The department only has around 30 volunteers, while the number of calls they get has been increasing. Back in the mid-90s, there were less than 500 calls every year. Now, that number has quadrupled.
At a city council meeting last week, Fire Chief Jerry Lemos said fewer volunteers are now responding to more emergencies.
“So we all know, having kids, when the kids stop doing things around the house, and it’s just you or you and your husband, that things get a little tough," he said. "So, that’s what’s happened here, is we end up with a lot of work and fewer people to handle that workload.”
Lemos said around three-quarters of the calls in 2022 were for medical emergencies.
Some of the speakers at the city council meeting suggested different reasons for why 911 calls have been increasing. Retired Cal Fire Unit Chief Phil Anzo said it's because of improvements in technology.
"The reason why those calls continue to climb is because of what everybody has in their pocket," he said, pulling out his cell phone. "Everybody has one of these and has the ability to call 911 very easily for what they deem as an emergency."
Others said that society has become more reliant on emergency services than before.
Anzo added that volunteerism is on the decline nationwide.
“You can see why volunteer fire departments are struggling with volunteers," he said. "It is a second full-time job for these individuals.”
Despite having 27 volunteers in 2022, Chief Lemos said just a handful of them are responding to the majority of calls. On average, three volunteers responded to over two calls per day in 2022. Sometimes, there was only one firefighter able to respond to an emergency.
Volunteer Josh Stanshaw said he pursued his EMT license even though it's not required.
"The additional training has given me confidence. When in the middle of the night, I'm the only one on scene until the ambulance arrives," he said.
The city is now looking for a way to fund a professional fire department, which could cost an additional $4.2 million annually. The department also needs a new fire station, which is over 90 years old. One option is an additional 1% sales tax that’s expected to raise upwards of $3 million a year.
The city council is planning on hosting town-hall style meetings later this month to get more feedback on the future of the fire department.
