May 4, 2026
Mayor Alice Patino
Members of the City Council
110 East Cook Street
Santa Maria, CA 93458
RE: 14.b Ballot Measure Polling Survey
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council,
On behalf of Santa Maria Firefighters Local 2020, we appreciate the opportunity to comment on the proposed sales tax measure and to express our interest in partnering with the City to strengthen fire response and public safety.
Over the past year, the City has consistently highlighted Santa Maria’s growth, momentum, and long-term vision. The October 2025 State of the City outlined a community that has added approximately 34,000 residents over the past 25 years and now serves more than 112,000 people, with projections anticipating an additional 30,000 to 40,000 residents in the coming decades.
That growth is not theoretical. At the 2026 Santa Maria Valley Housing Summit, City staff identified 5,631 housing units currently in the development pipeline. Longer term planning anticipates 16,140 additional units and more than 58,000 new residents by 2045. With limited space remaining within existing boundaries, expansion beyond current city limits, including areas east of Highway 101, is already being contemplated.
The message is clear. Santa Maria is growing, and the City is planning for it.
The question before the Council is whether fire protection is keeping pace.
Fire response is one of the few City services where timing and staffing directly determine outcomes. In those first minutes, the number of firefighters on scene is as critical as how quickly they arrive.
Today, the data shows a gap between expectations and capability:
● 4-minute response coverage is 56.6% of incidents and 51.9% of roadways ● Only 22.9% of the city can receive a four-person initial crew within 4 minutes ● A full effective residential fire response within 8 minutes is achieved in just 15.9% of the city
These are not abstract metrics. They represent real limitations in the City’s ability to control fires quickly, protect property, and, in some cases, save lives.
When staffing is increased to four firefighters per engine and ladder truck, those outcomes change substantially:
● 4-minute response coverage increases to over 70% of incidents ● Four-person crew assembly within 4 minutes rises to 68% of the city ● Full residential fire response within 8 minutes increases to 59.1% This is not a marginal improvement. It is a fundamentally different level of service.
As the Council considers future growth, it is also important to recognize the community being served. Santa Maria includes a significant number of residents in higher-risk age groups, along with populations facing socioeconomic challenges that can increase vulnerability during emergencies and limit the ability to recover. These realities place even greater importance on a fast, effective, and adequately staffed fire response.
Growth is meaningful and positive, but it carries responsibility. A community cannot continue to expand without ensuring that core public safety services keep pace. The public expects, and deserves, a fire response system designed for today’s demands, not yesterday’s standards.
The proposed sales tax measure presents a clear opportunity to align the City’s growth strategy with its public safety obligations. If the City is asking residents to invest in Santa Maria’s future, that investment should deliver measurable improvements in the services they rely on most when it matters.
Santa Maria Firefighters Local 2020 stands ready to work with the City to ensure that any measure brought forward is transparent, accountable, and directly tied to improved fire staffing and response performance.
The City has articulated a vision for growth. This is the opportunity to ensure that fire protection keeps pace with that vision.
We respectfully ask for your partnership.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Matthew Chircop
President
Santa Maria Firefighters Local 2020