Fire Crew at Tesoro Viejo Fire Station Bring Experience, Enthusiasm to Serving the Community

Experience. Expertise. Enthusiasm. These three words are the best way to describe the fire crew at Madera County’s Fire Station No. 7, located in the heart of the Tesoro Viejo Town Center.

“Firefighters make the best neighbors,” said Brent McCaffrey, president of Tesoro Viejo. “It’s welcoming and reassuring to know that these firefighters are housed here within the Town Center at our community.”

The fire station is housed in a 4,600-square foot building that features two apparatus bays and three dorm bedrooms to house one fire company.  It is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There are four Cal Fire/Madera County fire crew members assigned to the coveted, brand-new fire station with two fire crew members serving at a time.  Fire Captain Eric Palmer, Fire Captain Nathan Baxter, Engineer Troy Riggs and Engineer Michael Houk are all led by Battalion Chief Christopher Trinidade.

And on any given day, you will find the large, roll-up door to the fire truck bay wide open, inviting the community to come take a look.

“I love bringing the kids in and showing them the fire truck – they get so excited,” says Engineer Troy Riggs.

Each crew member is from the Central Valley and has a passion for serving the public.

“We work for the public,” says Battalion Chief Christopher Trinidade.  “We are highly qualified and trained in emergency services and do it with respect and pride.”

In fact, each crew member holds an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license, which means they have the knowledge and skills necessary to stabilize and safely transport patients ranging from non-emergency and routine medical transports to life threatening emergencies.

In addition, Battalion Chief Trinidade is a HAZMAT technician for Madera County and both Fire Captains Palmer and Baxter are HAZMAT specialists, serving on the Madera County HAZMAT team.

And the specialized training of this crew doesn’t stop there.  Battalion Chief Trinidade serves on the California Type I Incident Management Team as an operations section chief trainee for large wild fires.  His expertise is sought out in the industry, as he teaches classes to fire personnel leaders on how to command officers.

In addition, a couple of this experienced fire crew have rescue backgrounds and Engineer Riggs holds a special certification in swift water rescue.

The “Lucky No. 7” Fire Crew have strong connections to the Central Valley – this is where they grew up and where they are raising their families.  And each of them feels fortunate to call Tesoro Viejo their home away from home.  In fact, you will see them running, hiking and biking the trails to stay fit for duty.

They were the first “residents” moving into Tesoro Viejo in October 2018 and are excited to welcome new families, as residents continue to move into the community.

“It is our vision to be THE positive place for kids in the neighborhood to ride their bikes to and hang out,” Battalion Chief Trinidade says.

“I know first-hand that the fire personnel who serve in this station are already a big part of this new community,” said Madera County Supervisor Brett Frazier.  “Their presence from day one has sent an important message that public safety is important.”

The fire crew at Madera County’s Fire Station No. 7 are exactly the kind of neighbors you want – and they are right at the heart of Tesoro Viejo.