The vote was the beginning, not the finish line.
Felton approved the fire benefit assessment — and this month it became official. Here is what has happened since, and what your crew has been up to on Sunday mornings.
Assessment Update
From Ballot to Budget
The board has unanimously adopted the resolution ordering the levy of the Fire Protection and Emergency Response Services Assessment for Fiscal Year 2026‑27, and approved the agreement placing it on the county property tax roll. The first funds are expected to reach the district in December.
"We're going to be a model department."
Good News
The District's Largest Debt Is Paid
Felton Fire has bought out of its CalPERS pension obligation in full — and came in well under what the district had budgeted for it. That debt is gone.
| $959,617Paid to CalPERS obligation satisfied in full |
$240,383Below the anticipated cost |
$0Remaining PERS debt owed |
District Leadership
The Search for a Permanent Fire Chief
The board has reopened the recruitment for Felton's permanent fire chief, casting a wider net now that the district's funding is secure. Candidates who have already applied remain in consideration and do not need to reapply.
Chief Blum will continue to lead the district until a permanent chief is in place. An appointment is not expected before November.
Response Stats and Community Impact
By the Numbers — July 2026
Your FFPD team responded to 76 calls in July, up roughly 20 from June.
| 76Total calls responded to in July |
39Medical and rescue responses |
5Fire calls responded to |
A Turnout Time Milestone
Turnout time is the clock that starts when the tones drop and stops when the engine rolls out the bay door. For the first time in Chief Blum's tenure, Felton Fire's median turnout time came in under a minute: 52 seconds. When this work began, that number was as high as 18 minutes. Every second of that improvement belongs to the firefighters.
The figures below are median times — the midpoint of all calls, meaning half were faster and half were slower.
| 0:52Median turnout time tones to wheels rolling |
4:00Median en route to on scene |
5:02Median 911 call to your front door |
Staffing stands at 28 members, 26 available for response. Everyone who was in training this cycle has graduated, and 13 to 15 in-district candidates are lined up for the next hiring process.
Training and Preparedness
Sunday Training: Hose Pulls, Drafting, and Watermelon
Engine 2311 and Water Tender 2350 at Sunday training
Sunday mornings in August brought the crew out to the SLV school lot for right-hand hose pulls: pulling a preconnected line off the engine, advancing it, and flowing water. It is one of the most fundamental skills on the fireground, and the reason it gets practiced over and over is simple — on a real call there is no time to think about it.
 |
 |
Right-hand hose pulls — advancing a charged line off Engine 2311
Engine 2311 drafting from the portable tank
The crew also ran water supply operations with Water Tender 2350 and a portable tank — drafting water into the engine the way they would at a fire in a part of Felton with no hydrant nearby. Much of our district has no hydrant, so building a water supply from a tender shuttle is not an optional skill here.
Sydney cutting up watermelon for the crew after a hot August training
And then, because it was August and everyone was cooking inside their turnouts, Sydney cut up a watermelon for the crew. These are your neighbors: probationary firefighters and captains, most of them volunteers, giving up their Sunday to be ready when your call comes in.
Want to be part of the team? Visit feltonfire.com/joinus
Come See For Yourself
Next Board Meeting — Monday, September 14
Monday, September 14 · 6:00 PM · 131 Kirby Street, Felton
Open to the public, in person and online. Every agenda item includes time for public comment — we would love to see you there.