Fire chief summarizes mutual-aid deployments, hand‑crew shortages and Super Bowl hazmat assignment; consent calendar approved

At a meeting of the fire district board in Contra Costa County, Fire Chief Louis Bachman delivered the district's monthly status report, outlining recent mutual‑aid deployments across the state, staffing and resource challenges for hand crews, a nurse‑navigation pilot that has shifted nearly 300 calls, and the district's selection as the primary hazardous‑materials response team for the upcoming Super Bowl in Santa Clara County. The board approved the consent calendar by roll call before the report began.

Bachman told the board that the district sent engine strike teams, hand crews and bulldozer strike teams to fires across California, including a remote incident near the Oregon border that highlighted shortages of hand crews statewide. "Our hand crew was the very first hand crew to arrive at that fire," Bachman said, noting many hand crews formerly provided by CAL FIRE have been disbanded after legislative changes and that local governments now face greater demand.

The chief urged residents to prepare for seasonal fire risk and to sign up for county emergency alerts, saying, "please sign up for CWS alert. It's very quick and easy. Cwsalerts.com." He also reported the district deployed…