Crescent City is planning to use Measure S funds to make major improvements to the fire department, including hiring more full-time employees.
In a special workshop meeting Monday, Fire Chief Bill Gillespie and City Manager Eric Weir presented the fire department’s needs and goals to the Measure S Oversight Committee and the city council. They recommended using 25% of the projected Measure S revenue, or $325,000, to add more full-time positions, implement a “sleeper” program, expand volunteer recruitment and incentives, as well as fund maintenance of equipment. Measure S is a one-cent sales tax projected to bring in $1.3 million in revenue.
Currently, the fire department is made up of a single full-time, paid employee, the fire chief, and about 20 active volunteers. With that crew, the Crescent City Fire and Rescue responded to more than 2,000 calls last year throughout the city and the district for structure fires, medical emergencies and plenty of false alarms.