The state is facing a shortage of firefighters due to the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of major wildfires in Northern California, according to fire authorities. Additionally, exhausted firefighters are turning down overtime shifts just as the state heads into peak wildfire season.
San Diego Fire-Rescue Chief Colin Stowell told CBS San Diego he had to take one fire truck off the road for 24 hours because there were not enough firefighters to fill the shifts.
“Shutting down an engine company is our absolute last resort. It really is frustrating because there’s no perfect solution here,” said Stowell.
U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Jon Groveman told The Mercury News in August that more than 11,000 firefighters are fighting blazes statewide.
With so many firefighters facing off against unprecedented wildfires in the north of the state, stations elsewhere can not afford to lose more staff. Unfortunately, the pandemic is also winnowing the number of available firefighters.
Stowell said that many firefighters have either caught COVID-19 or are on state-approved leave because their kids or relatives have the virus. The vaccination rate of firefighters appears to be much lower than that of the general public, which may be contributing to the number of firefighters on leave. According to a survey by the L.A. Times, only 51 percent of L.A. firefighters have been at least partially vaccinated. However, 64 percent of Angelenos 16 and older have received at least one shot. Statewide that number is even higher at 72 percent.
Even among those who are healthy, many are avoiding overtime due to the stress of the past year and a half.
“[Firefighters] are just mentally and physically exhausted, and so they’re really enjoying, or want to enjoy, some time off work,” President of the San Diego City Firefighters Association Jesse Conner said.
According to Conner, firefighters are called upon to fill a number of different jobs every day.
“We have paramedics who give shots, give medicines, on a daily basis and so if you're looking for an immediate workforce to target a threat to public safety, absolutely you're going to rely on the fire department,” he told the San Diego news station.
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