1. Arcata Fire District Board Minutes – May 13, 2025

2. Letter from the Arcata Fire District Board to Mayor Meredith Matthews
   April 9, 2024

3. Letter from Gregory Daggett – September 8, 2024

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Arcata Fire District Board Minutes
May 13, 2025

Extract from the Board Minutes:

7. Government Relations Update and Discussion

This item was placed on the agenda at the board’s request to discuss ongoing items impacting the fire district, such as community relationships with other government entities and future planning topics. No action was required.

A board member reported on a conversation with news media regarding an article in the Times-Standard on April 12, 2025, concerning new six and seven-story residence halls at Cal Poly Humboldt. The board member felt a quote in the article was taken out of context, implying concerns about building codes.

In an email to the reporter, the board member clarified that their concerns were about the District’s underfunded and understaffed ability to safely fight fires and evacuate hundreds of students in high-rise buildings, given only six firefighters on duty for a 62 square-mile area.

The board member also highlighted that Cal Poly Humboldt, as a state agency, does not pay property taxes to the District, unlike local constituents.

The reporter acknowledged the missed context and committed to updating the story with clarifications. The board member expressed frustration about the ongoing “message problem” with Cal Poly Humboldt and the City, where compliance with building codes is misconstrued as full public safety preparedness.

Another board member suggested that the District needs to pursue a “big” financial commitment (e.g., $20-25 million) from the University or state legislature, not just small contributions, to cover the true costs of providing services to these new high-density structures.

A board member expressed dismay about the university’s response regarding medical aid calls.

A public comment reiterated that fires will occur in new construction, regardless of fire-resistant materials, due to combustible contents and human behavior. They emphasized that even highly fire-resistant buildings like hospitals and jails have experienced fires, and that the local fire agency is already resource-constrained and relies on mutual aid.

The board and staff continued discussing challenges in communicating the District’s funding needs and public safety concerns, particularly concerning Cal Poly Humboldt.

A board member reiterated that even in buildings constructed to code, the human element often bypasses safety features (e.g., propping open self-closing doors), rendering them ineffective in containing smoke, which is the primary cause of fire fatalities.

A recurring theme was the university and city’s lack of understanding of the difference between building codes and actual fire suppression capabilities. The District struggles to convey that meeting construction codes doesn’t equate to adequate operational resources for complex incidents.

The consensus was that the District needs to persistently repeat its message to bridge the “disinformation” gap and ensure the public understands the funding challenges and safety needs.

A board member expressed frustration, highlighting that despite efforts, the District is “not getting the message out to the average” citizen and that key decision-makers at Cal Poly Humboldt (including the President and Chancellor) are not being directly engaged.

The media’s role was discussed. A board member confirmed the reporter who misquoted them would clarify their statements. It was suggested that a deeper investigative piece from local media could effectively highlight the gap between the staff needed for suppression and existing resources, instead of solely focusing on construction codes.

The reliance on allied agencies for support was highlighted as precarious. An example was given where a ladder truck from Humboldt was unavailable, and a Fortuna truck would take 40 minutes to arrive, emphasizing the critical time factor in smoke inhalation incidents.

Fire professionals on board stressed the complexities of high-rise operations, even with standpipe systems. They noted that clearing floors in new, large dormitories with limited personnel would be a significant challenge, rapidly exhausting available resources.

The discussion broadened to suggest that the District might need to partner with other emergency service agencies to convey a broader message about insufficient first responder capacity for various emergencies (e.g., mass casualty events, mass shootings), not just fires.

This aims to highlight that the public often has an unrealistic expectation of available resources based on depictions in the media.

The “airing dirty laundry” accusation from the university was brought up, with the board member reiterating that their concerns are genuine worries about personnel, equipment, and training for tall buildings, and a plea for the State to step in.

The upcoming annual dormitory drill (typically in July or August) was mentioned as a potential opportunity to demonstrate visually the challenges of responding to the new complex with limited staff.

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Letter from the Arcata Fire District Board
to Mayor Meredith Matthews
April 9, 2024

April 9, 2024

Mayor Meredith Matthews
City of Arcata
736 F Street Arcata CA 95521

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 40 ft 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

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From: Gregory Daggett

To: Meredith Matthews; Stacy Atkins-Salazar; Alex Stillman; Kimberley White; Sarah Schaefer; City Manager”s Office; David Loya; Emily Sinkhorn; Rhea Varley; Engineering Dept; Tabatha Miller; Jennifer Dart; Peter Lehman; Scott Davies; Abigail Strickland; Ashton Hamm; Dan Tangney; Matthew Simmons; Amanda Hickey

Subject: Joint Study Session with the Board of Directors of the Arcata Fire District

Date: Monday, September 8, 2025

Dear Council members and City leadership,

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the City’s approval of the Gateway Area Plan and the General Plan 2045, specifically the allowance of buildings up to seven stories in height. While I support thoughtful urban development, the current fire protection infrastructure in Arcata is dangerously inadequate for buildings taller than three stories—a fact that has been repeatedly communicated to the Council and Planning Commission by the Arcata Fire Protection District (AFD).

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards require a minimum of 28 firefighters within eight minutes for a four-story building fire, and 42 for a seven-story building. Arcata currently staffs six firefighters across three stations and lacks a ladder truck. In realistic scenarios, assembling the necessary personnel and equipment could take 45–60 minutes—far beyond the critical window for saving lives.

This is not a theoretical risk. In the event of an earthquake or regional disaster, mutual aid from neighboring districts would be unavailable. The AFD has made it clear:  They cannot guarantee life safety for residents in taller buildings under current conditions.

The recently released “Community Risk Assessment and Standards of Cover” report, commissioned in January 2024 and delivered in July 2025, fails to address these concerns meaningfully. Its recommendations do not even maintain current service levels, let alone provide a roadmap for scaling up to meet Gateway Plan demands. The budget suggestions are unrealistic and insufficient.

The AFD has formally requested that no buildings over three stories be approved until a comprehensive fire protection plan is in place. That request remains unaddressed. Without a viable strategy and substantial funding—estimated at $3 million annually and $15–$20 million in upfront costs—we are putting future residents at unacceptable risk.

I urge the Council to take the following actions:

1. Place an immediate moratorium on approving buildings over three stories until fire protection standards are met.
2. Request a substantial revision of the Risk Assessment report to include actionable funding strategies and implementation timelines.
3. Codify fire safety thresholds in the Gateway Code, tying building height approvals to verified emergency response capacity.
4. Pursue state-level funding with urgency, leveraging regional partnerships and institutional support.

Arcata deserves development that is not only visionary but safe. I ask you to act responsibly and transparently in addressing this critical public safety issue.

I would also point out that Cal Poly Humboldt does not help with the funding for AFD and large developments such as Sorrel Place in Arcata pay very little in fees for AFD, and the public in this report expressed that they did support any large fee increase.

Sincerely,
Gregory Daggett
Arcata Resident and Environmental Advocate