$1M in COVID funds will help upgrade L-M fire department

The living quarters for the Lathrop Manteca Fire District battalion chief that serves Historic Lathrop could get a much-needed overhaul thanks to an allocation of COVID stimulus funds from the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors.

According to the district, the supervisors voted this month to approve a disbursement plan that would allocate more than $1 million to the district that it plans to use for infrastructure upgrades to the living quarters for the battalion chief outside of the recently-renovated Station 31.

Those living quarters previously housed the district’s administrative offices prior to the opening of Station 35 in River Islands and served as the only round-the-clock staffed location in Historic Lathrop during the extensive work that was recently completed on nearby Station 31.

During the construction, crews assigned to Station 31 were temporarily relocated and a battalion chief was housed in the former administrative offices complex to respond to calls in the area while crews were dispatched from other stations.

In addition to the living quarters overhaul, the district plans on purchasing new software platforms that it says will save countless staff hours when it comes to preparing the reports that public safety generates. The allocation of funds also means that the district won’t have to use general fund money to pay for the necessary living quarter upgrades or the software that is expected to streamline efficiency – freeing up that money so that it can be used for other projects or needs.

The funding, which comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, wasn’t directly allocated to fire districts but to the counties in which they reside. For the district to receive the funding it needed the approval of the board of supervisors – which voted 5-0 to approve the allocation of funds.

To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.