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Red Flag Conditions Have Sacramento Firefighters On High Alert

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Gusty winds and bone-dry conditions have Northern California firefighters on high alert.

The Sacramento Metro Company 111 in Rio Linda has shifts of 48 hours on and four days off. When they are at the station, every second is go time.

The frontline of firefighting and first responders is a job that's always on.

The 111 monitored winds all day Tuesday, hoping nothing flared up, but were ready to respond in seconds.

"In these types of conditions, we're going to take it slow it's a risk versus reward situation," Captian Ed Henderson said.

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Sac Metro, like many fire departments in California, are juggling staff as some firefighters are battling the Kincade and Getty Fires. But Sac Metro said they have their staffing fully covered.

"Whenever we send an engine out we also replace not only the engine but the personal. Every day we have 192 on duty within Metro Fire," spokesperson Captain Chris Vestal said.

CBS13 took an inside look at the 111 Tuesday. Not many calls for service came in during our time at the station, but that's the job. Sometime's it's about waiting for the alarm to ring, to jump on a truck and into action.

Twenty-four Metro firefighters are assigned to the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, but captains insist they are always able to protect the greater-Sacramento area in seconds.

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