Editor’s Note: The first half of the interview with Chief Isaac Blum of Felton Fire Protection District (FFPD) was published on Sept. 13, 2024. The second half of that interview follows.
Chief Isaac Blum was introduced to the FFPD firefighting squad in early July 2024. As previously noted, there was a contentious relationship between the boots-on-the-ground firefighters and the remaining board members (Chair Jim Anderson and Directors Norm Crandell and Mike Shults), so Blum’s approach was to be congenial and non-confrontational with his introduction. “If I don’t have a happy volunteer, I don’t have a volunteer,” said Blum during a sit-down interview on Aug. 10.
Blum said he was mostly interested in listening to feedback from the squad, and that feedback was loaded with frustration and a pervasive lack of morale.
“There was a blend of emotion and facts that came out in our conversations, and [the squad] gave me some good information to help me move forward towards some goals,” said Blum, who acknowledged that he hadn’t made any sudden moves in implementing new ideas within the department since his appointment. “I wanted to stand back, watch and listen to them organically to determine what was working well, and what needed to be changed in terms of responsiveness to calls and accountability to each other.”
When it comes to announcing a large change in an agency’s leadership, press releases are usually shared with local media outlets to help inform the public. In the case of Dan Arndt’s promotion to Acting Fire Chief and Battalion Chief of Operations, a press release was issued by FFPD on April 25, 2024. Although Arndt only remained in that position until July 23, 2024, just a few weeks after Blum was appointed, there was no follow-up communication from the district regarding Arndt’s ouster and Blum’s new assignment.
When asked about the oversight of the district in its failure to announce Blum’s ascendancy, Blum suggested that the press release had slipped through the cracks but that one would be forthcoming. As of this writing, no announcement has been shared from the district.
Blum said he thinks it’s important that the community knows what is happening in their local department. “We are run by the community; historically, our volunteers have come from our community, but that is no longer the case,” said Blum, who reinforced that a shortage of personnel is contributing to the issues plaguing the district. Currently, FFPD is the only district that does not have a geographical requirement for its firefighters.
At the time of the interview, Felton had four paid firefighters on staff that worked dedicated shifts in order to ensure coverage, especially during evening hours. Since then, that number has dwindled to one, and with the loss of another captain in September and a dwindling of squad members, the district is open to creating reciprocal agreements with other local agencies.
“We need to go back to that volunteer model. Residents need to know that if they want to see Felton Fire District succeed, if you want to provide for your own safety as well as the safety of others, we need that performance back from our community,” Blum said.
During Ron Rickabaugh’s tenure as fire chief, Blum ran recruitment and training for the department, and strove for 25-32 volunteers. What has changed dramatically is the call volume that FFPD now responds to. “We used to average 300-340 calls per year; we are now topping 900 calls or more per year. That volume is putting a substantial strain on our volunteers,” Blum said. “The squad is losing volunteers, meaning that those who have stayed behind are picking up the slack and burning out, and that’s been a struggle. Trying to recruit for an agency that’s having a PR nightmare as well as internal conflict is difficult. Nobody wants to be a part of this,” added Blum, who said he’s trying to correct multiple issues simultaneously.
At the time of the interview, Blum said he was sitting on a handful of applications from folks interested in joining the department, but the majority of those were from people who live out of the area, leaving the district hamstrung again in terms of moving back toward a community-based volunteer model.
As a bedroom community for Silicon Valley, Blum said he’s seen the demographics of the area shift. “Most of our community members are commuting out of the valley, so they’re not available to respond to calls in the middle of the day, nor in the middle of the night since they have to go to work,” Blum said. He also noted that the majority of children in the valley attend school in Felton, leaving all those commuting parents to drive through Felton on their way to work. “It’s raised our call volume, and that’s why we needed to transition to a paid call model,” said Blum, who cited loss of personnel and burnout as the two main issues affecting the squad.
Currently, FFPD is officially closed from 6pm-8am each day. That means that first responders are coming from neighboring districts to ensure coverage for emergency calls. In August, chiefs from Zayante, Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek met to hammer out an MOU for Felton coverage. While the implementation of this arrangement is fairly new, Felton residents have had questions regarding the safety and security of their neighborhood.
FFPD held its monthly board meeting on Sept. 9. During the public comment section, all the residents who addressed the board announced their support of the department, which was to be expected. FFPD has served the community with honor since its inception and continues to strive to be a reliable source of safety for its residents.
Notably, San Lorenzo Valley’s Firewise Community is holding a Meet the Fire Chiefs forum on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 6-8pm at Zayante Fire Station, 7700 E. Zayante Road. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the panel and engage in discussions regarding local issues. This event aims to foster increased communication and collaboration between the community and the local Fire Protection Districts, and increased neighborhood engagement towards reducing regional wildfire risk.
To RSVP and submit your questions in advance, visit tinyurl.com/492k6yem.
