Fire Station in Madera County gets upgrade

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A fire station in Madera County got a much-needed makeover.

Officials say Fire Station #11, located in North Fork, will bring critical emergency services to people in the county.

Community members attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new upgrades on Wednesday.

The facility is staffed with help from Cal Fire.

“We just want to ensure the community that Cal Fire is committed to the county and to the community of North Fork,” said CAL FIRE Madera-Mariposa-Merced Chief Chris Trinidad. 

The station includes fire services, EMS, and a sheriff’s substation.

Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue is excited that the upgrades will help emergency crews respond faster and more effectively.

“Having all of the emergency services under one building, and under one roof, and in one area, we can coordinate those responses, makes us so much more resilient for whatever is thrown at us,” Sheriff Pogue explained.

He says the facility is already being put to good use.

“We had a SWAT call in this community right behind me up here in Cascadel, and we coordinated that response out of the mutual conference room here,” he said.

Pogue also believes the location of Fire Station #11 will be a critical asset for an area consistently threatened by fires.

“Starting about 10 years ago or so, we started seeing these major wildfires start coming online. And now it’s like every year they get worse and worse,” he explained. “I think our past disasters, really, what has driven the need for this facility.”

One of those impacted by recent fires is Bobby Hale. He’s lived in North Fork since 1973 and is deeply rooted in the community as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Commissioners for the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California. 

“We’ve had like six fires, you know, in like six years and major fires. But we also had some flooding and stuff from a winter storm,” Hale said. “I’m really excited for the opening of this because we’ve needed this for a long time.”

He says more upgrades mean more protection for the community.

“That’s what our tribe was worried about, you know, the safety of all in North Fork community, you know, in the surrounding areas. So, the quicker responses will help protect and evacuate from what’s needed,” Hale said.