Willows fire chief outlines equipment shortfalls, budget pressures and staffing needs

The Fire Chief (name not specified), speaking to the Willows City Council, summarized the department’s 2024 activities and pressed the council to fund administrative support and equipment replacements as the department adapts to higher call volumes and regionwide deployments.

The chief said the City fire department responded to 757 incidents in 2024 and the Willows Rural Fire Protection District responded to 341, a heavier rural workload than in recent years. He said the department recruited and trained about 60 volunteer firefighters during the year and conducted roughly 2,000 hours of internal training.

The chief described multiple aging apparatus out of or nearing the end of their expected service lives and gave rough replacement estimates. He said at least one Type 1 engine is out of service, a reserve engine was placed in service in 1994 and is in “poor condition,” and a ladder truck and other older units show wiring and mechanical problems. He called many of the dollar figures “wild guesses” or preliminary estimates and emphasized that the numbers would need firm engineering quotes. He also listed newer apparatus placed in service in 2023–2024, including an engine acquired through a federal excess property program and a unit purchased with substantial grant funding.

Financially, the chief said grant awards and regional prepositioning work produced offsetting revenue. He listed multiple grants and awards the department received in 2024 or was notified of, including a SAFER grant for about $47,700 (PPE and medical physical reimbursements); roughly $34,525 from a county fire‑coordinator grant; two separate $15,000 awards (one from the California Fire Foundation, one on the rural side from Cal Fire); approximately $19,570 for radios; and a $35,000 ALS equipment award. He said staff had authored six successful grant packages in 2024 and were managing multiple multi‑year grants, totaling “over $166,000” in funding to date.

The chief also described the department’s participation in prepositioning programs to support regional wildland responses. He said the city incurred about $250,000 of anticipated extra expense for deployments but expected roughly $450,000 in reimbursed revenue, including equipment and administration fees, when reimbursements are completed.

On budget burden, the chief said the department’s approved FY 2024–25 budget was about $771,000, with received/anticipated net revenue about $481,000. He characterized a resulting general‑fund subsidy of roughly $290,000 as equal to about 62% of the department’s recoverable revenue, and called that level of subsidy unusually high for a public‑safety function in the region.

For 2025 priorities, the chief urged replacement or procurement of major apparatus and identified several capital maintenance items (fuel tanks at the station, water tenders and air cascade equipment) that need attention. He also requested a part‑time administrative assistant to handle grant administration, code‑enforcement paperwork and invoicing. The chief estimated the position would cost roughly $28,000–$34,000 per year and said inspection fees and other recoveries could offset approximately $10,000–$15,000 annually.

Council members thanked the chief for the report and several expressed support for pursuing the administrative position and for including equipment requests in the upcoming budget conversations. The city manager (Marley Brown) and the mayor indicated staff would present a pared‑down budget wishlist to the council in early April that would include priority items discussed in the presentation.

Council members and the chief discussed radio interoperability and a long‑term countywide transition to a digital radio system; the chief said the city should plan for a multi‑year upgrade and that countywide changes could require the city to replace existing portable and mobile radios in several years.

The chief repeatedly cautioned that many replacement cost estimates were preliminary and that some figures in his presentation were best described as rough orders of magnitude. He emphasized reliance on multiple grant sources and interagency reimbursement to manage capital expenditures and overtime incurred for deployments.

No formal council vote on a dedicated staffing hire or specific apparatus purchase occurred during the meeting; council direction was limited to inclusion of requests on the forthcoming budget wishlist and further staff follow‑up.