San Jose

SJFD Struggling to Help Other Departments as Resources Spread Thin

Damian Trujillo

The San Jose Fire Department normally aids other departments when needed in an emergency. However, the recent wildfires have firefighters exhausted and spread thin on resources.

Such is the case of San Jose Fire Station #2 which helped battle the Creek Fire in Central California. Back home in the South Bay, they respond to all the fires in the San Jose East Foothills.

But now, the department has to look deeper to make sure they can help if another area calls for it.

The department says total of 32 San Jose firefighters are spread out throughout California helping others and that another mutual aid call could be difficult to fill while maintaining enough firefighters to respond to local threats.

The SJFD remains on high alert as the South Bay remains under a Red Flag Warning and heat advisory.

“We are committed if there are in county emergencies to deploy additional aid as needed," said SJFD spokeswoman Erika Ray. "Anything out of the area will have to be evaluated on a case by case basis."

Emergency crews say shade and water will be key this week as they prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Once firefighters return from their mutual aid assignments, they'll go on a rest cycle to take a break before they're sent out back to the line.

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