Central Valley city no longer has fire services after county ends contract

Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.

Read our AI Policy.

• Kings County ended county fire protection services, declaring emergency.
• County fire chief deemed community center unsafe under city's adopted state code.
• Avenal is accelerating its own fire department and weighing legal options.

Residents in the Kings County city of Avenal no longer have fire services after county officials terminated the city’s contract.

The Kings County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Saturday to end the county’s fire protection services with Avenal effective immediately, declaring a public safety emergency.

Avenal city officials said the county’s cancelation of the fire services agreement violates terms of a contract, effective through 2028, that requires an 18-months transition.

The board’s decision took place after a disagreement between the city and the county fire chief over the safety of Avenal’s community rec center.

The city had scheduled its first major community event organized by Underdog Boxing at its new community center, a building which, according to the county fire department, is still “actively under construction.”

County fire chief John Chamberlin determined the Avenal Community Center was unsafe to occupy based on the state’s fire code adopted by the city of Avenal. The city said the building was “suitable for limited public use” and issued a temporary certificate of occupancy to proceed with the event at the facility.

“I respect the role of the city manager, but I must be clear: the city cannot have it both ways. It cannot expect the Kings County Fire Department to provide emergency services, assume responsibility when something goes wrong, and at the same time override professional safety determinations made by those trained and tasked to make them,” Chamberlin said in a statement.

Chamberlin, who emphasized liability concerns, said he recommended the event to be relocated to a safer location.

“Our goal has always been to support community activities wherever possible, provided they can occur under conditions that do not place the public or first responders at unnecessary risk,” Chamberlin said.

Avenal city officials said while the community center represents a major investment to the community, safety is the city’s top priority.

City officials said the county’s decision puts more than 13,000 residents at risks creating a safety crisis “they claim to be preventing,” and called the county’s actions “bullying tactics.”

This is not the first time the city and the county have been at odds over the county’s fire services.

Last December, Kings County District Attorney Sarah Hacker sued Avenal for Brown Act violations over closed meetings in which officials discussed forming their own municipal fire department.

“We are accelerating the activation of our own fire department and evaluating all legal options,” Avenal said. “The safety of our community is and will remain our highest priority.”

The boxing event went as scheduled. City officials touted it as a success that put the city on the map for boxing.

“Our fighters showed up. Our community showed up. And most importantly, everyone was safe,” city officials said. “Let’s be clear, like our Underdog Boxers, the City of Avenal is not backing down. We are building. We are investing. We are creating opportunities for our people.”