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Kern County Emergency Services Build From Prior Investments in Staffing and Equipment

New permanent rescue units and paramedic additions in Bakersfield reflect steps taken after earlier temporary measures and Measure K funding decisions.

By Bakersfield News Desk · Published July 24, 2026

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Kern County Emergency Services Build From Prior Investments in Staffing and Equipment — Photo by USDAgov / flickr (pdm)

The Kern County Fire Department launched its permanent Medic Squad 42 apparatus in east Bakersfield to deliver 24-hour Advanced Life Support, replacing a temporary vehicle that had covered an area handling over 5,000 annual emergency calls.

Path to Current Fire Response Capacity

Measure K enabled the addition of 13 paramedics to increase Advanced Life Support staffing across unincorporated Kern County areas. The Bakersfield City Fire Department placed two new rescue units at its two busiest stations to reduce response times while keeping fire engines available for other emergencies; those units have already responded to 66 emergencies since deployment. The Kern County Fire Department continues development of the FireHawk helicopter model to support broader emergency response across the county.

Local Health Facilities Providing Ongoing Care

Dignity Health Memorial Hospital at 420 34th St and Adventist Health Bakersfield at 2615 Chester Ave both operate 24/7 for emergency care. Kern County Public Health Clinic at 1800 Mt. Vernon Ave offers immunizations, STD/HIV testing, family planning and tuberculosis testing with walk-ins accepted and Medi-Cal coverage. Omni Family Health at 3800 Mall View Road provides medical, dental and optometry services Monday through Friday. Federally Qualified Health Center options include Comprehensive Care Center at 9525 Camino Media and Clinica Sierra Vista Westpoint Community Health Center at 11905 Bolthouse Drive, Suite 500. Urgent care locations include 1st Choice Urgent Care at 6515 Panama Ln, Accelerated Urgent Care at 4040 California Ave and APEX Urgent Care at 1345 Allen Rd.

Accessibility Upgrades and Resident Contacts

Kern County upgraded its ReadyKern emergency alert system to add American Sign Language, Braille reader accessibility and certified Spanish translation. The City of Bakersfield lists specific numbers for storm-related issues including blocked drains at 326-3111 and downed trees at 326-3866. Residents seeking care can use the listed clinics and hospitals that operate under established hours and coverage options.