“The public needs to be aware that we have to deal with a $2.9 million deficit, and there’s a likelihood to cut positions and a potential to cut stations,” said Erick Stonebarger, chairman of the ECCFPD Board. “We need community input. They need to get involved.”
The ECCFPD covers 250 square miles of East Contra Costa, including Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay and virtually everything east of Antioch. At its May 3 meeting, the newly appointed board – seated in February after the County Board of Supervisors relinquished its long-standing control over the district – received an expected but nevertheless gloomy report from Acting Fire Chief Hugh Henderson. The district’s property tax revenue plunged almost 20 percent during the fiscal year ending in June and is expected to drop 10 percent more next year. The district has used reserves to make up the difference, but by the middle of 2011 that money will run out.
Nearly all of the district’s income comes from property tax. Because fire protection in far East County was provided primarily by paid-on-call (POC) volunteers when the rates were established, the district now receives less than half the percentage received by other fire districts in the county.
Stonebarger believes that increasing revenue by passing another tax would be a hard sell at this point: “I don’t think it would be responsible for us to go out and ask for money until we can prove we can manage our own budget.”
That means cuts are needed to keep the already bare-bones district solvent. Six of the district’s stations are currently staffed by two firefighters, and two are staffed by three. (The industry standard is three per station).
Stonebarger said station closures could be accompanied by a personnel shift that would improve coverage at remaining stations. The 48 positions the final budget will include could provide three-person coverage at the four urban stations (Stations 52 and 54 in Brentwood, Station 93 in Oakley and Station 59 in Discovery Bay) and two-person coverage at two stations (Station 94 in Knightsen and either Station 57 in Byron, Station 58 in Discovery Bay or Station 95 on Bethel Island). Because four firefighters are required to be on the scene before entry is made into a structure fire, a battalion chief and one engine could begin an attack that now must often wait until the arrival of a second engine.
Alternatives to permanent station closures could include closing stations one day per week in rotation, an option Stonebarger said doesn’t make sense given the significantly different roles each station currently plays (Station 93, for example, responded to more than 1,800 calls last year, while station 57 answered fewer than 300).
Relying more on the POC staffing utilized in years past also doesn’t make sense in today’s world, Stonebarger said. Even the least active station (57) receives nearly one call per day, and the busiest (93) more than five, volumes too high to effectively cover with volunteer, part-time crews. Also, relying on POCs, who must drive to the station to pick up an engine, would increase response times.
A third option discussed during a series of public meetings in 2006 was to hire CalFire, the state’s primary wildland fire service, which has contracted with other cities. Stonebarger said that the loss of local control, firefighter turnover brought on by CalFire’s 72-hour shift schedule plus the loss of firefighters who live in and know the ECCFPD territory make that option undesirable.
“I don’t think it’s on our current radar screen to look at CalFire,” he said.
Discovery Bay CSD Treasurer Brian Dawson said that the possible closure of both Station 58 and Station 57 could have a huge impact on his community. “I’d like to see the (ECCFPD) board do everything humanly possible, up to and including a ballot measure, before they talk about closures,” he said. He hopes to see a strong public turnout at the June 7 meeting.
The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. in the Oakley City Council Chambers, 3231 Main St.
To view the ECCFPD documents, click the following links:
Summary District Wide Costs Expenditures Revenue Additional Charges
The idea that there has been this historical animosity between fultime firefighters and POCs is something that has been spun way out of proportion. The fact of the matter is that individuals on both sides (who are a vocal minority) have always been the source of such animosity. Not one entire group pitted against another.
The idea that the POC program has been decimated over the last several years is a fact, but the reason is something that most have lost sight of or misconstrued to add fuel to the idea of the epic struggle between professional firefighters and volunteerism. The fact in this case is that a volunteer or POC agency model is something that historically worked very well to provide emergency services to this community with the limited funding that was generated. However, anyone who is, or was a volunteer/POC also had to have a full-time job in order to survive. With the increases in population to this area the call volume increased and often became more than a group of volunteers/POCs could cover while still being gainfully employed. In some cases stations were staffed during the day while POCs would respond after hours. In other cases a full-time staffed company would respond as a shadow to the POC unit until it responded. The fact is that as POC firefighters ability to respond dropped off it forced the issue and made full-time staffing necessary.
