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Los Banos highlights fire-department expansion, new station plan and police crime reductions
Summary
City leaders announced two new battalion chiefs and a $13 million Fire Station 4 and EOC project due to begin construction in summer 2026; police reported sharp reductions in shootings since 2020 and creation of a traffic unit tied to collision declines.
Public safety took center stage at the State of the City address, where fire and police leaders outlined staffing increases, equipment purchases and projects meant to reduce response times and violent crime.
"Public safety will always be our number one priority," Mayor Michael Amabile said in his opening remarks.
Mayor Pro Tem Deborah Lewis and Fire Chief Paul Tualla (retiring May 15) described recent and planned investments in the fire department, including two newly hired battalion chiefs and a newly established fire prevention division headed by Captain Eric Belekiu. Lewis said Fire Station No. 4 and an Emergency Operations Center are planned as a combined project estimated at $13 million, with construction scheduled to begin summer 2026.
"The new station will help to reduce response time to fire incidents," Lewis said, and city officials emphasized upgrades to emergency medical devices, utility rescue equipment and replacement Type 1 engines.
On policing, Council Member Marcus Chavez introduced Police Chief Ray Reyna, who credited technology and community partnerships for reductions in violent crime. "In 2020 we recorded 61 reported shootings in our community and of those we had nine reported homicides," Reyna said. "Last year we recorded eight shootings…we had one homicide." Reyna also described a newly formed traffic division with motorcycle units and reported a 13% reduction in collisions for January–February and a 10% reduction in March, yielding a 16% first-quarter decline year-over-year.
Reyna outlined staffing levels: the department is authorized 51 sworn police officers (with three trainees in the academy and three vacancies cited in the presentation) and an authorized total of 88.5 department employees. He described community programs such as the Police Activities League, Police Explorers and a citizen academy to strengthen community ties.
What happens next: City leaders said they will proceed with Fire Station No. 4 procurement and continue police recruitment and traffic enforcement initiatives; Chief Tualla will retire in mid-May and Assistant Chief Brandon Dornbush will become acting chief.
Sources: City remarks at the State of the City address.
