Letter: You Can’t Build Public Safety Without Public Trust

The following Letter to the Editor was submitted David Cruise regarding Brentwood’s downtown fire station and future Fire Station 90.

The public debate about a new downtown Brentwood fire station has gone off course.

This isn’t supposed to be a battle between residents and Con Fire. No one is fighting the idea of strengthening public safety and fire protection. We support our fire district and trust them to know where service is needed and how to design and run their operations. We want safer neighborhoods, especially in Downtown Brentwood. And we know the need for a fire station downtown is real.

But what’s happening now is not about where the station goes—it’s about how it’s being done. It’s about respect, legacy, and honoring the land that was set aside for veterans 100 years ago.

The land beside the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building wasn’t just chosen—it was consecrated by purpose. In 1923, Contra Costa County acquired it specifically to serve veterans, using a special county tax levied to build memorial halls for returning service members. This wasn’t a gift. It was a legal and moral promise—paid for by the people, anchored in community values, and intended to last.

That land next to the Veterans Memorial Hall became home to a volunteer fire station, mostly staffed by those same veterans—veterans of war who came home and became heroes once again, trading the uniform of combat for the humble gear of community first responders. They didn’t show up for pay or benefits. They did it because service and patriotism was in their blood. The land gave them purpose back home. And for many years, it fulfilled its mission.

Now, a new professional fire station—Station 94—is being planned for that land.

But this time, no one asked the veterans.

No community meeting. No heartfelt outreach. No conversation about honoring the land’s connection to those who served. Just a set of blueprints drawn up behind closed doors—brought to the veterans only when their support was needed. No discussion of how this project might also help restore the century-old Memorial Hall they’ve kept alive. Just a quiet decision made elsewhere—layered over a century of sacrifice.

The County has taken the legal position that the land next to the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building does not belong to veterans—even after acknowledging that, in 1922, Contra Costa County enacted a special tax under Political Code section 4041f specifically to fund the construction of Veterans Memorial Halls for American Legion Posts and ex-service members.

After months of back-and-forth, the County offered to remodel the Memorial Hall’s kitchen in exchange for the veterans’ support of the new fire station project. But it’s worth noting: the County is already responsible for maintaining that hall. In other, more affluent communities, Contra Costa has funded full-scale renovations and rebuilds of similar Memorial Halls—yet no such investment has ever been extended to Brentwood.

Then came a second offer—one that felt like a deep insult to many in the veteran community: a shipping container. That was the County’s proposed solution in return for expanding the footprint of the new firehouse into the grounds of the historic hall itself—a building now over 100 years old, and older than the former fire station that was torn down for being outdated and inadequate.

This hurts not just because of what’s being done, but how it’s being done. The process ignored the people who built and preserved the legacy that land represents. It left many feeling erased in the very space meant to honor their service.

That’s why this moment is so personally painful.

I’m on all sides of this issue. I’ve worn the gear of a first responder. I’ve made real-time decisions in emergencies, standing shoulder to shoulder with fire crews when every second counted. I’ve worked inside government as a public safety executive, navigating the complex systems that shape how resources get allocated. I’ve poured my time into fire service advocacy as an appointee of Supervisor Diane Burgis to the Measure X Advisory Committee—fighting not for headlines, but for real, measurable change.

Serving on that committee was one of the most collaborative and humbling experiences of my public life. I worked alongside leaders advocating for our region’s most critical needs—from hospitals and senior housing to mental health and youth services. There were no turf wars. Just shared urgency. And among all those needs, one stood out for how deeply it affected East County: fire protection. Our response times were among the worst in the state. We knew we had to act—and we did.

Today, I continue that mission through my role as the Public Affairs Officer for San Francisco Fleet Week, where we bring the military and first responder communities together—so when the next earthquake or disaster hits, we’re not meeting each other for the first time on the worst day. It’s also where we honor those who’ve served: our veterans, our fallen heroes, and the Gold Star and Blue Star families who carry that sacrifice every day.

That’s why this issue isn’t abstract to me. It’s personal. It’s painful. Because I understand what’s at stake—from every side of the table.

Watching the breakdown in trust between public safety agencies, veterans, and our local government has been heartbreaking. It’s not just a procedural failure—it’s a human one. When I speak out, it’s not to point fingers. It’s to hold space—for everyone this affects. And I know we can do better.

Just two blocks from my home, another fire station—Station 90—was promised to the neighborhood around Pioneer Elementary more than 20 years ago. The signs were installed. The blinking lights still hang. The road markings remain. A fire station was supposed to protect us.

Instead, the land was traded away to a developer in order to build the Blossoms apartment community.

What we got in return? A lot on Grant Street behind Pioneer Elementary—now deemed unbuildable unless the soil is cleaned up at a cost of $9 million. And that land? It’s directly behind the playground at Pioneer Elementary School.

No one told us why. No one asked how we felt. We still don’t know what’s in the dirt—or if our kids might be at risk.

If you want to see for yourself, drive to Shady Willow and Empire. Look at the signs. Look at the empty space. Walk behind Pioneer Elementary and see the contaminated parcel still sitting there.

This isn’t about blame. It’s about responsibility. We need action—and we need it now. This isn’t just about fire stations. It’s about restoring trust, respecting history, and protecting our communities. I’m calling on our elected leaders at every level to take the following steps:

Initiate a Civil Grand Jury Investigation: Call for a formal inquiry by the Superior Court of Contra Costa County into the Station 90 land swap, the environmental contamination of the new site, and the County’s legal position on Station 94’s land—originally acquired for veterans through a dedicated tax.
Commission an Independent Environmental Risk Assessment: Bring in a third-party environmental firm to assess the Grant Street parcel, identify toxic soil risks, and make public recommendations for cleanup and safety—especially given its proximity to the playground at Pioneer Elementary School.
Facilitate Veteran-Led Mediation for Station 94: Bring veterans, civic leaders, and County representatives together in a structured forum to determine a respectful and community-supported path forward that honors the site’s original purpose and legacy.
Hold a Joint Public Hearing on Stations 90 and 94: Convene the Brentwood City Council and Contra Costa Fire Protection District Board of Directors for a joint information session—open to the public—to bring transparency, restore dialogue, and rebuild public trust.
Conduct a Brentwood City Council Review of the Land Swap: Provide residents with a full explanation of the Station 90 land exchange, the contamination status, and the timeline of decisions—ensuring families near Pioneer Elementary understand what risks may exist.
Audit Fire Station Planning and Community Engagement: Review past station siting decisions and community outreach efforts to identify where the process broke down and offer a new framework for inclusive, transparent planning.
Honor the Station 90 Commitment to the Sterling Neighborhood: Request that the Brentwood City Council, Brentwood Planning Commission, and the Contra Costa Fire Protection District formally honor the commitment to build a fire station near Pioneer Elementary School—serving the Sterling neighborhood as originally promised. This station was committed to the community more than 20 years ago, and it should be built where that promise was made—not somewhere else. Promises made should be promises kept.
Appoint a Brentwood Public Safety Ombudsperson: Establish a designated, community-facing liaison to work with Con Fire, the City, and residents to ensure engagement and communication are never overlooked again.