CAL FIRE has expanded fire hazard severity zones across Mendocino County, with the most significant impact in Ukiah, where many homes on the city's west side now fall into a very high fire hazard severity zone.
The change comes as the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority faces rising costs and increasing emergency call volumes. Fire Chief Doug Hutchison said funding for fire protection and emergency services has not kept pace with growing demands.
"We've been falling behind for some time," Hutchison said. "The parcel tax has no inflationary factor, so it has remained the same since it was enacted—one measure in 1997, the other in 2004. Those rates are exactly the same today as they were back then."
Hutchison noted that 20 to 25 years ago, the combined fire district and city fire services had six personnel on duty covering the area, handling about 2,000 calls per year. "Last year, we ran 5,800 calls, and we still have six people on duty," he said.
In November, the fire authority asked voters to approve a $33.50 tax increase. Although a simple majority supported it, the measure required a two-thirds majority to pass.
"It's going to hurt in the interim," Hutchison said. "We will have to trim operational costs, but many expenses, such as fuel, fire engines, and equipment, are beyond our control. We can adjust how much training we send people to and other discretionary spending, but ultimately, we need a more comprehensive strategy."
The fire authority also struggles to recruit volunteers, a challenge Hutchison attributes to modern work and family dynamics.
"People don’t have the time to volunteer like they used to," he said. "Most households now have two working parents, and kids have more activities. Training requirements for volunteers and paid firefighters are the same, so the time commitment has increased significantly."
With rising call volumes, maintaining adequate response times remains a challenge. The fire authority operates with a mix of paid staff and volunteers and has automatic aid agreements with Hopland and Redwood Valley-Calpella fire districts, as well as mutual aid arrangements countywide.
"With 5,800 calls a year—almost 19 per day—it's difficult to maintain response times with a volunteer force," Hutchison said. "We do call volunteers in for larger incidents and can request additional resources, but in a county this large, response time is a factor. It's not uncommon for us to be handling three different incidents at the same time."
Though Hutchison does not plan to cut staff this year, he expects to leave one position unfunded. Staffing levels directly affect a community’s fire protection rating, which in turn influences insurance rates.
The Insurance Services Office rates fire departments on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the best. Ukiah currently holds a Class 3 rating and narrowly missed achieving Class 2 status.
"If we had received full credit for staffing, we would have gained three or four more points and reached a Class 2 rating," Hutchison said. "That could potentially lower insurance rates for residents."
He added that the ongoing consolidation of water districts into the Ukiah Valley Water Authority could positively impact fire protection ratings.
"One thing that will help, especially on the district side, is the consolidation of water agencies," he said. "Water supply is a rating factor, and improvements in outlying water districts will increase our overall score."
Despite financial challenges, Hutchison said the district’s fire rating is stable for now.
"I don't think our ISO rating is in immediate jeopardy as long as we maintain staffing levels," he said. "But if we are forced to cut staff, that could change."
To address funding challenges, the district has commissioned a master plan update to assess their current capabilities and future needs.
"They're actually going to be here next month talking to community stakeholders," Hutchison said. They've already done their data analysis.
"Hopefully that's going to give us a good blueprint for talking to the community, informing them about, where we're at, you know, what we can and can't do as far as providing service. And then, you know, ultimately at some point the community is going to have to decide how much fire and EMS protection they want."
