PREVIOUSLY: 

• Arcata Fire District Will Close Mad River Station Tomorrow and Rotate Station Closures Moving Forward
• MEASURE F: Arcata Fire District Again Proposes a Special Tax Increase to Help Fund Operations, But Some Say It’s Asking Too Much

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Press release from Arcata Fire District:

On September 8, 2022, Arcata Fire Protection District will re-open its third station permanently. The station had been closed due to staffing shortages faced by the organization over the last year.  

The District began receiving revenue from Measure “F” in January of this year, following approval of the Special Tax by the voters in November 2020. A portion of the revenue was directed to increase the staffing levels of the organization.

Following productive contract negotiations, the District successfully recruited eleven personnel, from firefighter to Assistant Chief, to fill positions that were left vacant due to retirements and departures.

With those new personnel, the District can permanently staff all three stations. Although there are two vacancies remaining, the recently hired personnel will allow the organization to maintain minimum staffing for three stations through overtime hiring. The two remaining vacancies are anticipated to be filled in the upcoming months.

Along with filling vacancies, the District has been working on capital improvements such as replacing an older fire engine in the fleet, and repairing maintenance items at stations that had been deferred due to budgetary constraints. The new fire engine is scheduled for delivery later this year and roof repairs and painting of the Mad River Station are underway. 

The Arcata Fire Protection District appreciates the support of our tax-paying community and is excited to be returning to previous staffing levels and providing service to our District which includes Arcata, McKinleyville, Jacoby Creek, Bayside, and Manila.