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Montebello fire chief outlines staffing gains, $15 million in grants and plans for new Station 4
Summary
Fire Chief presented the department's annual update, reporting about 100 full-time employees, grant awards and equipment purchases, a new emergency operations center and plans for Station 4; council asked about timelines and staffing needs for the proposed northside station.
Montebello Fire Chief delivered the department's annual "state of the fire department" presentation to the City Council, highlighting recent hiring, grants and capital projects and describing ongoing efforts to expand emergency medical services and reserve specialist teams.
The chief said the department now stands at roughly 100 full-time equivalent positions and showed hiring trends that peaked in 2024. He described a portfolio of grants and awards the department manages, noting a SAFER grant for 15 positions valued at about $6.2 million, a Starlink grant for roughly $450,000 to improve mobile communications, a half-million-dollar purchase for new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBAs) and a set of other grants and projects that together account for "about $15,000,000" currently under departmental management.
The presentation covered operational and readiness improvements: a newly reinstated regional USAR capability and canine unit, a newly certified HAZMAT technician team of 30 personnel, expanded training partnerships with local colleges to prepare paramedics, and an EOC (emergency operations center) upgrade the chief said was completed with significant in-house firefighter and public-works support.
On Station 4, the chief said the city has secured commitments from federal and state elected officials but cautioned that a final timeline depends on securing all funding; he suggested a realistic window of up to two years but said he'd like to see it sooner. He told the council that staffing an engine plus a paramedic squad at the new site would ideally require six personnel.
Council members praised the department's recruitment and training work and asked for more precise timelines and staffing plans once funding becomes available. The city manager and finance staff also noted recent investments in employee compensation, including a multi-year memorandum of understanding that increased pay for fire personnel.
The chief closed by describing upcoming initiatives, including a women's fire and medical readiness academy, continued wellness and peer-support programs, and a mobile command or joint training facility as future priorities.
