17-05-2025
Oakland Fire to operate all fire stations for first time in 20 years
The Brief
City leaders say the sale of the Oakland Coliseum has made it possible to temporarily open all of Oakland's fire stations.
It's the first time in 20 years all 25 fire stations have been open.
The 25 stations will remain open through the end of the fiscal year, which is June 30.
OAKLAND, Calif. - For the first time in more than two decades, every firehouse in Oakland will be open, making sure every corner of the city is fully covered in time for the start of wildfire season.
How It Happened
City leaders told KTVU the Oakland Coliseum sale made this happen.
Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins said the Joint Powers Authority, or JPA, which financially partners the city with Alameda County, and the sale of the Coliseum, is responsible for $2.5 million needed to open all 25 of the fire stations temporarily.
The backstory
Stations 28 and 25 in the Oakland hills, as well as Station 10 near Grand Lake were shut down, leaving neighboring fire companies to take on the workload.
"They've done a lot of additional work, a lot of additional calls to make sure our residents are well taken care of even during the brownouts," said Fire Chief Damon Covington.
"At Station 25, less than 8 hours after it was closed on January 6, there was a call for CPR nearly as far as I could throw a rock from here," said Seth Olyer, the president of the firefighters union Local 55.
In mid-January, just down the street from Station 28 in Chabot Park, a house fire erupted and firefighters were delayed in arriving.
During the Keller Fire last October, when resources were well-aligned, it was the opposite impact.
"It made the difference between that fire not only growing larger and larger but saving dozens of lives and tens of millions of dollars in property," said Olyer.
By the numbers
The national standard for response times is four minutes or fewer, 90% of the time.
"We've missed those quite a bit because of these closures," Olyer said, "But I'm hopeful for the future."
Chief Covington also noted the fire department is well-prepared for wildfire season thanks to the passing of Measure MM, which provides more funding for vegetation management.
Stations 28 and 25 will be open starting Sunday.
Station 10, which has been closed due to renovations, will reopen after those renovations are complete in the next couple of weeks.
What's next
All 25 stations will stay open until the end of the fiscal year, which is June 30. The council decides what happens after that.
Mayor Jenkins recently submitted a budget proposal that will keep all but one station open for the next fiscal year.
