Fire Chief Samuel Klemek
Chief Klemek is a 33-year veteran of the fire service in Monterey County, 23-years of which have been with the Salinas Fire Department (SFD). He has served in multiple capacities with the SFD including Firefighter/Paramedic and Battalion Chief / Fire Marshal prior to his promotion to Deputy Fire Chief. He holds an Associate’s degree in Fire Science, a Bachelor’s degree in Fire Administration and is a state certified Chief Fire Officer. Chief Klemek also holds certifications from the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy.
Overview of Administration & Support Staffing
Fire department staffing is typically divided into two distinct groups: 1) administration and support and 2) operations. The administration and support group usually provides oversight and support to the operations group. This support provides emergency response personnel with the tools needed to deliver effective services to the community it serves. The operations group provides the necessary resources to perform emergency and nonemergency services to the community.
Planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and evaluating each of the various programs within a fire department are typical responsibilities of the administration and support personnel. This list is not exhaustive and may include other elements.
Ten full-time equivalent (FTE) employees and two part-time equivalent (PTE) employees provide support and administrative services to the SFD. The Fire Chief is the SFD’s top executive leader and reports directly to the City Manager. The Deputy Chief is number two in succession and reports to the Fire Chief.
Administration Organizational Chart
Hours of Operation
Most of the administrative staff operate during regular business hours, which are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Phone Number: 831-758-7261
Email Address: FireAdministration@ci.salinas.ca.us
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Matthew Evarts - Deputy Fire Chief
Chief Evarts is a 24-year veteran of the fire service, of which the last 19 have been with the SFD. He has served in all ranks and as BC of the training division and A-platoon prior to his assignment as Acting Deputy Chief. Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Evarts serves as the head of operations for the Salinas Fire Department, bringing extensive expertise and leadership to his role. With a focus on ensuring the safety and well-being of the community, Deputy Chief Evarts oversees the day-to-day operations of firefighting personnel and resources. His strategic planning and coordination skills are instrumental in managing emergency response efforts, training initiatives, and public education programs. Committed to upholding the department's mission of protecting lives and property, Deputy Chief Evarts exemplifies professionalism and dedication in his service to the residents of Salinas.
Services Provided by SFD
The Salinas Fire Department is an all-hazards public safety organization providing traditional fire suppression, prevention, aircraft rescue, firefighting, wildland firefighting, Type I HazMat response team, and medical first-response (MFR) at the Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) levels. Special operations at SFD include participation in the regional hazmat response team and provides services to San Benito County via a memorandum of understanding and the provision of Tactical Paramedics (SWAT) in support of the Salinas Police Department.
Operation's Organizational Chart
The Fire Chief is the SFD’s top executive leader and reports directly to the City Manager. The Deputy Chief is number two in succession and reports to the Fire Chief. The Training Battalion Chief reports to the Deputy Chief, and the Fire Marshal reports to the Fire Chief. SFD operates with civilian administrative support staff responsible for critical tasks, including providing clerical, financial, records management, and customer service support for SFD. In the FY 2023 budget, an additional administrative captain position was funded.
Operations Staffing
Personnel assigned to operations (suppression) conduct various duties relating to emergency and non-emergency responses. In addition to response, personnel assigned to operations conduct various internal and external tasks to support the mission.
SFD deploys a three-person engine company from each of its six fire stations. In addition, a three-person (four when staffing allows) truck company (100-foot tractor drawn aerial) and Battalion Chief are housed at Station 1. A second 100-foot aerial truck company with three-person minimum staffing is located at Station 5. Various reserve apparatuses are distributed among each of the fire stations. All front line staffed apparatus includes a minimum of one Paramedic (any rank) and are furnished with Advanced Life Support supplies and equipment.
Operations Staff Allocation
SFD has an operational staffing level of 0.58 Firefighters per 1,000 population served. This figure is based on the January 1, 2022, population estimate of 159,932 from the California Department of Finance. In comparison to the national average and western region, as referenced within the US Fire Department Profile (2020), SFD staffing levels are well below the national median (1.2) and the western region median (0.97). The following figure is a comparison of firefighters per 1,000 in population protected.
