Yreka is moving away from its long-standing volunteer fire model as city leaders work to build a fully staffed, professional department capable of meeting growing emergency demands.
Assistant City Manager Juliana Lucchesi said rising medical calls tied to an aging population, along with increasingly strict state training requirements, made the change necessary to ensure reliable service.
Voters approved a local sales tax measure expected to generate roughly $2 million annually to support the shift. The funding has already allowed the city to hire three full-time firefighters, with plans to expand staffing to as many as nine positions once a new facility is built
The city is preparing to replace its nearly 90-year-old fire station, which Lucchesi called a “beautiful historic monument to what firefighting was back in the day.” Officials plan to preserve the structure but say it is no longer functional for modern ladder trucks.
A proposed $35 million, 20,000-square-foot fire hall on Main Street would include pull-through bays and a dedicated training space.
Guest
- Juliana Lucchesi, Yreka assistant city manager
