Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Riverside Fire Department reports rising call volume and staffing needs; employees honored
Summary
Fire Chief McKinstry presented an annual overview noting roughly 45,000 calls in 2024 (about 122/day), continued increases into 2025, implementation of tiered dispatch and full-time arson investigators, and recognition of employees of the year; council members praised the department and urged plans to address staffing and station capital needs.
Chief McKinstry told the council that the Riverside Fire Department responded to almost 45,000 incidents in 2024 (about 122 calls per day) and projected increases into 2025, with staffing and station-capital needs identified in a recently completed master-plan study. "This is just a high level overview of the organizational chart... we'll be having a lot of discussion upcoming here regarding the master plan and the fire stations," the chief said.
The presentation highlighted operational changes and accomplishments: implementation of tiered dispatch (a change that reduced unnecessary responses by about 5.6%), assignment of full-time arson investigators, an increase in administrative citations, and 1,800 pounds of fireworks seized. The chief also announced the department's employees of the year: Captain Tyler Stanford and administrative services manager Angie King (who is retiring after more than 20 years of service).
Council members across the dais praised the department's work and acknowledged increasing call volumes tied to homelessness and other service demands. Several council members asked when the master-plan recommendations and capital needs (staffing, equipment, and station upgrades) would be brought forward; Chief McKinstry said staff had completed a large study and would present detailed deficiencies and recommendations to council soon.
Council members emphasized support for firefighters while acknowledging resource constraints. The mayor noted that the department's work keeps the community safe and thanked staff for their service.
