Ahead of the Board of Supervisor meeting today, the Contra Costa County Executive Fire Chiefs submitted a letter encouraging support of the recommendation by the Task Force for fire and medical services in East Contra Costa County.
The letter of support, submitted by Paige Meyer, Fire Chief of San Ramon Fire Protection District, is not without reservations as the Chiefs have concern over long-term funding. They say this will help with mutual aid from neighboring fire districts which impact the rest of the county in the short-term, however, encourage the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District to engage residents and property owners in conversations about sustainability and increasing funding for the District.
They also stated the reliance on other agencies for ongoing emergency services is not fair to other County taxpayers, nor sustainable for much longer.
Under Item D6, the Fire Board will hear a presentation on the recommendation by a Task Force which would provided a one-time County General Fund contribution of $311,617 to fund the County’s share, based on service calls, of the $2.2 million estimated cost to fund a fourth station for 18 months. The rest of the money will be provided by the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District and the cities of Brentwood and Oakley.
If the Resolution is approved as is, the Fire District will meet on December 7th to begin plans to open a 4th fire station for a period of 18-months.
Here is a copy of the letter submitted to the Board of Supervisors:
November 16,2015
To: The Honorable John Gioia, Chair and Members of the CCC Board of Supervisors
651 Pine Street, Room 107
Martinez, California 94553
Re: Fire and Medical Services in the East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Dear Chairman Gioia and Members of the Board:
The Contra Costa County Executive Fire Chiefs support the recommendations of the Task Force for fire and medical services in the East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District contained in the November 17,2015 communication from the honorable Mary N. Piepho, District lll Supervisor.
Our support, however, is not without reservation and a good deal of concern over the lack of a funding solution that is sustainable over the long term and does not rely on the current level of mutual aid from neighboring fire/EMS agencies.
The Executive Chiefs support is based on the unique factual situation and legal constraints that presently exist in East County. Our support for the recommendations is based on this unique situation and our recognition of how it impacts emergency services countywide. Approval of this one-time, stop-gap measure will enhance public safety for all County residents, at least for the near term.
We believe, therefore, if this recommendation is approved, that the East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District should aggressively pursue all means of cost recovery and continue to engage the residents and property owners in conversations about substantially increasing funding for the District. The reliance on other agencies for ongoing emergency services is not fair to other County taxpayers, nor sustainable for much longer.
The Executive Chiefs will each continue to work with their respective departments to ensure that there is unified action to achieve the success of what is proposed, again recognizing that the actions should not serve as precedent for anything other than the current problem.
Thank you for your review of the Association’s position. We hope that you understand the Association’s concern for this method of addressing a public safety issue, and that this should be a one-time solution only.
Respectfully submitted,
Paige Meyer, Fire Chief
Chair, Contra Costa County Executive Fire Chiefs
cc: CCC Executive Fire Chiefs’ members
District History via Staff Report:
Prior to 2002, the primarily volunteer firefighting forces of far East County provided the protection needed to douse the occasional barn or house fire. However, as these rural communities transformed into bedroom communities, their fire-protection needs stretched beyond that of an all-volunteer force.
In 2002, three small East County fire districts were consolidated into a new entity known as the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD or District), with the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors as its governing board. The new District eliminated duplicative administrative services, ensured better coordination and communication between the stations, and expanded the training requirements of the firefighters.
In 2008, the ECCFPD had eight stations and 52 full-time sworn personnel with an additional 25 sworn personnel on call. As far East County grew, so did the calls for more local control. In 2009 the County relinquished oversight, giving the city of Brentwood four appointments to the local board, Oakley three representatives, and the Board of Supervisors two representatives, to reflect the needs of the unincorporated areas. At the time, the District had more than $6 million in reserves, 50% of its annual budget. As the County turned over governance to the local board, it reiterated to the yet-to-be-appointed fire district board that strong consideration be given to establishing an elected fire board in the future. An elected board would move the district another step closer to the original intention — to ensure that local citizens have a voice in the district’s operations.
Today, the ECCFPD covers approximately 238 square miles, serves Brentwood, Oakley, and the unincorporated communities of Bethel Island, Discovery Bay, Knightsen, Byron and areas of Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory. The District now has only three stations where there once were eight, and the budget reserve of more than $6 million is now running at a deficit. A way must be found to increase funding for a district dependent on a 1978 property tax base that reflects agricultural land values, which is not sufficient to pay for today’s suburban setting and service needs. There were two attempts at the ballot box but voters rejected additional funding, perhaps not understanding the true nature of the funding crisis and how it came about.
