Senator secures $1 million for SLO County city’s new fire station. What’s planned
Sen. Adam Schiff on Friday announced nearly $1.4 million in funding for two Central Coast emergency preparedness projects to protect against the threat of wildfires and prepare for other natural disasters.
Atascadero received a majority of that funding for a new fire station.
According to a news release, Schiff secured $1 million in federal investments for Atascadero to equip a new fire station. Housing an emergency operations center with equipment, reserve power and storage and security systems, the new station is intended to mitigate the threat of wildfires in a high-risk region.
Construction of the new station in Atascadero recently broke ground on June 8 and should be completed by fall 2027, the city’s website said.
In total, the project is anticipated to cost $37,150,000 with funding from voter-approved Measure D-20, Building Maintenance Fund Project Reserves, and funding from congressional district spending grants like Schiff’s.
In addition to Atascadero, the city of Lompoc in Santa Barbara County received the remaining $375,000 funds for the installation of an emergency generator at a local senior center to provide emergency services and ensure continuity of its operations, Schiff’s news release said.
“One of my top priorities in the Senate is protecting Californians from the threat of wildfires and ensuring we do all we can to prepare for and mitigate the risks of all natural disasters,” Schiff said in the release. “I’m very proud to have secured these federal investments for Central California families — part of the nearly $259 million I brought back to communities across California — to ensure that they are prepared for and have the emergency resources necessary in the face of a crisis.”
These projects are part of nearly $259 million in federal funding secured by Schiff for California for fiscal year 2026.
