Del Mar firefighters took nearly eight minutes to reach emergencies in 2025, almost double the national standard. Fire Chief Bret Davidson will present the data to the City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
The meeting agenda shows the council will also take final votes on two housing ordinances, hold a public hearing on underground utility deadlines and hear an update on El Niño preparations for the coming rainy season. The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 1050 Camino del Mar.
Fire response times lag benchmarks
Davidson's presentation, based on 2025 annual report data, shows the city's single fire station and nine-person crew falling short of every National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 benchmark at the 90th percentile.
Every benchmark was missed.
Dispatch time hit 121 seconds, more than double the NFPA standard of 60 seconds or less. Turnout time reached 105 seconds against a benchmark of 80. First-unit response clocked in at 469 seconds, or 7 minutes and 49 seconds, compared with the NFPA target of 240 seconds, or 4 minutes.
The department handled roughly 1,685 calls in 2025. Medical emergencies made up 58% of those calls, followed by fire alarms at 14.36% and vehicle accidents at 7.66%. Del Mar provided automatic aid to other agencies 743 times and received aid 240 times, with the majority involving Solana Beach.
Del Mar operates one fire station on the city's north end with three captains, three engineers and three firefighter/paramedics. The station covers 2.2 square miles of city territory and nearly 5 square miles of automatic aid area. The nearest backup is Solana Beach's station, 2.7 miles away.
The presentation also flags a sharp increase in fire risk. Lots classified in the "very high" fire severity zone jumped from 383 to 853, more than doubling the required annual fire prevention inspections.
A total of 1,504 lots now fall in the high and medium zones. The city expects to receive a new brush rig, an OES Type 6 Engine, in roughly 45 days. Staff plan to bring a Zone Zero ordinance to the council in 2027.
The department's presentation states that having a station in Del Mar is critical to meeting standard response times, which directly affects loss of life and property.
Housing ordinances up for final vote
The council is scheduled to adopt two ordinances on its consent calendar, completing the second reading of measures approved on first reading Aug. 25. Both implement programs from Del Mar's 6th Cycle Housing Element.
One ordinance (ZA26-003) overhauls the city's reasonable accommodations process for people with disabilities. It repeals an existing code section and creates a new chapter, DMMC Chapter 30.94.
The second (ZA26-001/LCPA26-001) updates rules for emergency shelters, supportive housing, transitional housing, residential care facilities and day care services across all residential and commercial zones. It aligns the municipal code and the city's Local Coastal Program with state fair housing laws. The Del Mar Planning Commission reviewed both ordinances at its July 14 meeting before recommending them to the council.
Other agenda items
The council will hold a public hearing on setting a deadline for properties in Underground Utility District X1A, Crest Canyon Work Zone 3, to be ready for underground service.
Staff will brief the council on preparations for the 2026-27 rainy season and forecasted El Niño conditions.
Mayor Tracy Martinez will present a proclamation honoring Principal Planner Matt Bator, who is retiring after 29 years of city service. The council will also consider a $25,343 task order amendment for geotechnical work on the Jimmy Durante Boulevard Bluff Stabilization Project and a $60,200 amendment for design services on the Stratford Court North utility undergrounding district.
At 6:30 p.m., the council will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Del Mar Community Plan with cake and refreshments.
Residents can attend in person, watch on Spectrum Channel 24 or AT&T Channel 99, join via Zoom, or submit written comments to [email protected] by noon on Sept. 8. The next regular council meeting is tentatively set for Tuesday, Sept. 22.
