Home CONFIRE Vince Wells: “Enough is Enough” on Fire Station Closures

Vince Wells: “Enough is Enough” on Fire Station Closures

by ECT

VinceWells

Vince Wells, the President of the United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County, Local 1230, says “enough is enough” as this Tuesday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will be presented with a recommended budget that includes closing two more fire stations for Fiscal Year 2013/2014.

In our opinion, this is an unacceptable recommendation as the plan recommends the closure of one additional station on July 1, 2013 and a second station by January of 2014 according to the tentative budget which could be found here.

Here is a statement provided by Local 1230 late Sunday night.

Enough is Enough

The recommended budget for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District that will be presented to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on April 23, 2013, includes the closing of two more fire stations for FY 13/14. It recommends the closure of one additional station on July 1, 2013 and a second station by January of 2014.

The prior closure of 4 fire stations and 6 engine companies has already placed the Fire District and the communities protected by it, at great risks. Response times have increased significantly, and the ability to mitigate major or multiple incidents has been significantly impaired. Also, the workload of firefighters has increased as they go from call to call without adequate rest.

The President of the United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County, Local 1230, Vince Wells, says “enough is enough”.

“We cannot sustain any further cuts and are placing our firefighters at significant risks at the currently reduced service level. Any further cuts will be critical to the members of Local 1230 and the community we have sworn to protect. Every day the situation for the perfect storm of a major catastrophe has existed since we closed the four stations in January 2013; any further closures will be the tipping point,” said Wells.  “Our members have taken a 10% cut in pay and we used our own time and money to fund Measure Q in an effort to avoid station closures and to make up for revenue lost my the lowering of assessed value of property taxes since the housing market crash.  Our members did not create this problem and it cannot be resolved on our backs alone”.

We will not be silent on any further cuts to the firefighters who work every day to keep this community safe”.

The administration and the Board of Supervisors need to find other alternatives rather than further reductions to line personnel.

We have cooperated up to this point, but again, enough is enough!

Vince Wells
President, Local 1230
Contra Costa Professional Firefighters

Via the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Meeting Agenda  (Item D-1)

Skimming through the document, they apparently are looking to drop additional positions which results in additional station closures and reduced services. Here is a look at the prior couple of years and the recommended number of CONFIRE employees. As you can see, within a matter of 2-years, it drops from 365 down to 293.

  • 2011-2012 – 365 (Actual)
  • 2012-2013 – 311 (Budget)
  • 2013-2014 – 311 (Baseline)
  • 2013-2014 – 293 (recommended)

FIRE DISTRICT

Contra Costa County Fire District

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCCFPD), a special district within the County, continues to face significant fiscal difficulties. Those difficulties have been magnified during fiscal year 2012-13 with the defeat of Measure Q (a parcel tax measure that was designed to fund a significant portion of the District’s ongoing structural deficit) resulting in the  closure of four Fire Stations throughout the District.

The District’s baseline budget balanced by depleting operating reserves entirely and relying on a draw of approximately $570,000 from the Pension Obligation Bond Stabilization Fund, leaving the District in significant financial turmoil entering fiscal year 2014-15. To compound matters, the Contra Costa County Employee’s Retirement Association (CCCERA) recently changed policy regarding assumption rates for investments returns – reducing the assumed rate from 7.75% to 7.25% beginning in fiscal year 2014-15. The impact of this change to the District in – 28 – that year is estimated to be an increase of approximately $3.1 to $3.6 million depending on the personnel composition of the department and number of stations in service during fiscal year 2014-15. Recognizing the burden to the community of entering fiscal year 2014-15 with a significant structural deficit and no operating reserves, the Recommended Budget includes the closure of two fire stations; one effective July 1, 2013 and one effective January 1, 2014. More detailed information is included in the departmental narrative section of the budget beginning on Page B-323

http://64.166.146.155/docs/2050/BOS/20500423_269/14033_Budget%20Message%20FY%202013-14%20-%20Final.pdf

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8 comments

Nana Apr 21, 2013 - 11:58 pm

So, what are tax dollars from the poor for if only the wealthy have fire stations. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. This is vile and selfish.

B-Wood Apr 22, 2013 - 8:38 am

It looks as if Central County is in the same boat as East County. This isn’t good for accident victims, firefighters or taxpayers. Without additional revenue, there is no magic solution. I fear more stations will close.

I believe we were all misled by the anti-tax people who said this would not happen.

If people want the insurance of fire stations, we are going to have to fund them.

Steve Smith Apr 22, 2013 - 11:24 am

It may be especially bad for East County. It is virtually certain that one–and strongly possible that both–station closure(s) will occur in Antioch/Pittsburg. ECCFPD already relies heavily on help from this area, and a loss of 1/4 of the CONFIRE companies will greatly increase the risk level for everyone. The anti-tax argument that stations would not close was absurd on its face. Any further use of that argument would be an outright lie.

Barbara DuMont Apr 22, 2013 - 1:13 pm

Scarey just doesn’t describe the thought of not having ConFire’s help. The recent fire on Bethel Island is an excellent example. maybe its time for the anti-tax people to step up and present all their plans for responding to the medical calls, fires, odor investigation, public service calls (my wash machine is overflowing–yes I heard that dispatched one day), auto accidents, etc.without any additional funding. Well–now is the time to speak up, we are all waiting!

B-Wood Apr 22, 2013 - 2:46 pm

Barbara,

It is obvious that the anti-tax people have no plan that involves the delivery of emergency services. The only plan they have is to “just say no” to necessary revenue and hope that they (themselves) won’t ever need service. Sooner or later they will come to know that the odds are not in their favor.

Like any other insurance it is not a matter of “if” you will need it but “when” you will need it.

They have no plan, because there is no (better) plan.

JigsUp Apr 22, 2013 - 2:51 pm

They have no plans. Only headline-grabbing, attention-seeking talking points and an Editorial staff at the Times who drinks their kool-aid. Just speaking to the CoCoTax people you get the sense the elevator doesn’t reach the top floor.

Barbara DuMont Apr 22, 2013 - 3:28 pm

I know that they don’t have a workable plan or even any type of plan. Just thought I would give them the opening.

Jana A. Apr 23, 2013 - 4:06 pm

KPIX reported that Station #87 is one of the stations potentially on the chopping block. This leaves 66 Fire fighters to cover all of Contra Costa County, and where does East County fit in when mutual aid is needed? Alone, that’s where it leaves them.. When are we going to hold Coco Tax responsible for their mis-information? And where is Kris Hunt now?

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