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Arcata Fire District warns of rising call volume and firefighter staffing shortfall
Summary
Arcata Fire District Chief Ross McDonald told the McKinleyville advisory committee that annual calls rose from under 2,000 (pre‑2006) to about 3,800 in 2025 and that the district currently staffs three engines with only two firefighters each—below state recommendations—citing expired SAFER grant funding and recruitment challenges.
Arcata Fire District Chief Ross McDonald briefed the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee on May 27, saying call volume has climbed sharply in recent years and staffing levels have not kept pace. “Call volume has increased from under 2,000 per year (pre-2006) to approximately 3,800 in 2025,” McDonald said, and the district now staffs three engines with two firefighters per engine—below the state-recommended three per engine.
McDonald noted that the federal SAFER grant the district received in 2012 ran out in 2015 and subsequent grant applications had been unsuccessful, and he described recruitment as difficult because the district cannot match Bay Area salaries. He identified Measure F—a special tax from 2020 that currently funds part of the district budget—as scheduled to sunset June 30, 2030, and suggested the committee consider an in-depth future discussion about staffing and funding options. The committee did not take formal action at the meeting.
