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After two vegetation fires, Lincoln fire department proposes advanced life support program and city creates standalone fire chief role
Summary
Deputy Fire Chief Anthony Mejia reviewed two recent vegetation fires in Lincoln and presented an Advanced Life Support (ALS) implementation plan. Council voted to reclassify the deputy fire chief position to Fire Chief and to add a Fire Marshal classification.
Lincoln's fire department presented an after-action review of two recent vegetation fires and outlined a plan to add Advanced Life Support (ALS) capabilities to the department; council also moved to create a separate Fire Chief position and an associated Fire Marshal classification.
Deputy Fire Chief Anthony Mejia summarized the response and outcomes for two back-to-back vegetation incidents known in the presentation as the Moore incident (stopped at 15.2 acres) and the Stardust incident (held to about 12 acres). Mejia credited firefighters and mutual-aid partners, including CAL FIRE, for preventing structure loss and reported no injuries. "It was a complete win," Mejia said of the first incident, noting coordinated aircraft and dozer support and confirmed evacuations.
Mejia also presented the department's ALS implementation plan. He told council that basic life support (BLS) alone is insufficient for some critical emergencies and that on-scene ALS capability can save lives and reduce reliance on an outside ambulance provider (AMR). Mejia described operational components the city must resource: accreditation through the Sierra-Sacramento Valley Emergency Medical Services Authority (SSV EMS), purchase and stocking of ALS equipment and medications, agreements with ambulance providers, recruitment or training of licensed paramedics, and a training and quality assurance program. He said AMR response times have increased locally and hospital "wall times" have sometimes held ambulances for hours, creating field delays; the department is exploring grant funding and regional partnerships to offset costs.
Council members asked about timeline, fiscal impacts and whether ALS would reduce hospital stacking delays. Mejia said, with sufficient equipment and staffing, an ALS-capable engine could be operational in roughly a year but cautioned that obtaining paramedics and funding are the primary constraints; larger hiring and budget amendments will follow.
In a separate council action, the city approved a staffing and classification change to strengthen public safety leadership. Council adopted a resolution reclassifying the existing Deputy Fire Chief to a newly established Fire Chief classification and introducing a Fire Marshal classification; staff said the fiscal cost of the reclassification was already included in the 2025-27 budget. The council discussion included praise for Mejia's leadership during the recent incidents.
The department will return to council with follow-up details about ALS accreditation steps, equipment needs, recruitment and specific budget amendments as the program moves from planning toward implementation.
