Press Releases

U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) announced he secured significant federal funding for the Santa Margarita Fire Station Replacement Project. The grant provides $1,015,000 to complete the replacement of the Santa Margarita Fire District’s main station. The project will replace the existing station, which is located in a 100-year flood zone and has been flooded three times since 1995.

“This federal funding represents a critical investment in Santa Margarita’s firefighters,” said Rep. Carbajal. “For too long, local firefighters have been forced to operate out of a flood-prone station. By replacing it, we’re ensuring they can stay focused on saving lives and not worry about defending their own base of operations.”

“Our dedicated volunteer firefighters have served Santa Margarita, San Luis Obispo County and the State of California for more than 104 years,” said Santa Margarita Fire Chief Robert Murach. “This new facility will strengthen our ability to respond quickly and safely to emergencies, support training and readiness, while also providing a reliable hub for community resilience. More than just a building, it is an investment in the safety, well-being and future of the people we protect.”

The funding, which Carbajal championed over the course of the past year’s federal budget negotiations, was signed into law last week as part of three yearlong funding bills. The three bills include funding for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and FDA.

In the spring of 2025, Rep. Carbajal began to push for funding for these projects through formal requests to the House Appropriations Committee for Fiscal Year 2026.

The funding was secured through the Community Project Funding (CPF) initiative first launched in 2022. Projects must be in the public interest, be good uses of taxpayer dollars, and be certified not to conflict with the representative’s personal financial interests.