What's Happening with Arcata Fire

Welcome to the ‘Arcata Fire’ website.  We are a proud blend of the Arcata Fire Protection District and our Volunteer Association, the Arcata Volunteer Fire Department.  The history of this organization dates all of the way back to 1884 when Arcata was known as the town of Union and the first ’Hook and Ladder Company’ was formed.

Today Arcata Fire responds to over 2,000 incidents annually and serves over 37,000 citizens in an area of 62 square miles that encompasses Arcata, McKinleyville, Manila, Jacoby Creek, Glendale, Indianola, and provides automatic aid to Samoa, Fairhaven, Fieldbrook, Blue Lake, Eureka, Eureka / Arcata Airport, and Humboldt State University.

Arcata Fire functions today as a superb ‘Showcase Example’ of a combination, career and volunteer, Fire Department.  The three Fire Stations house five Type 1 Engines, one Type 3 Engine, an Aerial Platform, a Rescue, a Water Tender and a Command Vehicle.  

Arcata Fire Protection District residents enjoy high quality competent protection from a daily staffing configuration of five on-duty Career Firefighters and a Duty Chief.  The on-duty personnel are supplemented by two shifts of off-duty career personnel and thirty five Volunteer Firefighters that respond immediately to radio pager recalls. 

Within the volunteer force of 35, Arcata Fire maintains twelve Reserve Firefighters that staff the on-duty apparatus with the career firefighters.  In addition, many of the Volunteers frequently ‘ride-along’ with the career and reserve staff on a regular basis that frequently brings daily staffing in the stations up to an average of six Firefighters.

I am extremely proud to have started my Fire Service career with Arcata Fire in 1966 as a Volunteer and returning to Arcata as Fire Chief in 2005 - after serving careers in both Eureka and Crescent City Fire Departments.  It has been an honor and a true pleasure to guide the complete reorganization Arcata Fire into the modern, high tech, all risk, full service Fire Organization that it is today.  Arcata Fire has creatively implemented the most efficient and cost effective manner available in the Fire Services to provide adequate and affordable emergency response to the communities we serve.  The entire staff and elected board are to be commended for this accomplishment.

Together, we accomplished updating our Benefit Assessment in 2006 which allowed implementation of a Revolving Apparatus Program and hiring additional staff that has allowed increasing minimum staffing from one Firefighter on-duty to two.  Both of these significant actions created a tremendously safer environment for the Firefighters as well as everyone we protect.  In 2012 we will assemble a Citizen’s Review Committee to re-evaluate our status.  I look forward to explaining how we did what we said we would do, delivered the programs on time, and within budget.  Thanks for the continued support. 

I hope you enjoy this web site and please don’t hesitate to call me any time you desire additional information or guidance.  We’re here day and night to make things right.