In 1953, Arcata Fire District hired its first paid-employee - the Fire Chief.  In 1960 the District opened and staffed the McKinleyville Fire Station with 1 Firefighter on the engine per day. When the Mad River Fire Station was built in 1975, the District hired additional personnel to staff the engine with another Firefighter - bringing the total staffing to 2 Firefighters per day on 2 pieces of apparatus.

The District continued to operate with 1 Firefighter on an engine for 46 years.  In 2006, the residents of the District passed a benefit assessment, allowing Arcata Fire District to hire 6 additional personnel which provided the Mad River & McKinleyville Fire Stations to be staffed by two firefighters each for greater safety for residents and firefighters.  In 2012, a federal grant enabled the District to hire 3 more Firefighters, allowing the Arcata Fire Station to be staffed with career Firefighters for the first time in Arcata Fire District's history.

Today, the residents of the Arcata Fire District are protected each day by 1 Chief officer and 4 or 5 Firefighters.  The on-duty crews rotate weekly to cover two of the three stations.  Volunteer FIrefighters and Firefighter Interns are used to augment staffing.