April 7, 2026
Dear Felton Neighbors,
Those of us who lived here in 2020 remember evacuations, fear and uncertainty, and devastation from the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. We put our trust in our own Felton Fire and share a deep gratitude for all the fire agencies who helped limit the damage. Perhaps you’ve experienced other emergencies where Felton Fire was the first to respond to a 911 call. Operating under a legacy funding structure anchored by dedicated volunteer firefighters, the Felton Fire Protection District (FFPD) has provided emergency medical response and disaster services for our residents since 1935.
Today we are at a crossroads.
The Challenge
Our funding formula is unchanged since 1946, but demand for service has grown significantly – from 300 calls in 1999 to more than 900 annually today. This increase comes as the pool of volunteers is shrinking. Combined with rising costs, aging equipment and facilities, and more stringent state and federal requirements, Felton Fire is strained to the breaking point and may not be able to survive.
The Options
A 2025 report evaluating Santa Cruz County special districts outlined several possible paths forward for FFPD to ensure long-term viability: remaining independent, being taken over by another agency, or contracting out services. Each option carries important implications for cost, service quality, and local control. Our current Fire Chief has improved service levels but without additional funding those improvements will be impossible to sustain. While no one likes the idea of new assessments, it is important to weigh the cost against the consequences of inaction.
Response Time
How quickly help arrives when you dial 911 is a critical measure in fire suppression and medical emergencies. The gold standard for medical response is 5 minutes, which is a benchmark FFPD presently meets. We’d like to keep it that way. In addition to impacting public safety, the longer response times we will experience if we’re taken over by another agency will affect insurance rates.
Keeping Local Control
Despite repeated requests, the various agencies nominated by LAFCO to take us over have not been willing to commit to the same standard, or to share their plans for the Felton Fire District. If the upcoming assessment passes, we secure local control and our funds will stay in Felton to maintain our station, upgrade equipment, and ensure fast, professional, reliable response. If not – if the assessment fails – an outside entity will take over and, however they decide to tax us, we will have no say in the matter. There will be no guarantee that the resources our tax dollars provide will support emergency response in Felton.
The Felton Fire Special Benefit Assessment coming to your mailbox in June will ask property owners to approve an assessment preserving the Felton Fire District and affirming local control of this critical service. More detailed information is available on request, and several Town Hall meetings are planned to explain the issues at hand and address individual questions. Interim Fire Chief Isaac Blum will be available for smaller neighborhood gatherings if requested. As you consider your vote, we encourage you to speak with your neighbors and think carefully about what is at stake in terms of safety, reliability, and community autonomy.
Your neighbors of Felton Community for Emergency Response (FC4ER) • www.fc4er.org