Pinole Valley Fire Station May Reopen

The Pinole Valley fire station, which closed in 2011, may reopen thanks to a $1.24 million grant.

During a special city council session held this week, staff and residents agreed that the federal grant money should be used to reopen Station 74 with a three-person team, according to the Contra Costa Times.

In early 2011, councilmembers decided to close the Pinole Valley fire station, which would save the city an estimated $1.5 million a year, Patch reported. The station closed in July 2011 with the possibility that it could reopen if the economy improved.

Now, it looks like it may open because of a federal grant, the Contra Costa Times reports.

At the end of 2012, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded the Pinole Fire Department a $1.24 million "Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response," or SAFER, grant, Patch reported.

Initially, the plan was for the grant to help cover some of the department's most critical needs, including maintaining 24-hour staffing, increasing its roster of frontline firefighters and hiring and rehiring firefighters who were laid off because of budget cuts, .

What do you think? Should the grant money be used to reopen the Pinole Valley fire station? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.