Kern County Fire Department avoids more staffing cuts with adopted 2017-2018 county budget

The Kern County Fire Department is able to breathe a slight sigh of relief now that the 2017-2018 county budget was officially adopted Tuesday. KCFD isn't facing heavy budget cuts or staffing cuts in comparison to previous years, but Chief Brian Marshall said that doesn't mean the department is completely out of the woods. “We continue to struggle with a deficit in the fire department and our number one goal is to keep our fire stations open and staffed with firefighters so we can respond to our citizen’s calls for help," Chief Marshall said.