On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved up to $1.5 million over five years to keep Rough and Ready Fire Station 59 operational during the consolidation of Rough and Ready and Penn Valley Fire Districts. The recommendation came from Supervisors Sue Hoek and Lisa Swarthout, who serve on the Board’s Fire Services Ad-Hoc Committee.
Supervisor Sue Hoek, who represents the Rough and Ready area, said, “Sometimes we don’t realize how important our fire stations are until we need them. This funding keeps Rough and Ready open through the LAFCo consolidation process, while Penn Valley Fire District steps up to take over Station 59 in the long term.”
While some counties in California directly manage fire services, Nevada County has independent fire districts, which are separate local agencies with their own budgets and elected boards. The County has previously provided more than $5.8 million in support through grants, public safety funds and targeted programs, but ongoing operations remain the responsibility of the districts themselves.
Grass Valley/Nevada City Fire Chief Mark Buttron highlighted the operational impact of Station 59 and its importance to the wider community: “Staffing fire station 59 is one of the most impactful steps we can take to strengthen the resilience of our fire system… The system becomes more balanced, more predictable, far more capable of absorbing spikes in activity, especially during fire season, severe weather and high-risk community events.”
The short-term funding ensures Station 59 stays open, helps the districts meet consolidation requirements set by LAFCo and maintains fire and emergency coverage in western Nevada County. The investment is time-limited and will be matched by the Rough and Ready Fire District.