Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Fire Department topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Avenal to begin city-run fire service June 10; council asked to ratify $270,000 modular living quarters purchase
Summary
City staff said radios, MDTs and apparatus are ready and the city aims to begin independent fire response on June 10. Staff requested council ratify an expedited purchase of modular living quarters (negotiated to about $270,000) to house firefighters and support the startup.
The City of Avenal is moving to operate its own fire department: Fire Chief Jacob McCaffy told the council on May 28 that the department’s radios, mobile data terminals and apparatus communications have been installed and tested and that staff intend for the city to provide limited services starting June 1 and assume full response capability on June 10.
“We will be ready to respond to our own calls on June 10th,” Chief McCaffy said.
To support that timeline, staff presented an expedited procurement to acquire modular container living quarters. Staff said they inspected a near-complete unit at a local yard and negotiated the price "down to 270 out the door," and that the vendor expected delivery around June 9. The proposed unit—described by staff as a ~40-by-40 assembled configuration—would provide three sleeping rooms (bunk capacity), two bathrooms, a dedicated supervisory office, a laundry/utility room and a kitchen/living area, and would be placed behind city hall where utilities already exist.
City staff framed the purchase as a time-sensitive public-safety procurement that falls under municipal procurement exemptions for emergency or urgent needs; staff asked the council to ratify the agreement to avoid delays that a longer custom build would create. Staff said the modular option allows the city to own the living quarters (rather than lease) and to relocate them later if a permanent station is built.
Chief McCaffy and other staff also described training and community outreach planned before full startup, including a smoke-detector installation campaign and a public open house. A county fire representative noted he remains on contract under a court order until formally relieved.
Next steps: staff requested council ratification of the purchase. The transcript records the staff presentation, the negotiated price and delivery timeline; it does not show an explicit roll-call vote to ratify the purchase in the public record excerpted here.