So then the question has been asked, where have all the highly trained POC firefighters gone? Did they get run out of town? Were they let go? Were they terminated? The fact is that most of them haven't gone anywhere and are still loyally serving this community under adverse conditions for substandard wages. 100% of the current full-time staff (including all of the chief officers)have worked as volunteers, reserves, or POCs at some fire department. 2/3 of the current staffing at one time or another served as volunteers or POCs within this district or the districts that were consolidated to form it. In many cases when full-time firefighters were hired, the candidates were actually from the volunteer and POC ranks. Another aspect that people fail to acknowledge is the fact that following consolidation in 2002, the POCs were required to have annual physical exams, some were found be unfit for duty and were a liability. Others simply moved on with their lives.
The issue of training is not garbage, not lame, and certainly not made up. It is mandated by law. The fact is that the cost of providing/maintaining personal protective equipment, wages, work comp and providing mandated annual training is unjustifiable when compared to the level of service that the program actually provides.
The extent to which union conspiracy theories have been spun is somewhat absurd when you consider that both of the union members representing East Contra Costa were former Oakley/Knightsen volunteers.
At some point it was mentioned that the insurance rating for fire service has actually dropped since consolidation. That is a fact, however that has very little to do with any change in service and more to do the level to which previous administrators would embellish the facts of what the districts capabilities were. The most recent assessment has been far more legitimate as the administration has been transparent in regards to the levels of service provided.
The bottom line is that as this area was developed and population grew over the last 15-20 years it has outgrown the paid on call volunteer fire service concept and the need for fulltime staffed fire service is real and justified. This fact has been obvious for over a decade (painfully obvious in recent time)yet the County Board of supervisors have been reluctant to move forward with any viable solutions to rectify the real problem which is disparity in funding. Now the newly established Fire Board is making decisions that while being difficult and unpopular are necessary. Something that the County Board of Supervisors were either too inept or unwilling to do a long time ago when it was their responsibility. The volunteer or POC firefighters that everyone remembers so fondly are still here serving the community 24 hours a day 7 days a week regardless of the politics, under conditions that would make others walk off the job.
To solve the problem funding mechanisms need to be put in place. Whether it be an assessment or a new tax. Some say that an assessment or new tax won't pass. I guarantee it won't if nobody even tries.
" Reserve " program is being illiminated.
However, just so you know there were POC's with Master Degrees in Fire Science. The excuse about training is lame because all firefighters part time or full time are required to have training.
It's all moot at this point. I suppose then next tactic is to scare a new tax. It may work. I hope no lives are lost in the process.
P.S. I have high respect for the Chief. While things may be difficult. I trust him completely. It's the politics that are the problem.
1) Supervisor Piepho did not set this (Fire Board)up to fail, Oakley and Brentwood wanted local control.
2) There were never 75 (active) reserve (POC) firefighters in East Contra Costa. I have asked the Administration about your number.
3) CDF will not run East Contra Costa because the people want "Local Control" not "State Control".
4) You have an "Acting" Fire Chief that is having a difficult time leading the Fire District.
5) How do you know the POCs were not called to recent fires, are you a POC? Sure sounds like it.
6) TRAINING is not gargabe or an excuse. It is very serious and critical to Puiblic Safety. Furthermore, it is State mandated.
7) Do you know the Contra Costa Firefighters (Union) representitives? Did you know that the Firefighters, are the Union Leadership? I made a point to meet and discuss Fire and budget issues with them, they are very organized and educated on East Contra Costa issues. They sure don't present themselves as intimidating or dictators. Have you attended any Fire Board or LAFCO meetings? I have, and the Firefighters have given direction and answered questions only after no one else would. Also, the Acting Fire Chief said he was working with the Firefighters on solving the Districts financial issues, that's not a dictatorship, that's teamwork.
Understand FARRECComentor, what's dicatating the direction of the fire protection in East Contra Costa is simply, economics.
Who cares how many POC’s there were? We live in California in a day and age where POC’s are no longer acceptable. Additionally with so many distant commutes and jobs that take people away from the community for 10 hour days, playing fireman worked in the 60’s and 70’s but is not a realistic option in this century. Also POCs making a few bucks an hour doing grunt work, will not be happy working next to full time firefighters making a living wage. It just doesn’t work.
Piepho and Glover continue to work on Fire District issues not only here in East county but County wide which includes several other districts in very similar situations. There is no printing press that makes instant cash over at the county.
How many fire meetings has John been to? None? Maybe if he was tuned in he would know the UNION has very little influence there. It is the BOARD and the Chief that are proposing closing stations! The Supervisors for East County are trying to stop this from happening.
Missdani, how are we supposed to take your opinion seriously when you don't even know how many fire stations we have in Discovery Bay? What are you ashamed of, Missdani, yopur complete lack of knowledge considering you are a fire fighters wife or your complete and utter lack of involvment in your own community?
You people are an easy meal on a Sunday after noon. Keep spreading your lies, one day, if you tell them enough, they might come true!