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Interim fire chief reports 3:13 average response time, seeks wildfire funding and annexation progress
Summary
Interim Fire Chief Chris Graham reported December call volumes and an average 3:13 response time inside the city, outlined Community Wildfire Protection Plan grant work, and described plans to pursue annexation/protection-area agreements and more paramedic coverage.
Interim Fire Chief Chris Graham briefed the council on public-safety operations and planning.
Graham said December statistics showed 21–27 incidents within the city-coded zone and an average response time from 911 call to arrival of 3 minutes, 13 seconds within that zone. “It's a great response time,” a council member said in reply.
Graham described a $10,000 grant through the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) to begin home-assessment work and support vegetation removal and community education. He said the district will use some of the funds to provide a place for residents to dispose of vegetation and to send crews to assess property wildfire risk.
Graham also described staffing and operational goals: adding a paramedic unit in the district is a longer-term objective, and the fire district is pursuing hiring and training (EMT and fire-academy graduates are in the pipeline). He noted ongoing discussions to formalize an annexation or service-protection agreement with a neighboring protection area to replace a handshake arrangement and said the aim is to bring an annexation measure forward for a vote in the summer.
Graham asked the council to support infrastructure work such as hydrant replacements; the council discussed the difference between older 'village' hydrants and newer higher-capacity models and asked the chief to follow up with public works on replacements.
Next steps: the chief will continue CWPP implementation, follow up with county partners on paramedic coverage and annexation timelines, and coordinate hydrant-replacement priorities with public works.
