County Fire Administration Deputy Fire Chief John Chamberlin and Molly Wiltshire, Chief of Staff for County Supervisor James Ramos, brought good news and bad for residents of Wonder Valley at yesterday’s special community meeting on fire and emergency services.
The good news is that like last year, the proposed county budget includes an emergency cash infusion that, if approved, will cover a million-dollar shortfall and keep Wonder Valley’s Fire Protection District afloat for another year. At present, property owners in the district pay a $35 annual assessment which covers just 20 percent of the operating expenses. So while the county will likely cover the shortfall again this year, it’s not a permanent solution.
And the bad news? There’s no strategy or plan in place to reopen Wonder Valley’s Fire Station which was abruptly closed last September after contaminants–including arsenic and chromium–were found in the water there. Since then, Wonder Valley’s fire and emergency services have operated out of Twentynine Palms. Residents are uneasy with the present setup and the resulting slower response times. Wiltshire vowed to work with fire administration, field rep Mark Lundquist and MAC delegate Teresa Sitz to come up with a more permanent solution.
WONDER VALLEY RESIDENTS GET GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS FROM COUNTY FIRE
