Kings County board votes to end Avenal fire-service contract effective Oct. 31

The Kings County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 on Sept. 30 to withdraw county fire services from the City of Avenal, with the county to end operations in Avenal effective Oct. 31, 2025.

The vote followed a multi-hour presentation and discussion that laid out negotiation history, budget impacts and operational concerns. John Chamberlain, Kings County fire chief, summarized the county’s options and recommended a path that would have allowed a longer transition but said the city had repeatedly failed to act on an amended agreement the board previously returned to the city on Aug. 12. “We have no problem with them starting their own fire department,” Chamberlain said. “I'll say that again. We have no problem with them starting their own fire department.”

Chamberlain told supervisors he was constrained by staffing and budget uncertainty. He said the county budget had been drafted assuming an agreement that would provide roughly $1,100,000 in revenue and that, without a signed contract, he had returned uncashed checks because he lacked authority to deposit or expend funds. “The budget you passed last meeting specifically was built on the premise that we had an agreement with them for an additional $1,100,000, and that is not in place,” he said.

Union leadership and law enforcement urged the board to resolve the dispute. Ed Ryman, president of the Kings County Firefighters Association, said the contract impasse has persisted long enough and warned of morale and safety risks: “We’ve been out of contract for 14 months,” he said. Sheriff Dave Robinson said previous separations of city and county public-safety services required long planning windows and urged clear transition terms. “At some…