Big Bear Lake, CA – Big Bear News – In a press release issued by the Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District, they stated: provides fire and paramedic services to the City of Big Bear Lake, is dedicated to ensuring that property owners, residents, visitors, and businesses receive the highest level of emergency response and protection funded through local property tax contributions.
In 2012, the Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District and the Big Bear City Community Services District formed the Big Bear Fire Authority under California’s Joint Exercise of Powers Act. The purpose of this consolidation was to improve fire and medical service delivery across both jurisdictions, while also increasing efficiency and reducing costs.
“The Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District wants to provide the highest level of fire service to our residents who fund the District. We also want to understand the service needs of our community to ensure we are deploying the right amount of resources, while being cost effective with our tax dollars,” said Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District Chair, Rick Herrick.
A formal Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement established how the Fire Authority would be governed and funded. The agreement requires each agency to contribute equally to the Fire Authority’s annual budget:
- Big Bear City Community Services District: 50%
- Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District: 50%
At its May 13, 2025 meeting, the Fire Authority Board unanimously reaffirmed its commitment to follow this agreement. On September 9, 2025, the Board adopted the annual budget for Fiscal Year 2025–26. Subsequently, on November 12, 2025, the Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District Board approved a preliminary budget to fund its 50% share of the Fire Authority’s anticipated annual net expenses, totaling $7,138,834. Public notice was then issued for adoption of the final budget at the December 10, 2025 meeting.
On November 21, 2025, the Fire Authority issued invoices to both agencies for their respective 50% shares of expenses for the first six months of the fiscal year. The Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District intends to pay its invoice in full following adoption of its FY 2025–26 budget.
To ensure that property tax revenues are used effectively, the Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District has also commissioned a third-party consultant to conduct a service level assessment. This study will evaluate the fire and paramedic service demands within the City of Big Bear Lake and across the Fire Authority’s service area. The final report is expected later this year and will be presented to both the District and the public for review and direction.
