The combined County Fire Station 27 and Sheriff Substation serving the New Cuyama area and Highway 166 corridor had its grand opening June 8
The facility, at 41 Newsome St., will provide critical fire and law-enforcement services to the New Cuyama and surrounding area.
The state-of-the-art station is the result of a collaborative effort between the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. The station is equipped with fire engines, ambulances, a water tender, and patrol vehicles.
Total cost for the project was $8.2 million. Construction began in June 2021.
“Station 27 represents our commitment to the safety and service of the New Cuyama area and Highway 166 corridor,” said Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig. “The joint facility represents unity with our Sheriff’s Office partners. The county stands united, ready to respond to any needs that may arise.”
“Station 27 is a state-of-the-art public safety facility that is a model of partnership and cooperation,” said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown. “Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters have a long track record of working collaboratively to keep the people of the Cuyama Valley safe.
“This shared facility now provides these dedicated first responders with a modern center of combined operations, and the community with a cost-effective, state-of-the-art public safety station from which they will be better protected and served.”
Station 27 will be staffed by a fire captain, fire engineer/inspector, and firefighter paramedic. The Sheriff Substation will be staffed by resident deputies who work 24-hour shifts and live in the Cuyama community.
Before the opening of Station 27/Sheriff Substation, operations were carried out from multiple buildings. For the sheriff’s operations, the county owned two small homes that were provided as residences for sheriff’s deputies, and another home that was converted into a small substation.
However, these homes were not needed for many years, so they were torn down to make way for the new combined fire/sheriff’s station. The old substation has been converted back into a residence.
Regarding fire operations, Station 27 carries a legacy dating back to 1948 when Fire Warden Jack Anderson established a part-time patrol house in a small Quonset hut.
The subsequent flurry of construction in the 1950s saw the birth of the station’s predecessor, thanks to a partnership with the Richfield Oil Corp. The old station was demolished to make way for the new station.
The project was led by county General Services. General Services worked with the County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Office on design and managed the construction project.
RRM Design Group designed the building, and Anderson Burton Construction was the contractor for the project.