County Fire Protection
Total Expenses
$16,106,626
-3%
1Total Revenues
$14,689,434
36%
2General Fund Contribution
$0
0%
3
District Sales Tax Contribution
$0
0%
4
Other Fund Contributions
1,417,192
-76%
5
Funded Staffing
0.00
0.00
6Website
Overview
Mission Statement
The Santa Cruz County Fire Department (County Fire) protects the life, property, and natural resources of its citizens and visitors through effective emergency response, preparedness, education, and prevention.Department Overview
County Fire is responsible for structural fire protection, first responder emergency medical services, technical rescue, public fire safety education, and fire marshal services including inspection services for County unincorporated areas that are not included in an autonomous fire district. The County contracts with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to provide these services. County Fire is funded by property taxes and assessments in County Service Area (CSA) 48, a Proposition 172 allocation for the Fire Chiefs Association, and charges for services related to the Santa Cruz County Hazardous Materials Response Team. Volunteer firefighters comprise most of County Fire staffing, with supplemental staffing from CAL FIRE.County Fire provides fire protection to Pajaro Dunes as a discretionary function through a contract with CAL FIRE. The fire station at Pajaro Dunes is financed by CSA 4 assessments. Though CSA 4 does not directly employ firefighters, workers compensation and volunteer firefighter stipends for training and shift assignments are funded through the budget.
Mutual aid and automatic aid agreements entered between fire agencies throughout the County and State allow firefighters to respond to emergencies across political boundaries.
Budget Summary
Department Budget Overview
Overall Budget Summary
The Proposed Budget recommends a status quo level of service for County Fire. Appropriations total $16,114,053, funded by revenues of $14,689,434 and use of County Fire fund balance of $1,424,619 for capital acquisitions.The Budget includes an increase in total revenues of $3,876,491 due to a $3,487,783 increase in CSA 4 assessments, which were approved by Pajaro Dunes property owners, and charges for services, as well as a $270,106 increase from County Fire property taxes and fire protection revenues.
Total expenditures decreased by $551,520 mainly through a $1,646,626 decrease in revised rates for contracted services with CAL FIRE with no change to service levels. This is offset by a $980,914 increase in capital equipment, resulting in a total of $1,437,000 for the purchase of a water tender and two “Type 6” emergency response vehicles
Emerging Issues
Emerging Issues
Climate Change Impacts: Climate change impacts have increased the demands on County Fire response, infrastructure, manpower and life safety emergency response. The upcoming CAL FIRE Master Plan and Strategic Plan provides an opportunity to rethink the staffing models and requirements that best serve this community. Loss of life and structure, changes to insurance coverage, water resources and manpower will have a lasting change to community.
Retention and Recruitment: County Fire continues to face challenges in recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters, a critical component of fire protection and emergency response in rural areas. As volunteer participation declines, maintaining adequate staffing levels to ensure timely and effective emergency response is becoming increasingly difficult. County Fire will explore sustainable strategies to support and strengthen the volunteer firefighter workforce, including enhanced recruitment efforts, retention strategies, and ongoing training support. Ensuring adequate volunteer staffing is essential to preserving service levels and community safety in areas reliant on volunteer-based response models
Retention and Recruitment: County Fire continues to face challenges in recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters, a critical component of fire protection and emergency response in rural areas. As volunteer participation declines, maintaining adequate staffing levels to ensure timely and effective emergency response is becoming increasingly difficult. County Fire will explore sustainable strategies to support and strengthen the volunteer firefighter workforce, including enhanced recruitment efforts, retention strategies, and ongoing training support. Ensuring adequate volunteer staffing is essential to preserving service levels and community safety in areas reliant on volunteer-based response models
Department Operations and Performance
Divisions
Services
County Fire Department
Expenses
$9,835,921
Fire Pass-Throughs
Expenses
$3,274,896
County Service Area 4 - Pajaro Dunes
Expenses
$2,995,809
Operational Plan Objectives and Accomplishments
This division supports various department objectives
Completed/Accomplishment
Proposed/In-Progress/Amended
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Services
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Objective
Major Budget Changes
Divison: Division Name
Sort By Division:
| Major Chages | Net FTE Changes |
2025-26 Ongoing Budget Increase / (Decrease) |
2025-26 One-time Budget Increase / (Decrease) |
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Budget Details
The charts below show department expenditures and revenues by division and service. Click on the pie charts to drill down for more detail. Complete detail can be found on the County's Transparency Portal.
Expenses by Service
Expenses and Revenues over time
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