO‏@ContraCostaFire

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