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Sierra Madre fire, police chiefs review 2025: EMS demand rising, bear responses spike, response times hold near benchmarks
Summary
Fire and police leaders presented 2025 annual reports: the fire department highlighted growing EMS demand, a POCUS pilot and evacuation work after the Eaton fire; police reported doubling of officer-dispatch calls, relatively low serious crime but higher vehicle thefts, and a notable uptick in bear-related incidents.
Sierra Madre’s fire and police leaders presented 2025 annual reports that emphasized growing emergency-medical demand, wildfire response lessons from the Eaton fire, and a neighborhood-scale spike in bear encounters.
Fire Chief Bartlett said 2025 posed some of the community’s most demanding emergencies, with 14 homes destroyed and 25 structures damaged in the Eaton fire. He highlighted recent investments in EMS capability, including a point‑of‑care ultrasound (POCUS) pilot that allows paramedics to perform in‑field imaging and triage to improve outcomes. Bartlett told council his department’s FY2025 operating budget was roughly $3.9 million, with personnel as the principal expense.
On response times, the chief gave both averages and 90th‑percentile statistics: EMS average response ~3 minutes 59 seconds with a 90th percentile around 6 minutes 13 seconds; fire suppression average times were near national benchmarks with a 90th percentile around 6 minutes 25 seconds. Bartlett said the 90th‑percentile figures reflect slowest decile responses for hard‑to‑reach canyon calls and incidents when crews were already committed elsewhere.
On the police side, Chief Ventos reported that overall call volume grew markedly in 2025: dispatch calls rose from about 30,000 to over 37,000 and officer-dispatched calls nearly doubled. Part I crime remained very low (a small rise from 17 to 18 incidents year‑to‑year), while vehicle-related thefts and collisions increased. Ventos described stepped-up traffic enforcement and plans to deploy a motorcycle officer when resources allow. He also described increased use of Foothill Air Support Team (FAST) and regional SWAT/negotiation partnerships; those resources were heavily leveraged during the Eaton incident.
Both chiefs emphasized the importance of regional collaboration. Police reported improving investigative results through new hires with extensive experience, and the department said it was relaunching community programs such as a Community Police Academy and an Explorer Club for youth ages 10–14. Fire staff reminded residents of community preparedness programs (defensible-space inspections, a reactivated Chipper Day and the local Fire Safe Council).
What residents asked and what to expect: Council members asked about the paramedic subscription program and enrollment process; Bartlett said sign-ups are currently paper-based with in-person enrollment options and that the program waives patient transport charges for subscribers when insurance does not cover the balance. Both chiefs committed to continuing public outreach on volunteer and prevention programs and to bring back further operational details as needed.
