New $12 million fire station to be built in Yucca Valley with funding from California budget

Jul. 18—The Town of Yucca Valley will get a new fire station thanks to funding from a recently approved state budget bill.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the senate bill Monday, which appropriates $12 million to the San Bernardino County Fire Department to build the facility.

3rd District County Supervisor Dawn Rowe praised the decision earlier this week and said the "funds wouldn't have materialized without the efforts of Assembly Member Chad Mayes."

"This outcome is a great example of local government working in unison with our state representatives to ensure rural residents receive the services they need and deserve," she said in a statement Tuesday.

Mayes, whose 42nd District encompasses the town of nearly 22,000, requested the funds after hearing concerns about public safety from local residents and others, according to Rowe's office.

"For years, Yucca Valley was one of the best kept secrets in Southern California, but the growth of tourism in the region has resulted in an increase in traffic accidents along Highway 62 and calls for emergency services," said Mayes, a former Yucca Valley councilman.

"This new fire station is a significant investment in the future of Yucca Valley and provides the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District with the resources they need to serve our desert community," he added.

From 2016 through 2020, state crash data shows that while total collisions have decreased slightly along Twentynine Palms Highway, the number of fatal crashes have increased.

In 2020, five people were killed and 31 injured in 23 collisions, while in 2016, no one was killed and 38 people were injured in 26 collisions.

Yucca Valley has two fire stations, one on Twentynine Palms Highway and one on Aberdeen Drive, which is situated about 7 1/2 miles north of the first.

Officials said details concerning the future location of the new station and when it might be built have not yet been determined.

The fire department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the budget bill, the state funding "shall not be disbursed for any project prior to September 30, 2021."

"The District will be working closely with our partners in Yucca Valley over the course of the next few months to identify a suitable location that maximizes the benefit of this new fire station, which will include reduced response times for outlying communities like Landers," County Fire Chief Dan Munsey said.

The budget bill signed by the governor also includes the $100 billion California Comeback Plan, which will provide stimulus checks for most state residents later this year.

The bill appropriated money to the county for numerous other uses, including the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department receiving $2 million for its Homeless Outreach and Proactive Enforcement, or HOPE, program.

Daily Press reporter Martin Estacio may be reached at 760-955-5358 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @DP_mestacio.

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