Pasadena Asks Residents to Help Shape a $227 Million Plan for Its Fire Department’s Future

Seventeen months after the Eaton Fire tested every resource the Pasadena Fire Department had, the city is asking residents a pointed question: What are you willing to invest in fire protection?

The answer could carry a price tag of $227 million.

That is the estimated cost of a 10-year plan, developed by Fire Chief Chad Augustin, that calls for modernizing the 911 emergency response system, rebuilding two aging fire stations, constructing a ninth, adding engine companies and rescue ambulances, and expanding staffing — all to keep pace with a department the city says is running harder every year on infrastructure that has not kept up.

The city launched an online community survey on May 14 to gather input on fire protection and infrastructure priorities, though officials emphasized that no final decisions have been made on funding.

Pasadena currently operates eight fire stations. Call volumes have risen 33% since 2012, according to Augustin, yet several of those stations physically cannot accommodate modern fire engines and equipment, according to the department’s planning documents.

“Call volumes are rising, our facilities are aging, and the risks we face, from wildfires to major emergencies, are growing more complex,” Augustin said in a written statement on the department’s planning page. “Staying ahead of those challenges requires investment, planning, and a department that is ready for what comes next.”

The plan targets Station 33, at 515 North Lake Avenue, and Station 37, at 3430 East Foothill Boulevard, for demolition and replacement. A 2011 consultant assessment found Station 33 noncompliant with essential service building standards, according to city capital planning documents.

Rebuilding Station 33 would cost an estimated $30.5 million. Station 37, described in city documents as the hub for the department’s emergency medical service equipment, would cost approximately $34 million. A new ninth station, at a location not yet determined, would cost an estimated $37.8 million.

The plan also identifies short-term priorities, including adding a second battalion chief within the first two years. Medium-term goals include a ninth fire company and a seventh rescue ambulance. Longer-term additions would include a third ladder truck and an eighth rescue ambulance. The proposed investments would also include dedicated funding for ongoing brush abatement to help reduce wildfire risk year-round, according to the city.

“Preparedness cannot have an end date,” Augustin told the City Council on Sept. 29, 2025, when he presented the full plan.

When he first previewed the proposal to the Council on June 9, 2025, Augustin acknowledged the scale of the investment. “I recognize that this plan could be incredibly expensive and we may need to look to the voters for assistance in providing funding,” he said.

The push for modernization gained urgency after the Eaton Fire, which began on Jan. 7, 2025, and destroyed thousands of structures across Altadena and parts of Pasadena.

The city has been careful to describe the current phase as educational, not decisional. The May 21 City Manager’s weekly newsletter stated explicitly that “no final decisions have been made regarding future funding options or potential infrastructure investments” and that city staff would address revenue options during the current budget process. Any decision to move forward, the newsletter stated, “will only come after thorough review and community support.”

Meanwhile, the department’s annual brush clearance program is underway. The department is inspecting 4,611 properties within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, as designated by the California State Fire Marshal’s Office, during a window that runs from April 1 through June 30, according to the city. Many insurance carriers accept the city’s inspection report as proof of compliance, the city said, and residents who need a copy can contact their inspecting fire station.

The survey asks residents about fire and emergency response priorities, wildfire preparedness, street and sidewalk maintenance needs, and traffic safety. It is available online at bit.ly/PasadenaSurvey. More information about the department’s long-term planning is available at cityofpasadena.net/fire/pfd-future.

The city said additional public meeting dates would be announced in the coming weeks.

Augustin, who was appointed Pasadena’s fire chief in February 2021 after more than two decades with the Sacramento Fire Department, framed the stakes simply in his planning page message: “When someone calls 911, they deserve a response they can count on.”