Home Antioch Contra Costa County Fire Increases Staffing on Busiest District Firetrucks

Contra Costa County Fire Increases Staffing on Busiest District Firetrucks

by ECT

CONCORD, CALIF. – Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) this week announced three firetrucks across the District are now staffed with four firefighters.

Increased staffing raises the number of firefighters dispatched on Con Fire’s busiest trucks – T6, T83, and T84 — to four, from three. This effectively doubles the number of emergency-response tasks two two-person firefighter teams can independently perform at fires and other incidents.

The increase in staffing was effective July 13.

Firefighters operate in teams of two on emergency incidents both for their own, as well as, citizen safety. The increase to four firefighters ensures each firetruck has the ability to field two independent firefighter teams on any incident. In addition to fighting structure fires, firetrucks routinely respond to other emergencies including a variety of rescues, vehicle accidents and emergency medical calls.

“I am pleased to announce this important expansion of our emergency response capabilities,” said Charles “Chuck” Stark, assistant fire chief – Emergency Operations Division, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. “We expect this move to a four-person staffing model to significantly increase our capabilities to support the communities we serve.”

The move to four-person firetruck staffing is partially funded by a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The purpose of the grant is to collect data on four- versus three-person staffing models.

Con Fire’s firetrucks are versatile firefighting tools with many purposes including serving as platforms for fighting fire from above. They are equipped with 100-foot ladders that extend hydraulically from the apparatus, a complement of ground ladders, and specialized equipment for forcible entry, ventilation, vehicle accident rescues, and search and rescue tasks.

About Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) — a recognized fire service leader — provides fire and emergency medical services to more than a million people across its 304 square-mile District area, and through mutual aid, in and around the 20 cities and unincorporated communities of Contra Costa County, California. With few exceptions, county emergency ambulance transport services are provided by Con Fire through its unique sub-contractor Alliance model. In 2018, the District responded to nearly 75,000 fire and EMS emergencies and dispatched some 95,000 ambulances, providing expert medical care on more than 74,000 ambulance transports. The District, with 25 fire stations and more than 400 employees, is dedicated to preserving life, property and the environment.

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