This fire station was dedicated on January 27, 2007, to Fire Chief Dan Watrous, who was instrumental in shaping the history of the Tracy Fire Department. Dan Watrous grew up in Tracy and graduated from Tracy High School in 1954. In 1958, he became a volunteer firefighter, and within five months was hired as a firefighter/engineer. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1969 and captain in 1972, then was named fire chief in 1974 and served until retiring in September 1988. During his tenure, he started a home inspection program, acquired a Jaws of Life Hurst tool for extrication, the first in San Joaquin County, and required all fire personnel to be trained as Emergency Medical Technicians. In 1979, with the assistance of the chief of Tracy Rural Fire District, he proposed a joint-powers agreement that instituted the first steps toward fire consolidation. He oversaw the construction of Station 96 at Grantline Road and Parker in 1982 and, three years later, Station 97 at Central Avenue and Tracy Boulevard. He retired from the Tracy Fire Department in September 1988 with 30 years of service to the community and died at his Tracy home on August 30, 2006, after losing a battle against cancer at age 69.