A NEW FIRE HOUSE
Published in the November 15, 2025 issue.
On Wednesday morning, the Planning and Economic Development Commission (PEDC) unanimously approved, without discussion, a permit to convert a four-unit complex at 395 Chaparral Road into housing for employees of the Mammoth Lakes Fire Protection District (MLFPD).
Under the current plans, MLFPD employees will move in after the current tenants gradually move out.
“Our goal is to work with [the current tenants] and not evict anyone immediately,” MLFPD Chief Ales Tomaier told The Sheet. “I believe one of them is already in the process of moving, and the second one is very close to moving as well.”
Employees will be prioritized for the housing based on seniority, rank, and full-time status as units become available, he said. The District will charge rent, but it will subsidize the cost to make it affordable compared to market rates. The exact rent rates are still to be determined, but Tomaier said they will be based on employees’ salaries.
The complex is neither deed-restricted nor income-restricted, meaning there are no limitations on who can live in the apartments or on the income levels of the tenants.
Each of the four units has two bedrooms, and eligible MLFPD employees may invite family members or roommates to live with them to share the subsidized rent.
“What we’re working on is having one firefighter essentially responsible for the lease,” Tomaier explained. “This will benefit the public as a whole, beyond just the firefighters, but it’ll be difficult to create sub-leases where every room is rented out to a different firefighter. That could create a whole bunch of issues.”
MLFPD is funding the purchase using its capital expenditure fund, which makes up 13% of its overall budget. Of that budget, 95% comes from property taxes. Last November, the district passed a measure that raised taxes by $98 per parcel for nine years, boosting its revenue.
While housing wasn’t explicitly listed as a goal of the ballot measure when it was presented to the public, it did promise to “enhance its ability to respond to emergencies, prevent wildfires, and ensure the safety of the community.” Technically, housing supports staffing, and staffing, in turn, helps achieve all those goals.
In Mono County, public entities, including MLFPD, are exempt from paying property taxes, as long as those properties are used for public purposes.
This exemption would apply to the apartment complex, Tomaier confirmed. He declined to disclose the cost of the building or estimated maintenance expenses as the building is currently in escrow.
Currently, the department has a small army of full-time staff, with volunteers available to back them up when needed. But national fire safety standards make it so MLFPD can’t afford to show up with anything less than a full crew.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requires a minimum of four firefighters per engine, with 15-17 firefighters on scene within eight minutes for a single-family house fire. For an apartment fire, the district must bring 26-28 firefighters, and 43 firefighters minimum if the fire occurs at a high-risk location like a school.
California’s statewide mutual aid pact ensures that fire crews from other districts can assist during major fires outside their districts, but the local fire district is the first and most essential line of defense in emergencies.
Beyond fire protection, firefighters also respond to a wide range of emergencies, including medical aid, traffic accidents, locked doors, and fuel leaks.
To meet the NFPA recommended response times, MLFPD requires its employees to live within seven minutes of driving time to ensure a rapid response to emergencies. But Tomaier said this has become increasingly difficult to achieve.
“When I started as Fire Chief, we actually had five people living in their cars for various reasons,” Tomaier shared. “We’re trying to address that and make sure the district has the personnel it needs to respond to incidents.”
In the meantime, the District is working on developing other housing programs, including a down payment assistance program. It owns a parcel at the corner of Joaquin and Dorrance Roads, which could potentially be developed into nine duplexes. However, Tomaier noted that building on that land would be significantly more expensive compared to purchasing existing real estate.
The PEDC did not deliberate on the issue and passed it within 15 minutes of bringing it forward. After the vote, Commission Chair Michael Vanderhurst expressed his admiration for the District’s initiative.
“Way to set the precedent for taking care of your own and taking care of this community,” he said.
“This is not a selfish act by the District. This is something that will benefit all of us.”
