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Tulare staff outline Fire Station 64 plan, estimate $16 million and potential 2028 groundbreaking
Summary
Fire Chief Ott told the City Council the proposed Fire Station 64 site requires Caltrans coordination at Cross and Mooney, staff hope for design work in 2026 and possible groundbreaking in 2028 if funding and approvals align; total project cost is estimated at about $16 million.
Fire Chief Ott updated the Tulare City Council on plans for Fire Station 64 on Tuesday, describing coverage- and risk-based reasons for the site, funding pathways under consideration and a tentative multi-year timeline.
Why it matters: A new station is intended to extend emergency coverage into the northeast portion of the city, support ISO-rating goals and reduce emergency response times in a growing area. The project requires intersection safety work with Caltrans at Cross and Mooney and a funding package that could include federal earmarks, state grants, developer fees and a possible future tax measure.
Presentation highlights: Chief Ott summarized short-, medium- and long-term recommendations from the 2023 community risk assessment and standards-of-coverage work and said staff have been working with Caltrans to address safety concerns at Cross and Mooney, a busy intersection on State Route 63. The chief said alternate sites had been identified in case Caltrans approval or funding does not come through.
Cost, funding and timeline: Chief Ott gave a preliminary project estimate of about $16,000,000 for design, construction, apparatus, furnishings and equipment. He said apparatus pricing is rising nationally; a new standard engine now runs about $1.3 million and lead times have increased. The department has pursued grant funding, noting roughly $7.5 million in grants over the past three years for equipment and staffing, and mentioned an earmark request coordinated through members of the federal delegation. If Caltrans approvals and funding align, staff anticipate selecting a final site and releasing RFQs in 2026 with potential design and pre-build work to follow and a possible groundbreaking in 2028.
Operational implications: Chief Ott said staffing the station would require roughly 12 additional personnel (four per shift) and estimated ongoing annual personnel costs at approximately $1.5 million. He framed the station location as providing overlapping coverage that would serve much of the northeast area and assist West Side responses as a second unit when needed.
Council questions: Members pressed staff on what would trigger selection of alternate sites if Caltrans or funding decisions delay the Cross and Mooney option. Staff replied that Caltrans approval and funding are the principal contingencies and that alternate sites are being held as backups.
Quote: "We can potentially break ground in 2028," Chief Ott said, adding that the site decision hinges on Caltrans approval and funding alignment.
What's next: Staff will continue coordination with Caltrans, pursue grants and bring design- and funding-level decisions back to council for approvals as project milestones are reached.
