New California Conservation Corps Center Ready to Handle State’s Emergencies

image Delta Center ribbon cutting

CCC Executives joined local dignitaries for the ceremonial ribbon cutting of the CCC’s new Delta Center in San Joaquin County. Since the Delta Center is the CCC’s emergency flood response facility, visqueen was used as the ceremonial ribbon.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. –The California Conservation Corps today officially opened a new residential center housing more than 80 Corpsmembers.

The Delta Center, located at 7000 South Newcastle Road just outside of Stockton in San Joaquin County , will heavily emphasize flood fighting, and will serve as a base for CCC emergency flood response.

“This is a huge asset for residents in and around the San Joaquin Delta,” said California Conservation Corps Director Bruce Saito. “The Delta Center not only will be a first responder to emergency flooding, it also develops young adults from around the state into hard working, productive citizens, and then introduces them to the concept of making Stockton and its surrounding communities a permanent home.”

CCC Director Bruce Saito addresses dozens of local officials, regional partners, CCC staff and Corpsmembers at the Delta Center’s Grand Opening Ceremony.

In the event of a flood, the center can serve as a staging area with capacity to house, feed, and transport up to 500 Corpsmembers. Flood training at the Delta Center includes sandbagging, levee protection, and flood recovery.

A state-of-the-art, 10,686 square-foot warehouse stores world-class flood response tools and equipment, including a pontoon vessel to carry Corpsmembers into hard to reach and flooded locations.

“The Delta Center’s strategic location makes it the ideal place to reach flood emergencies anywhere in the state,” said Marie Mijares, Delta Center District Director. “Our crews are ready at a moment’s notice to respond to floods, fires, mudslides or earthquakes. They’re highly adaptable, eager to learn and really want to make a difference in the communities they serve.”

In addition to flood fighting, the CCC Delta Center dispatches six field crews to worksites in the Sierra Nevada and throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Projects include trail building, tree mortality work, delta restoration and more.

 

The facility is LEED Silver certified and can house more than 100 Corpsmembers in four separate dormitories. The center features a modern industrial kitchen, which prepares meals daily and packs food for crews working on projects in remote locations.

“It’s a great opportunity and a great place,” said Corpsmember Matthew Garner. “The beds are comfortable, the rooms are spacious, and the closets are big . It’s a pretty good place to live and work.”

The Delta Center also has plenty of amenities for Corpsmembers, including a weight room, a computer lab for classroom work, and a library.

Construction began in July 2016 and finished July 31 of this year. The total cost of construction was $22.6 million. It is the first newly built CCC center since the Camarillo Center opened in Ventura County in 2011.

Rep. Jerry McNerney presents a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition to CCC Director Bruce Saito and Delta Center District Director Marie Mijares.