Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) and East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (East Con) announced staffing of the new, but previously unopened, Fire Station 55 in Oakley.
The station is fully staffed for the first time with a three-firefighter engine company equipped to dispatch on either the station’s standard Type 1 Engine 55 or its wildland firefighting Engine 355.
Positive impacts
The addition of this fire crew is expected to have positive impacts on fire and emergency medical responses across the area, boosting firefighter availability by 33 percent in East County at a time of critically high wildfire danger.
Engine 55 enters service as an Advanced Life Support (ALS) crew, a rolling emergency room staffed by a paramedic, as well as emergency medical technicians, a first for East County.
This staffing collaboration comes fully one month ahead of annexation of East Con by Con Fire and is an early reflection of the benefits residents in East County, and across the rest of the County, can expect to see from the newly expanded Con Fire.
Representing a landmark
Fire Station 55 is now delivering resources to a long-underserved part of the County
“The opening of this station represents a landmark increase of services ready to respond to the communities of Bethel Island and the eastern portions of the City of Oakley."
"This is the first step with increased services that annexation with Con Fire is bringing us,” said Brian Helmick, fire chief, East Contra Costa Fire Protection District.
Authority comment
“Today’s unique collaborative effort between Con Fire and East Con Fire highlights the types of improvements to fire and EMS capabilities residents across the County can expect to realize from our upcoming annexation,” said Lewis Broschard, fire chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
“Fire Station 55 is now delivering resources to a long-underserved part of the County. Working together with our East Con colleagues, we look forward to more such improvements as our July 1 annexation date nears.”
Supporting residents
Fire Station 55 will support residents of the City of Oakley and surrounding communities
Fire Station 55 will support residents of the City of Oakley and surrounding communities along with the firefighters who staff it, allowing for better quality of life, health, training, and community interaction.
Total cost for the new station when built in 2020 was $10 million. Due to ongoing revenue challenges, the station was not staffed or opened at that time. Since completion, it has served as an administrative office for staff providing services to East County.
Cancer prevention
Designed with cancer prevention in mind, the station includes state-of-the-art gross decontamination showers, turnout extractors, and modern systems for extraction of diesel exhaust particulates. Its location lends itself to facilitating rapid responses to the area’s wildfire challenges.
A ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Fire Station 55, with elected officials from the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District Board, County and City of Oakley making remarks and participating was scheduled for 10 a.m., June 1, 2022 at the station, located at 3200 East Cypress Road, Oakley.
