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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04242012 - FPD SD.5RECOMMENDATION(S): 1. ACCEPT report on the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Battalion 7 Contingency Plan, and; 2. ADOPT Contingency Option No. 3 as presented in the Battalion 7 Contingency Plan. FISCAL IMPACT: The recommended option under the Contingency Plan is intended to be cost neutral. BACKGROUND: In West County, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCCFPD) partners with the City of Pinole and the Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District to operate Battalion 7. In the past, each entity provided two suppression units and a chief officer to cover one shift. Additionally, we rely on automatic aid with Richmond and El Cerrito to supplement our resources due to their proximity in the region. Under the automatic aid agreement, the closest resource (unit) APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 04/24/2012 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, Director Mary N. Piepho, Director Karen Mitchoff, Director Federal D. Glover, Director ABSENT:Gayle B. Uilkema, Director Contact: Fire Chief Daryl L. Louder, 925-941-3500 I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: April 24, 2012 David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: June McHuen, Deputy cc: SD. 5 To:Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors From:Daryl L. Louder, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Date:April 24, 2012 Contra Costa County Subject:Battalion 7 Contingency Plan and Service Delivery Options BACKGROUND: (CONT'D) from any of the three participating agencies responds to an incident. The City of Pinole closed Fire Station 74 on July 1, 2011, and Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District has announced they will close one station on a rotating basis beginning May 2nd. This will reduce the capacity of our Battalion 7 resources by 33%. This will have an operational impact of longer response times and less capacity for serious or multiple incidents. Longer response times and fewer resources equate to a greater safety risk for our personnel. Additionally, there is a fiscal impact to the District as well. In order to replace those resources, our District would have to rely more heavily on automatic aid from the City of Richmond. Unfortunately, we have to pay a per incident fee for any responses above the number of responses that we provide to them. The District has explored a number of options to minimize the adverse impact of station closures by our Battalion 7 partners. These include: • Option #1: Operations would remain status quo and CCCFPD would continue to provide two resources to the automatic aid system. This is twice as many resources for the system as our Battalion 7 partners. • Option #2: Reduce our automatic aid agreement to reflect “like resources.” CCCFPD would provide one unit under the automatic aid agreement with our partners and additional units would be provided through mutual aid if they are available. This will result in extended response times as the mutual aid requests are processed. Additionally, CCCFPD would no longer respond to very low priority service calls or provide routine area coverage if the Pinole or Rodeo-Hercules units are committed. • Option #3: Reduce our automatic aid agreement to reflect “like resources” for lower risk incidents, i.e., emergency medical responses, vehicle accidents, and fire alarms. However, CCCFPD would provide both units (if available) under the automatic aid agreement for incidents where our personnel have to enter an immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) environment. This approach will help to ensure the safety of our personnel by providing additional resources in a timely manner. o If a subsequent incident occurs within the CCCFPD area, it is likely that a Richmond Fire unit will be dispatched to handle the emergency. This will generate a charge of $447 to CCCFPD for the response. Under this concept, that charge would be passed through to the jurisdiction where the incident occurred (Pinole or Rodeo-Hercules), so there is no adverse fiscal impact to CCCFPD for participating in the automatic aid agreement. The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District staff recommends that the Board of Directors select Option #3. This option ensures that there is equitable distribution of resources between all participating agencies within Battalion 7. Additionally, this option provides a greater level of safety when CCCFPD personnel are operating in IDLH conditions. CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION: The appropriate operational adjustments will not be made. CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: Not Applicable CLERK'S ADDENDUM Speakers: Vince Wells, Local 1230. ACCEPTED report on the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Battalion 7 Contingency Plan; ADOPTED Contingency Option No. 3 as presented in the Battalion 7 Contingency Plan with Option No. 2 as secondary alternative if there is no success in obtaining agreement with this plan from Pinole and Rodeo-Hercules; DIRECTED that if Option 2 is to be implemented, that dialogue include Firefighters’ Local 1230. ATTACHMENTS Batt 7 Contingency Plan & Svc Options Battalion-7 Contingency Plan In West County, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCCFPD) partners with the City of Pinole and the Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District to operate Battalion-7. In the past, each entity provided two suppression units and a chief officer to cover one shift. Additionally, we rely on automatic aid with Richmond and El Cerrito to supplement our resources due to their proximity in the region. Under the automatic aid agreement, the closest resource (unit) from any of the three participating agencies responds to an incident. The City of Pinole closed Fire Station-74 on July 1, 2011, and Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District has announced they will close one station on a rotating basis beginning May 2nd. This will reduce the capacity of our Battalion-7 resources by 33%. This will have an operational impact of longer response times and less capacity for serious or multiple incidents. Longer response times and fewer resources equate to a greater safety risk for our personnel. Additionally, there is a fiscal impact to the District as well. In order to replace those resources, our District would have to rely more heavily on automatic aid from the City of Richmond. Unfortunately, we have to pay a per incident fee for any responses above the number of responses that we provide to them. The District has explored a number of options to minimize the adverse impact of station closures by our Battalion-7 partners. These include:  Option #1: Operations would remain status quo and CCCFPD would continue to provide two resources to the automatic aid system. This is twice as many resources for the system as our Battalion-7 partners.  Option #2: Reduce our automatic aid agreement to reflect “like resources.” CCCFPD would provide one unit under the automatic aid agreement with our partners and additional units would be provided through mutual aid if they are available. This will result in extended response times as the mutual aid requests are processed. Additionally, CCCFPD would no longer respond to very low priority service calls or provide routine area coverage if the Pinole or Rodeo-Hercules units are committed.  Option #3: Reduce our automatic aid agreement to reflect “like resources” for lower risk incidents; i.e., emergency medical responses, vehicle accidents, and fire alarms. However, CCCFPD would provide both units (if available) under the automatic aid agreement for incidents where our personnel have to enter an immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) environment. This approach will help to ensure the safety of our personnel by providing additional resources in a timely manner. o If a subsequent incident occurs within the CCCFPD area, more than likely a Richmond Fire unit will be dispatched to handle the emergency. This will generate a charge of $447 to CCCFPD for the response. Under this concept, that charge would be passed through to the jurisdiction where the incident occurred (Pinole or Rodeo-Hercules) so there is no adverse fiscal impact to CCCFPD for participating in the automatic aid agreement. Battalion – 7 Contingency Plan Page Two The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District staff recommends that the Board of Directors select Option #3. This option ensures that there is equitable distribution of resources between all participating agencies within Battalion-7. Additionally, this option provides a greater level of safety when CCCFPD personnel are operating in IDLH conditions.