The financially-challenged Rough and Ready Fire Station is now fully-staffed for the first time this year. It became official on Saturday, which was also July first and the start of a new fiscal year. It’s now jointly staffed with the Penn Valley and Nevada County Consolidated Fire Districts. Consolidated Chief, Jason Robitaille, says the 24/7 coverage is critical, as we get into the worst of the wildfire season…

click to listen to Chief Robitaille

The one-year agreement will improve response times. The cost to operate a full-time Rough and Ready station has been around half-a-million dollars a year. And now the county is pledging up to that amount per year, over the next two years. Robitaille says the Consolidated and Penn Valley Districts are getting ready to send a letter to the Board of Supervisors…

click to listen to Chief Robitaille

The Board is expected to formalize the financial help at an August meeting. That will also allow more time for Consolidated, Penn Valley, and Rough and Ready to explore reorganizing into one new district in the next year.