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Tulare County Fire Department outlines upgrades: new apparatus, station remodels, Starlink connectivity and wildfire mitigation work
Summary
Tulare County Fire Department leaders updated the board on fleet and facility upgrades, connectivity improvements and wildfire mitigation efforts, including new apparatus, revamped extrication tools and expansion of evacuation‑route work.
Tulare County Fire Department leaders briefed the Board of Supervisors on operational improvements, apparatus acquisitions, capital projects and wildfire mitigation work during an informational presentation.
Chief Charlie (presenting) and Deputy Chief Jeff McLaughlin said the department had placed seven new apparatus into service and expected full fleet completion in spring 2025. They described a 2021 lease‑purchase program for apparatus (originally $9,000,000 for 19 vehicles) that is nearly complete and noted eleven new pieces of equipment added since 2024. The department said it has roughly 26 stations (22 in the valley, four in mountain areas) and operates about 52 apparatus. The department’s operating budget was cited at roughly $36,000,000.
Operational and capital highlights presented to the board included:
- A Station 20 remodel (about $4,000,000) completed to modernize apparatus storage and improve working conditions. - Conversion from hydraulic/gas extrication tools to battery‑powered tools estimated to cut on‑scene setup time by about nine minutes, improving patient‑extrication timelines. - Installation of Starlink terminals at stations and in chief vehicles to provide robust connectivity for operations and incident reporting in remote areas. - A completed radio‑communications upgrade, including three new towers and 13 repeaters, intended to simplify radio use across the county. - A type‑3 Incident Management Team recognized by Cal OES, making the county one of seven in the state to have that designation and expanding local incident management capacity. - A fuels‑crew program focused on wildfire mitigation, evacuation route improvements in mountain communities (Hartland and Badger), and other community protection projects. - A training revenue agreement with Fresno City College that will add an estimated $80,000–$90,000 a year in compensation for training provided to students.
Deputy Chief McLaughlin added that call volume was up about 2% year‑over‑year, driven by EMS and vegetation fires, and that the department’s hand crew would continue evacuation‑route and fuel‑reduction work.
The presentation was informational; the board did not take formal action on the report, but several supervisors praised the department’s modernization and community outreach.
