Palo Alto Fire Department Staffing at Fire Station 4 Community Update

Published on March 21, 2025

March 21, 2025: On April 1, 2025, the Finance Committee will continue their discussion from November 2024, with a discussion and evaluation of Fire and Ambulance Service Options and other related items. View the Finance Committee Agenda, and click on Item 3 for the staff report and supplemental information. The November discussion was a result of Council direction last June during the adoption of this year's operating budget. Details discussed at the April 1 meeting will help inform the Council's Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget discussions which begin in early May. The public can participate in-person or virtually. The April 1, 2025 Finance Committee meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. and the public can participate in person or virtually by Zoom.

February 24, 2025: The City Council adopted mid-year budget actions at their meeting on February 24 that included direction to add a fire engine to the current ambulance at Fire Station 4. The nearterm action is a cross-staffing model, adding 1.00 FTE Fire Captain position at Fire Station 4 funded through overtime, for a total of three shift personnel. These three personnel will staff both the fire engine and the ambulance. This is consistent with pre-COVID staffing at Fire Station 4. The Palo Alto Fire Department (PAFD) will determine which apparatus (engine or ambulance) responds to a call based on the nature of the emergency. This action also puts into service one of PAFD’s two reserve fire engines. This near-term approach provides additional resources to the area and the City as a whole, while long-term staffing proposals and funding decisions continue. Longer term staffing strategies already began with Finance Committee review in Fall 2024 and will continue into the FY 2026 budget process this Spring with review of options at the Finance Committee. Review the February 24 meeting materials.

Update February 18, 2025: In case you missed the neighborhood briefing held on February 13, 2025, a recording is available below. In addition, FAQs have been expanded with additional questions and answers on this important community issue.

Neighborhood Briefing YouTube Recording

Community Update on Palo Alto Fire Department Staffing at Fire Station 4

Published on February 5, 2025

A community update addresses concerns raised by some community members about Fire Department response capabilities, staffing levels, and specifically Fire Station 4 located on Middlefield Road. Also previewed is a near-term recommendation to prioritize staffing to add a fire engine at Fire Station 4. 

The Palo Alto Fire Department (PAFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical transport throughout the City and Stanford. Following pandemic budget reductions that impacted all City departments and services, the Council has reinvested in fire services to rebuild operations. Additional investment in emergency medical and fire response supports the whole community and a near-term proposal to add a fire engine to the current ambulance staffing at Fire Station 4 will be considered by the City Council later in February. This recommendation supports emergency response citywide while long-term staffing and funding options continue to take shape to respond to changing service demand, population growth and other priorities.

Learn more about the staffing proposal, Fire Station 4 replacement project status update, and ways to share feedback as the Council considers interim and longer-term fire service approaches.

Read the Update

Read Expanded FAQs