Cal Fire takes over Atwater firefighting Services

The Atwater Fire Department is no more. In name, at least, the department is gone. From now on, Atwater’s fire services will be in the hands of the state of California.

On Wednesday morning, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, officially took over operations from the city of Atwater in a ceremony at Station 21.

Under the contract between the state and city, the department will be run by the state’s fire department at a cost of roughly $1.4 million a year.

The benefits of the new partnership are twofold: the city will save money and increase training opportunities and resources for local firefighters.

“Service levels will be transparent,” said Atwater City Manager Gregory B. Wellman. “When someone rolls up to an accident or a fire, services will be the same — they’ll just wear a different uniform.”

The city estimates that in four to five years the city will see a savings of up to $500,000 a year, said Stanley Feathers, assistant city manager. Training and access to state fire resources will be available immediately in this deal, he added.

In fact, almost all of Atwater’s 14 firefighters will be sent to the state fire academy for training within the next 12 months.

While Cal Fire will run Atwater’s fire department, the city will still be responsible for maintaining equipment and facilities. In essence, said Wellman, this will be a personnel move.

While most see the change as a boon to the city, as well as for its firefighters, city councilman Gary Frago harbored some reservations. “To me, this is a big step,” he said. “There will be some bumps along the road, but I think they can work them out.”

Story by Merced Sun Star