Source: United States Army
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. (April 20, 2026) — Emergency response on the Monterey Peninsula is a team effort, requiring constant coordination between agencies to ensure a rapid, effective response.
Those partnerships have been on display in recent weeks, from a childbirth call early on April 2 to a three-alarm fire at the Casanova Avenue apartment complex on March 9.
In the early morning hours of April 2, PoM firefighters responded to a medical call reporting a woman in labor. The crew arrived to find a full-term infant had been delivered moments before their arrival. Firefighters immediately transitioned to patient care, assessing both mother and newborn while coordinating with incoming medical personnel.
“You always prepare for everything,” said firefighter Andrea Kiser. “We bring all the equipment because you don’t know if you’re walking into a delivery or a complication.”
The infant, a girl weighing approximately 5.5 pounds, was assessed in excellent condition. Kiser accompanied the mother and newborn to the hospital, where both were reported to be in good health.
“Not every shift ends with a brand-new baby entering the world, so this one definitely brought some big smiles around the station,” said fire chief David Wilcox. “That’s the kind of call that reminds everyone why the job matters.”
Just weeks earlier, on March 9, PoM firefighters responded alongside multiple agencies to a three-alarm fire at the Casanova Avenue apartment complex in Monterey. Monterey Fire Department led the incident and directed crews to fight the fire and search for residents. Other agencies who responded to the call were from Seaside, Monterey County Regional Fire District, Marina, Salinas, North County, Hollister and Cal Fire.
“When the first crew arrives, they own the scene and start assigning incoming units based on what’s needed,” said Capt. Issac Johnson.
The response brought together multiple agencies operating under a unified approach, a routine reality for fire departments across the peninsula.
“We all work together regularly, so when something like that happens, it’s pretty seamless,” Johnson said.
That interdependence is formalized through the automatic aid and mutual aid agreements PoM maintains with neighboring jurisdictions, including Marina, Seaside and Monterey, as well as regional partnerships across the county. The agreements ensure the closest and most capable resources respond, regardless of jurisdiction, and allow agencies to coordinate personnel, equipment and resources when incidents require more.
“No single agency can meet every operational demand alone,” Wilcox said. “Our integration into the peninsula’s mutual aid network ensures both PoM and the surrounding community benefit from a unified, highly capable regional response.”
Training is just as collaborative as emergency response. The region’s highest risk remains a large-scale wildland fire, making interagency training critical to maintaining readiness across the peninsula. This week, April 20-24, PoM firefighters are participating in a wildland exercise led by Monterey Fire. The training takes place in Army housing on Navy property, forcing multiple agencies to practice together in a shared environment.
For deputy fire chief Travis Wondrash, that level of coordination is essential.
“Through the coordination and efforts of our partners, we’re able to get 70% of the department trained in two days,” Wondrash said. “Compared to taking nearly an entire month to accomplish that, this is a major win for us. It’s a big bang for the buck.”
Whether responding to emergency medical calls, structural fires or interagency wildland incidents, PoM firefighters serve as a vital link in the mutual aid partnerships that protect the Monterey Peninsula.