SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – California lawmakers have proposed a bill to combat the state's firefighter shortage which is reaching critical levels, taking a major toll on firefighters' mental health.
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In the past four years, around 54,000 calls have been made by firefighters to California's mental health hotlines. North Bay State Senator Mike McGuire argues, this is a reflection of a firefighting force at its breaking point.
"Due to staff shortages, CAL FIRE firefighters are working long overtime hours. Many times they are deployed 40 to 60 times in a row without a single day off and they're deployed in incredibly traumatic conditions," he told KCBS Radio.
To combat the shortage, McGuire has introduced a bill that would immediately hire thousands of firefighters — with more than 700 tapped for hand crews to aid in the state's wildfire prevention efforts — and would require CAL FIRE to develop a new staffing plan.
Pete Muñoa, Vice President of CAL FIRE local 2881, told KCBS Radio the agency hasn't kept up with the state's population growth. "CAL FIRE has the same amount, if not less, fire engines and less personnel than we did in the 1970s," he explained.
To pay for the new hires, the bill would tap into 1% of state revenues in the general fund.
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