Groveland Fire Joining CAL Fire/TCFD

Groveland, CA — A major shift will take effect Monday for the Groveland Fire Department.

The Groveland Community Services District will begin a new cooperative fire protection agreement, and partner with CAL Fire and the Tuolumne County Fire Department. Five current employees with the Groveland Fire Department will officially become CAL Fire employees at 8am on Monday. Minimum staffing at the Groveland Fire Station will be two firefighters on duty, 24 hours a day.

Acting Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit Chief Steve Lawshe states, “We are very excited to welcome the Groveland Fire District and its firefighters into the CAL FIRE/TCFD family, and look forward to a great relationship to provide fire protection to residents of the District and surrounding area.”

Plans have been in the works since August in regards to the transition. The change was made after voters shot down a tax measure in June of last year to help fund the department. The Groveland Fire Department serves approximately 15 square miles, including Pine Mountain Lake, Big Oak Flat and Groveland. The district responds to around 500 service calls annually. Officials from the three agencies have been working over the past several months to ensure a smooth transition.