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Residents push Tuolumne supervisors to reverse decision on Fire Station 56 closure
Summary
Multiple residents, petition groups and the county’s firefighters urged supervisors to save Fire Station 56, citing more than 1,000 annual calls to the station and an online petition with more than 1,200 signatures; the county said possible short‑term fixes and grant options are being explored.
Dozens of residents and fire‑safety advocates told the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday that closing Fire Station 56 would materially worsen emergency response times and risk lives and property in the Ridgewood/Monte Vista area.
Kathy Isaac Luke, reading a letter from a 92‑year‑old resident, described recent medical and cardiac emergencies that she said were resolved by fast local response: “A fast response is all that saved it,” she read. Multiple speakers said the station handles roughly 1,000 calls per year and cited a Ridgewood petition with more than 1,266 signatures opposing the closure.
Charles Edward Luke told the board that Station 56 is not a part‑time resource and warned that moving apparatus or removing the station would “increase emergency response time, overburden nearby stations and put lives and property at risk.”
Supervisor Kirk said he is pursuing ‘‘creative solutions’’ and would return options to the board; other supervisors acknowledged the public‑safety and fiscal tradeoffs. Staff told the board they are exploring mitigation and capital funding sources, including possible CDBG‑DR and other grant opportunities, but noted the county lacks funds to staff an additional full‑time station without a new ongoing revenue source.
The board did not take a final vote on Station 56. Supervisors asked staff to provide additional cost estimates for making the facility habitable (sleeping quarters and drainage fixes were discussed as candidate short‑term items) and to present any external funding options and legal/contractual constraints before making a final determination.
