VIDEO: As fire season ramps up across California, the Mountain House Fire Department is getting a much-needed boost. This week, the city officially opened Fire Station 2, a new facility built to improve emergency response on the cityโs rapidly growing north side. The new station marks only the second fire station to open in Mountain House in the last 20 years. Fire officials say itโs a critical step forward for both safety and peace of mind.
โI am excited to have this new fire station as well as some of the new equipment weโre going to have for our firefighters,โ said Fire Chief Marty Cornielsen. The more than $7 million facility was also built with wellness and safety for the fire staff in mind. The design includes a โhot zoneโ and a โcold zoneโ separation meant to keep contamination away from living and dining areas. Cornielsen said that this helps reduce firefightersโ exposure to carcinogens and minimizes what gets brought into the areas where they eat and sleep.
City and state officials joined in celebrating the grand opening, including Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, who represents San Joaquin County. She emphasized the growing need for fire preparedness amid worsening conditions. โWe know that wildfires are getting more intense, more frequent, and more unpredictable,โ Ransom said. According to Amanda Durbin, the cityโs communications officer, Mountain House has a population of 28,000 residents, and itโs only about halfway built out. Officials stated that Fire Station 1 was not positioned to reach the north side as quickly, which made the expansion essential.
With dry grass, high winds, and hot temperatures pushing the fire risk higher, the department hopes this news station will not only improve response times, but also provide residents with reassurance. โHaving the ability to have this security and insurance plan in place for them is amazing,โ Cornielsen said. Cornielsen said that this new station will also be a helpful tool for ongoing recruiting efforts.
