Facing increased calls, soaring expenses and few volunteers, local fire departments are in trouble
It’s a sunny Monday morning and Humboldt Bay Fire Chief Sean Robertson and Fire Capt. Brandon Harlander are sitting in a nondescript conference room at the department’s main station on C Street, talking to the Journal as a part of a media outreach campaign to spread the word about what they’re describing as a “staffing crisis.” The department’s Myrtle Avenue station has been closed for about six weeks, they say, explaining that three funded positions are currently sitting vacant because it’s been difficult to recruit qualified candidates. Then, they say, they have four employees out on military or medical leave, creating temporary but long-term vacancies. This has left remaining firefighters working mandatory overtime and the department instituting what will be rotating closures of its stations based on daily staffing, creating up to three-minute delays in response times for some calls. “We’re just in a really challenging position we’ve never been in before,” Robertson says. He sighs, then continues, “Every department in the state seems to be hiring,” noting that some nearby departments offer compensation packages $30,000 or more annually in excess of what Humboldt Bay Fire (HBF) is paying. “We’ve lost 17 people in two years at every level,” he says, noting that almost half those have moved north to the Arcata Fire Protection District, which saw voters pass a special assessment tax in 2020 to boost the department’s funding, allowing it to offer firefighters better pay, including longevity bonuses that have successfully lured lateral transfers, including a handful from HBF. “We’re losing a lot of experience.” Talking to the Journal a few days later, Arcata Fire Chief Justin McDonald, who will soon retire after a 30-year career, and Deputy Chief Chris Emmons, who is poised to take his place, concede things are looking much improved around Arcata, which not too long ago was also facing the reality of rotating station closures and the inability to retain staff. “Sean’s loss is our benefit,” McDonald says, a bit sheepishly, if not apologetically. “We gained hundreds of years’ worth of experience into our ranks, and everyone is local.” But they quickly note that 2020 tax sunsets in 2030 and Emmons already has “his marching orders” from the district’s governing board to figure out a strategy for keeping the department funded and staffed. Across the county, fire departments of all shapes and sizes report they are seeing increased calls of all types, from…