Fire chief, Sheriff commander share about potential site

Rick Monroe

Special to the Village News

Plans revealed by Undersheriff Kelly Martinez last week about the county negotiating property at Hwy. 76 and I-15 for a new substation are very preliminary.

Lt. Aldo Hernandez, commander of the Fallbrook substation, said he had heard about the possibility of a move, but didn’t know any details.

Chief Keith McReynolds of the North County Fire Protection District had a little more information.

“I understand it’s 18 acres near the southeast quadrant of the interchange,” he said in a phone interview. He explained that Caltrans owns the property and there’s a law that government agencies have the first right to purchase it.

A Sheriff’s substation would be the first priority but there may be room for another agency, possibly North County Fire. If that was the case and it was built out, McReynolds said Station 4 would possibly move to the property.

“Everything is conceptual now,” he added. “This is something that could take years.”