Downtown Brentwood has historically included a fire station to serve the central and eastern portions of the city. After more than a decade without a fire station in the location, Brentwood residents and businesses need lifesaving services returned to Downtown.

Through the passage of Contra Costa County’s Measure X sales tax in 2020 and the merger of East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, returning a fire station to Downtown is a financial and logistical possibility again, which will improve emergency response times throughout Brentwood.

Fire Station 94 is being constructed at 739 1st Street in Brentwood.

This site has been home to the fire service for almost 100 years. After several significant fires in the early 1900’s, including the Brentwood Hotel in 1903, an entire block of businesses on First Street in 1915, and the Liberty Union High School chemistry building in 1918, the Brentwood Fire District was formed in 1928 by local residents who elected Clyde Watson as the very first Fire Chief. With the creation of the Fire District, the first official fire engine was purchased for Brentwood.

The Brentwood Fire District had one fire station, 91, at 739 1st Street, which also served as the headquarters for the Fire District. In 1984, the Brentwood Fire District was dissolved and became a part of the East Diablo Fire Protection District and Station 91 was re-numbered and became Station 54. The East Diablo Fire District became part of East Contra Costa Fire Protection District in November of 2002 and was acquired by Contra Costa Fire through the annexation of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District.

Fire Station 54, operated at the time by East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, closed permanently in 2014 due to unsustainable finances at ECCFPD.

It was financial pressure, not a lack of need, that forced the closure. The closure caused inadequate response times in a majority of Brentwood, with only 9 firefighters on duty for all of East County’s 249 square miles at any given time. Measure X and ECCFPD’s merger with Contra Costa Fire has increased staffing to 19 firefighters on duty, but the lack of a station in Downtown Brentwood continues to hamper response time.

Call data displayed on the heat map (bottom of page) highlight the area immediately around 739 1st Street as some of the highest call volume areas for Brentwood.

Data displayed in the heat map is the total number of calls Contra Costa Fire responded to in 2024. Based on this data, Fire Station 94 is ideally located to provide emergency services.

Because Contra Costa Fire owns the land and the property is zoned by the City of Brentwood for a fire station, it is significantly less expensive and faster to gain approval for a station at 739 1st Street.

Purchasing, remediating and gaining new approvals for land that Contra Costa Fire does not own would add years and millions of dollars to the process of building a station. This would create an unacceptable delay of emergency services for Brentwood and significantly increase taxpayers’ costs.

No, the new fire station and the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building will be neighbors on two separate parcels.

The Fire District will not own, manage, or become the “landlord” for the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building or the property it is on. That parcel is owned by Contra Costa County and is leased to the Veterans group for $1 annually.

Yes, the property line was moved in June 2024 by the Board of Supervisors (File 24-1808). The property line was adjusted to provide the Fire District with an additional 13 feet at the back of the lot to allow fire apparatus to enter through the back of the property and pull through into the building. The Fire District also granted an easement to the County for the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building parcel, allowing their wheelchair-accessible ramp to stay in place.

Contra Costa Fire and the County have only adjusted the property line once.

The easement to the County for the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building’s wheelchair-accessible ramp was granted at the same time.

Contra Costa Fire will be working with Overaa Construction to minimize any construction impacts.

Construction work will be primarily conducted Monday-Friday from 7:00 am until 3:30 pm unless otherwise approved by the City of Brentwood.

Once construction is completed, there will be three new permanent parking spots along 1st Street.

The Fire District allowed for the construction of eight temporary parking spots along 1st Street while the site of the new station was empty. After construction, three of the temporary spots will remain, giving Downtown Brentwood three additional permanent parking stalls.

No.

Loading and unloading of vehicles in locations that block traffic or parking stalls is currently not permitted. The location of the fire station does not change this.

No special events permitted by the City of Brentwood will be impacted. Parades, farmers markets and any other events that are approved by the City of Brentwood on First Street will not be impacted. By designing the new fire station with access to and from Diablo Way, Contra Costa Fire apparatus will be able to exit from the back of Fire Station 94.

When the Fire District is made aware of special events, firefighters will pre plan their day and arrange to exit the fire station onto Diablo Way while maintaining rapid response times.

Yes. Contra Costa Fire currently responds to incidents in Downtown Brentwood with no navigational issues.

Engineers (firefighters that drive the apparatus) are specifically trained and have already proven they can safely navigate bump-outs and street islands in Downtown Brentwood. Contra Costa Fire personnel navigate other downtown areas like Concord’s Todos Santos Plaza and Downtown Walnut Creek without issue.

Fire Station 94 will have a Type I and Type III fire engine.

Fire Station 94 will not have a ladder truck; it will have a Type I and Type III fire engine, which are smaller  and more maneuverable. There will be three
firefighters (including a paramedic) working at a time, on three rotating shifts.

Type III Engine- Designed to be used for fighting wildfires in rural or wildland areas.

Type I Engine- Use for fighting structural fires and some light rescue operations.

Download PDF below to see apparatus.

The new fire station was granted a CEQA Notice of Exemption on February 6, 2024.

The exemption was approved because it replaces an existing fire station and continues usage that was previously approved. The exemption saved Contra Costa County taxpayers approximately $100,000 that would have been incurred at any other location.

No.

Under state law, the County is obligated to provide a building for the use of veterans in Brentwood, but state law does not give the veterans a property right in the building that would prevent the County from adjusting the lot line on property owned by the County. The County established a special tax in 1922 under Political Code section 4041f (now Military and Veterans Code section 1262(f)) “for the purpose of building Memorial Halls in Contra Costa County for use of American Legion Posts and ex-service men.” The County used the tax proceeds to purchase the property at 757 First Street in 1923. When it purchased the property, the County became the property owner. As long as the County provides a building for veterans to use, the County may take any action authorized by law with respect to the property, including adjusting the lot line, because the County is the property owner.

Yes. Contra Costa Fire’s Deputy Fire Chief met with the Brentwood Veterans at their Board Meetings.

Deputy Fire Chief Aaron McAlister had interactive conversations with the Brentwood Veterans on July 7, 2022, and August 3, 2023, on the building of Fire Station 94. He also presented to the Brentwood City Council on Fire Station 90 and 94 on May 9, 2023 and January 11, 2024 and spoke during the Council’s public comment on February 11, 2025.

Additionally, the Fire Chief met with the Brentwood Veterans to discuss this project on July 12, 2023.