North County Fire Protection District says a major cash infusion is on the way for Fallbrook. The district announced yesterday that it has secured a $7 million federal grant to build a replacement Fire Station 4 in the Pala Mesa area of town. Officials say the funding will support a planned rebuild of the Pala Mesa facility to bolster emergency response and help cut wildfire risk near nearby military training lands. Photos shared by the department showed staff standing alongside military partners, while the district publicly thanked elected officials and service leaders for their help in securing the funding.
Federal DCIP Award Backs Station Rebuild
According to the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, the Defense Community Infrastructure Program awarded $7 million to the North County Fire Protection District to support a roughly $13.9 million project to construct a new Fire Station 4. The award is intended to enhance emergency response and help mitigate wildfire impacts on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach's Fallbrook detachment.
Project Site And CEQA Steps
As outlined by the state CEQA portal, the project would replace the existing station with an 8,694-square-foot facility at the current Pala Mesa Drive site near Old Highway 395. Construction would be staged so the existing station stays open until the new building is finished. The filing includes parcel and coordinate details and notes that the older, temporary station would be demolished after the new station is operational.
Who The District Thanked
The North County Fire Protection District highlighted the award on its Facebook page, and a follow-up report from Village News noted that the department credited several federal and military partners as instrumental in securing the grant. Those thanked included Reps. Adam Schiff, Darrell Issa, and Mike Levin, Sen. Alex Padilla, Brig. Gen. Nick Brown and Commanding Officer Jessica O’Brien.
Next Steps And Timeline
The FY2025 DCIP round, which included the North County award, was announced in late September 2025 and totaled roughly $90 million across selected projects nationwide. Per HigherGov, the federal award lists a period of performance that runs into 2027. The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation notes that project groundbreakings may move forward once all environmental requirements are met.
