Big Bear FIRE AUTHORITY
Big Bear Fire Chief JEFF WILLIS 
wants the residents of the Valley to be aware of the challenges facing
the Big Bear Fire Authority (BBFA) as they continue to work to provide critical
fire protection and emergency services for all the Big Bear Valley.
Without additional funding, (BBFA) will need to make cuts to fire
protection and emergency medical services, including:
· Closing a Fire
Station
· Reducing on-duty-daily staffing from 13-11 Firefighters/Paramedics
· The Fire Department will not have the ability to replace worn-out
equipment
This puts the Big Bear Valley AT RISK when a
medical emergency, fire, natural disaster or
other emergency strikes.
The Big Bear FIRE AUTHORITY is one of the busiest rural mountain fire departments in the
region, serving approximately 25,000 permanent residents. Over the past
four years, the department has experienced an increase of
13.32% in emergency
and non-emergency incidents. There is
clear evidence that call volume will continue to increase at a rapid
rate for
the foreseeable future.
Last year, we responded to 4,535 incidents. The firefighting and paramedic
staff serving our community hasn’t increased in 15 years, even though the population, number, and type of
emergency incidents have increased substantially.
With a growing demand for emergency
services, a limited operating budget, and
NO funding help from the State or County, it has become challenging to
serve Big Bear Valley’s increasing demand for emergency medical response, fire
protection, and seasonal readiness, so we are prepared when an emergency
strikes.
Big
Bear Fire Chief JEFF WILLIS asks every resident to read the brochure (article
below > http://www.bigbearlake.net/ETNews Big
Bear Valley AT RISK . Learn more
about the proposed solution that the BBFA is recommending, based in part on the
community’s input and the responsibility of the Fire Department to ensure
adequate emergency medical service, fire protection, and community risk
reduction services for the future. This
information is also available on the Big Bear Fire Department website at www.bigbearfire.com