At the April 9, 2024, Arcata Fire District’s Board of Directors meeting, the Board discussed and approved a letter to be sent to the Arcata Mayor and Arcata City Council. That letter is re-printed below.

This letter formalizes and re-states what the Arcata Fire District has been telling the City Council over these past two years. At the current time, the AFD cannot ensure the safety of people living in a building that is over 40 feet tall, which would be a three-story building.

The Fire District anticipates expanding their staff, their equipment, their training, and their physical locations in order to be able to adequately respond to fires and emergencies in buildings that are heights and sizes as those proposed in the draft General Plan and draft Gateway Area Plan. But it will take time — two or three years, likely, or longer — and large amounts of funding to make this happen.

As the letter to the Mayor and the City Council states, “However, until funding is established, and district expansion is underway, we believe it would be imprudent to approve building permits and begin occupancy in the envisioned residential buildings.”

That is to say: The Arcata Fire District cannot support occupancy of taller buildings at this time.

As has been explained many times, it is not a question of whether the building itself will burn up and fall down. The concern is that, in the event of an emergency, the AFD will not have the personnel and support staff necessary to identify and evacuate the building’s occupants.

At this time, the City of Arcata, the Arcata Fire District, and Cal Poly Humboldt have contributed funds for a “Standards of Coverage” analysis to be performed. This report is expected to be received by the end of 2024. But that’s just a study. It’s not going to actually solve this issue.

The Arcata Fire District is in active conversation with our representative in the State Senate (and Majority Leader since 2022), Mike McGuire.

As I have said many times, I believe the State will have to step to the plate and offer  continuous, reliable funding so the AFD can provide the level of service that is required for the current and future taller buildings — both in the City of Arcata and for Cal Poly Humboldt’s tall buildings. My estimate is about $6-$8 million per year will be required. I believe this will happen for a very simple reason: There are no other viable alternatives.

See also:
Big Issues of the Gateway Plan: Fire Protection — and a solution
To the Planning Commissioners: The missing letter from the Arcata Fire District
A simple request from the Arcata Fire District — David Loya denies it.
Director Loya provides misleading information to the Planning Commission on the Arcata Fire District’s letter

The letter from the Arcata Fire District Board of Directors to the Mayor and City Council is below, in three different formats. The text of the letter comes first, as transferred from the PDF file.

For those readers who are interested in learning more about this situation and wish to read articles or watch videos on the subject, here are some links:

Big Issues of the Gateway Plan: Fire Protection — and a solution
September 2, 2023. Article, plus segment of video from the August 22, 2023, City Council / Planning Commission joint study session where fire protection was discussed. Includes written transcriptions of quotes from three Councilmembers.

Arcata Fire District Director: Eric Loudenslager – August 4, 2022
Video. Speaking for six minutes to the Planning Commission, as a representative from the AFD Board of Directors. This presentation includes his statement:

“It seems incomprehensible to me that a recommendation on building height could come out of the Planning Commission or the City Council until we have a full economic analysis of what it’s going to cost the City of Arcata citizens and the Fire District to actually provide the protection there.”

Arcata Fire contemplates Cal Poly Humboldt and Arcata’s tall plans
North Coast Journal article from September 2, 2022.

Cal Poly ignores Arcata Fire District response to the Draft EIR
Cal Poly Humboldt’s response to the AFD’s concerns about the 7-story Craftman Mall dormitories was basically along the lines of “Not my problem.”
December 21, 2022.

Arcata Fire District Board Meeting – December 13th, 2022
Video. This is a section of the Arcata Fire District Board Meeting of December 13th, 2022 regarding the costs, staffing requirements, and potential response times for providing adequate fire and emergency protection in the Gateway area. The presentation is by AFD Board member Eric Loudenslager and is about an hour in length.

Arcata Fire District presentation to the Planning Commission – January 10th, 2023
A two-hour presentation including questions from the Planning Commissioners and Public comment.

Should Cal Poly Humboldt Students Fear Fire?
3-minute video from Eric Black.  February 1, 2023.

Fire Danger in Arcata High-Rises
3-minute video from Eric Black. January 10, 2023
A clear and concise summary of the situation as it was presented at that time.

The Letter

April 9, 2024

Mayor Meredith Matthews
City of Arcata
736 F Street
Arcata CA 955271

Dear Mayor Matthews, 

We, the Board of Directors for the Arcata Fire Protection District (AFPD), are writing to emphasize the critical importance of incorporating adequate fire protection measures into the final drafting of Arcata’s 2045 General Plan, particularly concerning Zoning and form code permitting for residential and mixed-use buildings taller than 40ft in designated opportunity zones such as the Gate Way Area Plan.

Our recommendation is rooted in the fundamental need to ensure the safety of building occupants and the capacity of our fire suppression staff to effectively respond to emergencies. Specifically, we propose that the permitting of such buildings be conditioned upon the establishment of sufficient fire protection features, systems, and emergency service capacity as outlined in existing fire codes. These include but are not limited to considerations such as fire department access, roadway width and height, water supply for fire suppression, automatic fire sprinkler systems, and emphasis on occupant egress, especially given our current staffing limitations.

We have previously communicated our concerns to the City in various forums, including letters, presentations, and meetings with key stakeholders. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that AFPD and our mutual aid partners are adequately equipped and trained to respond to fires and emergencies in buildings as anticipated in the General Plan.

To address these concerns, the City, the District, and Cal Poly Humboldt are collaborating on a Standards of Coverage analysis conducted by an independent contractor. This analysis aims to provide guidance on expanded staffing, facilities, equipment, and training requirements, along with associated costs. We anticipate this analysis to be completed by late 2024, at which point we can work towards achieving consensus on the necessary measures to fulfill the City’s obligations to its residents.

However, until funding is established, and district expansion is underway, we believe it would be imprudent to approve building permits and begin occupancy in the envisioned residential buildings. The AFPD Board anticipates substantial increases in staffing, new or expanded stations, equipment, and training facilities to adequately meet the needs of our growing community.

We urge the City Council to consider our recommendation seriously and work collaboratively towards implementing necessary fire protection measures in the final drafting of the 2045 General Plan.

Sincerely,

Eric Loudenslager
Board President
Arcata Fire District

cc: Arcata City Council