On May 5, the Lompoc City Council received a sobering presentation by interim Fire Chief Kevin Shay.
Chief Shay reported that the Lompoc City Fire Department has the two busiest fire stations in Santa Barbara County. The three fire units and nine crew members respond to more than 5,300 calls for service each year—that’s an average of 14 calls per day. As the city grows, this number increases each year, while staffing remains the same.
To provide this service 24/7/365, a constant staffing level of nine firefighters per shift is required; however, because of vacancies due to retirement or attrition, time off, or sick or injured members, the use of forced overtime is needed to maintain an adequate response force. The average amount of sustained overtime for the last four years has been 7,800 hours per year.
This has created what the fire chief said was an “at risk” staffing level.
One concern is that when experienced staff leave, new academy graduates are hired to fill “empty positions.” These new members require extensive training to be considered qualified to fill the role of “firefighter,” at the lowest level in the organization chart. By the time they have gained experience, many leave for better paying positions.
Another is that working unscheduled, forced overtime separates firefighters from their families when they would normally be off duty. They miss holiday gatherings, their children’s sporting events, anniversaries, and other important family-related activities. Considering the response volume and the issues they confront, this also creates a stress and/or fatigue level that most people cannot relate to.
Added to this were other “at risk” conditions because “aging, undersized stations limit operational efficiency and future growth [and] outdated design and safety concerns” and “prevention efforts are essential but limited by staffing and workload.”
The newest fire station was constructed more than 40 years ago as a “temporary station,” and the main fire station in the Old Town area has seismic safety issues.
Despite these challenges, the Fire Department’s “performance remains strong due to personnel commitment, despite system limitations.”
Mission success is embedded into each firefighter’s psyche from their first day in the fire academy and remains with them throughout their career. This has been the case since Benjamin Franklin co-founded the Union Fire Company in 1736. When the bell rings they respond—no excuses.
As the council began to ask questions about the staffing issue, the Human Resources representative agreed with both Chief Shay and the firefighters union leadership that staffing was a serious issue. He also said that when experienced staff leave, it’s often due to the low pay level for each position in the Fire Department as compared to other surrounding agencies.
The most graphic example was the recent loss of the fire chief. When he left for another fire chief’s position, he was offered almost twice the compensation he received in Lompoc.
These are not new problems; for the last two decades fire chiefs have made the council aware of the same problems. Councilman Dirk Starbuck, the longest serving council member, noted that the council had discussed this several times.
So, after hearing for the umpteenth time that staffing and fire station issues exist, what did the City Council do this time—nothing.
Even though there was a significant amount of conversation, not one council member requested that the staff bring back a plan to resolve these issues. Instead, during the council requests portion of the meeting, they were more concerned with the aquatic center play structure, Ryon Park bathrooms, and other issues.
Conversation doesn’t fix anything; only tangible action solves problems, and in Lompoc after years of no action and politicians claiming they “support public safety,” the Lompoc Fire Department still has “at risk” conditions, and the council has no future agenda item scheduled for an improvement plan.
Ron Fink writes to the Sun from Lompoc. Send a letter for publication to letters@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 28 – June 4, 2026.