Thanks to federal funding, the Cambria Fire Department will soon be getting a new fire engine.
The department currently has two fire engines, one purchased in 2017 and another in 2006, but both had mechanical issues last year that cost close to $60,000 to repair.
"We had both of our engines out of service for a good amount of time, a couple weeks, and we had to borrow from a neighboring agency, Paso Robles,” said Captain Craig Brooks, Cambria Fire Department.
Capt. Brooks says that Cambria’s terrain contributes to the wear and tear of an engine over time, as well as its age. Additionally, Cambria is in a high fire hazard severity zone, making the purchase of the new Type 1 engine even more important.
“When I started my career, Cambria was a huge target hazard for the entire county," Brooks said.
Cambria Community Services General Manager Matthew McElhenie says that engines can cost upwards of $1 million, so they looked for alternative funding.
“We started to work on the grant application and it had us detail out the need for it, why Cambria was a unique fit for that type of grant," McElhenie said. "Especially because we’re a small district with limited revenue."
Cambria will receive $935,000 for engine, which Rep. Jimmy Panetta helped secure.
“They’re gonna have to go ahead and get the funding out the door and then there’s proper reimbursement aspects to it and then we basically cut the check to them, the federal government, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” Rep. Panetta explained.
McElhenie says the district authorized a budget adjustment in November to purchase the engine in full. He said it can take up to two years for the community to get those reimbursements, and once they do, the money will be put back into the general fund.
The CCSD is currently speccing out the engine, which will be built once the order is purchased.
“We’re seeing build times of about 3-5 years," McElhenie said.
The department hopes to have it by the end of 2028 or early 2029.
