By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A CAL FIRE division chief told the Oroville City Council that repeated non-emergency calls are straining fire crews and delaying responses to true emergencies.
• Officials said some private businesses have relied on public fire resources due to internal staffing failures.
• Oroville crews were delayed about 20 times in March because of avoidable calls, the chief said.
• The city council moved forward with drafting an ordinance to recover costs from repeat “billable incidents.”
OROVILLE, CA — A division chief with CAL FIRE – Butte County Oroville told the Oroville City Council that a surge in non-emergency and preventable calls for fire service has strained crews and caused delays in responding to true emergencies.
CAL FIRE-Oroville Division Chief Chris Tenns said this week that repeated calls from certain private companies, often for situations that could be handled internally, have diverted fire resources and contributed to about 20 delayed responses in March.
One address alone generated more than 500 calls in a single month, Tenns told council members, though he did not identify the specific parties involved.
Tenns said crews are deployed with lights and sirens and sometimes arrive at medical facilities for non-emergent situations, tying up apparatus needed elsewhere.
In response, councilors directed staff to draft an ordinance that would allow the city to recover costs from repeat “billable incidents” as determined by the fire chief or a designee.
City leaders said the proposal aims to protect emergency response capacity and ensure taxpayer-funded services are available when needed most.