Public safety reports: Kern County Fire recruiting; Wasco Police reports higher call volume, vehicle-theft recovery rates

Representatives from Kern County Fire and the Wasco Police Department provided updates to the council, including a firefighter recruitment announcement and operational statistics from the police department.

Kern County Fire said applications for firefighters are open through April 11 and that a hiring event was underway at the department's Bakersfield headquarters. The presenter said minimum requirements include being 18 years old with a high-school diploma and that the department does not impose a maximum age limit for applicants.

The Wasco Police Department reported it is nearing its one-year anniversary as a municipal police department. The chief said the department expects to record north of 18,000 total incidents by its anniversary date, with approximately 42% of calls identified as officer-initiated activity. The chief also reported stolen-vehicle activity remains a concern: 16 stolen vehicles in March with 11 recoveries, a recovery rate staff described as improved compared with earlier periods.

The chief credited technology and interagency coordination for improved recovery and investigation outcomes and noted seasonal trends that typically raise activity in warmer months. Council members raised related community-safety concerns — for example, unsafe bicycle wheelies on streets during events — and the chief said the department will look for solutions including outreach and education.

Separately, the police chief and staff highlighted that grant-funded technology and staffing decisions contributed to operational performance improvements.