Brand New Madera County Fire Station ‘No. 7’ at Tesoro Viejo Community
There’s big excitement over the brand-new Madera County Fire Station No. 7 – “Lucky No. 7” – located in the middle of the Town Center at Tesoro Viejo, Madera County’s newest master planned community.
“Employees will go an entire career and never get a chance to work in an all-new fire station,” said Chris Trindade, Battalion Chief of Cal Fire-Madera County Fire Department. “It’s just so exciting to be the first ones to serve in a new facility with new equipment.”
Madera County Fire Station No. 7 officially went on-line October 19, 2018. Trindade remembers the day they raised the United States and California flags for the very first time.
“Firefighters are patriotic, and this was a big deal to raise those flags for the first time,” he said.
Prominently located in the center of Tesoro Viejo on the edge of the community event lawn, the fire station features two apparatus bays and three dorm bedrooms that houses a fire company of four led by Battalion Chief Chris Trindade. It is assigned four fire personnel and is staffed by a captain and an engineer 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
When it comes to the benefits of a public-private partnership, there is no better example than the partnership between the Tesoro Viejo team and Madera County Fire Department, according to Trindade. He worked in construction before becoming a firefighter 13 years ago and understands the importance of a having a strong vision and working collaboratively with all entities.
“Our collaboration with the Tesoro Viejo team shows that a partnership between a government agency and a private entity can exist and can be a huge success,” Trindade said.
The fire station is one of the first residents at Tesoro Viejo and will not only serve the community of Tesoro Viejo, but also serve the surrounding southeastern Madera County. Since the fire personnel are Cal Fire employees, they bring extensive knowledge and expertise and know how to handle major emergencies. As another layer of safety for the community, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) work closely with the fire personnel at the station.
Being one of the first residents of the Tesoro Viejo community helped the fire personnel in their pre-planning efforts. They have been able to gain an in-depth understanding of the underground infrastructure, allowing for more detailed and effective emergency plans. Trindade says that gaining an understanding of how the community is being built goes far in emergency preparedness.
The fire station already has two Paid-Call Firefighters, a firefighter who is professionally trained and augments the full-time staff for emergency response. Trindade says this is encouraging because residents have not yet moved into the community and there is already an interest; he says they look forward to that number growing.
Trindade’s vision for the fire station is to be a friendly face in the community and to be good neighbors. “Most of all, we look forward to building trust in this community,” Trindade says. “We will be actively involved in what goes on here. We are committed to being courteous, respectful and professional.”
The fire station is located across from The Hub and AXIS Coffee Bar & Eatery, so you’ll likely run into one of our community’s finest at our local hot spot and gathering place.