By Jason Anderson
The Record
STOCKTON, Calif. — A rural San Joaquin County fire department has been ordered to shut down a fire station that has been in operation for nearly 50 years, prompting officials to assess the potential impact on response times while searching for a new location.
Officials from the Waterloo-Morada Fire District said they have received a written notice from the property owner to vacate Station 15-2 by April 13. The station, at 9373 North Highway 99 Frontage Road just south of Morada Lane and the Raley’s shopping center, was built in 1968, officials said.
Capt. Randy Burns explained that Waterloo-Morada fire officials expected to lose the fire station years ago. Developers purchased the land when the city was experiencing growth in 2006, but they abandoned plans for high-density commercial and residential development in the area when the market crashed, Burns said.
“The bank foreclosed and agreed to let us lease it for a dollar a year to stay and provide protection for the local residents,” Burns said. “Now that the economy is somewhat looking up, a new developer has purchased the land from the bank, and the new developer is getting ready to ramp up development over there.”
Burns said officials are trying to find a new location for Station 15-2. Eight Mile Road near Highway 99 would be an ideal location, but the California Department of Transportation is planning a major interchange improvement project in that area.
In the meantime, Burns said fire officials have made the necessary modifications to house all of their equipment and personnel at Fire Station 15-1, which is located on East Foppiano Lane near Ashley Lane, Burns said. Burns said the closure could slow response times slightly in some instances, but those delays will be mitigated by a new automatic aid agreement between the Waterloo-Morada, Linden-Peters and Mokelumne fire districts.
The North County Automatic Aid Agreement (NORCO) includes a prearranged emergency response plan. The agreement essentially removes all boundaries between the fire districts and calls for automatic response for service with no need for a mutual aid request.
“They’re dispatching the closest unit,” Burns said. “That saves a lot of time, so this automatic aid agreement came at a good time.”
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