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Paso Robles Fire chief reports increased call volume, paramedic squad and wildfire mitigation progress
Summary
Chief Jonathan Stornetta told council the department handled roughly 5,000 calls last year (71% EMS), has established a paramedic squad and permanently staffed a ladder truck (improving ISO rating), and invested about $150,000 in wildfire mitigation with continued community preparedness activities.
Chief Jonathan Stornetta presented the Fire & Emergency Services annual report at the May 19 council meeting, summarizing operations, staffing and wildfire preparedness work.
Stornetta said the department responded to just under 5,000 calls for service last year, roughly 71% of which were emergency medical service calls, and noted challenges hitting council response‑time goals when multiple calls occur concurrently. He described operational improvements including a recently implemented paramedic squad and the first full‑time staffing of a downtown ladder truck — changes that he said have improved the department's ISO rating and response capability.
The chief described workforce development challenges: retirements affect succession and staffing depth, requiring training and internal promotions. He noted the department completed more than 21,000 hours of training last year, ran two fire academies and hosted NFPA training activities locally.
On wildfire mitigation, Stornetta reported about $150,000 spent in the current year on projects in areas such as Fern Canyon and Meadowlark, including grazing (goats) to reduce vegetation and fuel, and said community risk‑reduction inspections and outreach reached thousands of residents through events and school programs.
During Q&A, the chief explained why both fire crews and ambulances sometimes respond to medical calls: the county currently lacks an Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) system that would triage calls centrally; the city has paramedics on engines to provide advanced life support when ambulances are unavailable. He also noted the city's single ambulance must cover a very large area, which affects deployment strategies.
Council thanked the department and asked staff to continue regular reporting and to coordinate on preparedness ahead of the summer event season.
