Mariposa County Fire reports 1,871 calls in 2025, outlines staffing and grant priorities for 2026

Assistant Chief Cole Perez, who oversees Mariposa County Fire operations through CAL FIRE, told the Board that Mariposa County recorded 1,871 total incident calls in 2025 and emphasized the critical role of volunteers and the reserve firefighter program in countywide coverage. “From 01/01/2025 to 12/31/2025, 1,871 total calls,” Perez said, noting that medical responses constituted a large share of the workload.

Perez described station‑level call volumes and reserve activity, saying the reserve program alone responded to 574 calls in the year. He explained a mix of staffing models across stations—station 22 downtown is staffed with reserves to provide front‑line response while more rural posts rely on volunteer run‑in responses—and said the department is focusing on recruitment and retention to sustain seven‑day coverage at key stations.

The division chief discussed response‑time goals and data collection. Perez said the industry standard is a three‑minute turnout from staffed stations and presented sample measured averages for Mariposa stations (e.g., a simulated response from Station 22 averaged about 8 minutes, 22 seconds), adding that volunteer turnout times vary widely. He said CAD and tracking tools, plus “tablet command” software purchased for incident mapping, improve accountability and resource tracking on large incidents.

On equipment and grants, Perez said the department has a multi‑year vehicle replacement forecast and recent purchases include two Type 6 engines and a federal excess dozer. He described several grant efforts: a SAFER grant request for five full‑time firefighters (approximately $600,000 annually) that was not awarded in 2025 but was resubmitted, a roadside brushing Phase II project for about 130 miles at an estimated $907,000, and a CAL FIRE wildfire prevention award in the neighborhood of $2.1 million for mitigation projects. Perez described these grant sources as essential to bolstering county capacity without drawing on general fund reserves.

Perez also flagged facilities needs—older station buildings with deferred maintenance—and said the department is working with Public Works to prioritize repairs. He closed by listing 2026 goals: standardize EMS and SCBA equipment, complete preplan software for downtown facilities, pursue staffing grants, and finalize MOUs with partners including Yosemite National Park and county fleet for vehicle maintenance. The department said it expects to return to the board with specific MOUs and budget items for approval.

The Board asked clarifying questions on response‑time metrics, timelines for a proposed Yosemite National Park MOU, and training for new equipment. Perez said he hopes to present the Yosemite MOU by June and emphasized ongoing regional training opportunities that support volunteer development and mutual aid.