Sheriff Captain Northrop told the council on Dec. 1 that preliminary November Part I statistics included two aggravated assaults, two burglaries, one auto theft and 11 larceny thefts, and that totals for the month were 424 incidents (partial reporting for the month). He recounted several notable arrests from mid‑ to late‑November and urged residents to use designated drivers or rideshare services during the holiday season. Northrop said the California Office of Traffic Safety awarded Calimesa approximately $18,000 to fund additional traffic enforcement, including DUI saturation patrols, from Dec. 12 through Jan. 1.

Battalion Chief Chad Mecatarian reported the fire department holds an ISO Class 2 public protection classification, placing it among the top 4% of departments nationwide, and described year‑to‑date operational metrics: a roughly 20.6% increase in total calls over 2024 with 1,661 medical aid responses, mutual‑aid exchanges with neighboring jurisdictions, and average response times under seven minutes. Mecatarian said maintaining the Class 2 rating will require continued staffing, equipment investment, and attention to station coverage as the city grows.

Earlier in the meeting City Manager Cobos recognized Fire Captain Matt Vega on his five‑year anniversary with the department; Vega was invited forward with his family for a brief recognition. During public comment resident Donna Johnson praised the fire department and described a recent emergency response that she said was prompt and caring; she also said she and others have had issues with ambulance service but did not provide detailed examples for council action.

Council members thanked emergency personnel and commended staff for their work; staff did not propose immediate policy changes in response to the ambulance-service comment during the meeting.