Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06162015 - FPD D.4RECOMMENDATION(S): ACCEPT a report from the Assistant Fire Chief providing a status summary for ongoing Fire District activities and initiatives. FISCAL IMPACT: No fiscal impact. BACKGROUND: At the request of the Contra Costa County Fire Board of Directors, the Fire Chief is providing a report on the status and progress of the various District initiatives. CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION: The report will not be accepted by the Board of Directors. CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: No impact. APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 06/16/2015 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, Director Candace Andersen, Director Mary N. Piepho, Director Karen Mitchoff, Director ABSENT:Federal D. Glover, Director Contact: Jeff Carman, (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: June 16, 2015 David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: June McHuen, Deputy cc: D.4 To:Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors From:Jeff Carman, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Date:June 16, 2015 Contra Costa County Subject:Fire Chief's Report ATTACHMENTS Fire Chief's Report - June 2015 2010 Geary Road, Pleasant Hill, C A 94523-4619 ● (925) 941-3300 ● www.cccfpd.org Contra Costa County Fire Protection District June 16, 2015 TO: Board of Directors FROM: Jeff Carman, Fire Chief RE: Fire Chief’s Report ____________________________________________________________________________ On May 1, Squad 70 was staffed in the City of San Pablo. Squad 70, like Squad 1 in Walnut Creek and Squad 6 in Concord, is staffed by an Engineer and a Firefighter with one of those being a paramedic. Squad 70 is funded by the City of San Pablo through revenue from a sales tax measure passed in 2014. Modifications to the fire station will need to be made to accommodate the two additional personnel . To date the City has approved $400,000 towards making those improvements. On May 8, Academy 48 graduated and the 10 personnel were assigned to work as an extra firefighter on in-service companies to gain experience in real-life situations. On June 1, they were assigned to fire companies to fill existing vacancies. They are a much-needed addition ahead of vacation season and what may be a very difficult fire season. On May 20, the District celebrated National EMS week. This is a time where EMS responders are recognized for their work in saving lives and preventing serious injury. The District held barbeques for the on-duty responders in West, Central, and East County, allowing responders to enjoy the event District-wide. AMR ambulance sponsored the barbeque and fire managers did the cooking. Both fire and ambulance personnel were treated to a barbeque chicken lunch; Coun ty EMS personnel also attended. The District promoted two fire captains and a battalion chief in the month of May. I want to congratulate Captain Dan Colbath, Captain Brian DaValle and Battalion Chief Jim Huntze. All three of these personnel are highly mo tivated with skills and experience that make them a great fit for their new jobs. The District held its first entry-level firefighter and firefighter-paramedic recruitment in several years. The District received approximately 2,000 applications, however only 780 firefighters took the written test. Interviews will be held in early July and we are planning to begin Academy 49 in early January. Board of Directors June 16, 2015 Page 2 The District established a recruitment list for filling the newly added Fire Inspector I positions. These positions are in a non-safety Fire Inspector classification and allow the District to expand fire prevention services. There are currently six positions to be filled and interviews are scheduled for mid-June. On May 21, after almost a year of work, the District submitted its proposal for the Countywide emergency ambulance transport contract. The proposal is a joint proposal with AMR ambulance. The proposal is very innovative; bringing fire and ambulance service under a single provider. The process is being watched by many fire agencies across the United States as a model for the future. The District’s proposal was the only submission. Presentations on the proposal occur red on June 5 and award of the bid should be announced before the end of June. The District continues to work with its neighboring fire districts, East Contra Costa Fire and Rodeo-Hercules Fire, to determine if there is any advantage to contracting and/or consolidating with either district in an effort to resolve their financial issues. The District is providing as much aid as possible to both districts while watching closely to assure the service to our District doesn’t decline. While the temperatures have been cooler and humid, it is important that our residents know this doesn’t eliminate the fire danger. The fuels are dry, and fog and light rain do not change that. While the humid air may slow the speed of a fire once it has started, it doesn’t eliminate the danger. The upcoming fire season is going to be difficult for fire agencies across the State. Coupled with the fact that many fire agencies in our County continue to be forced to reduce staffing, this could be a devastating year for us. Please be safe! The District is in the planning process for the 4th of July holiday and we plan to open and staff our District Operations Center (DOC) like we did last year, as well as staff extra resources directly and with our cooperating agencies to handle the increased fire incidents that occur every 4th of July. Although all forms of fireworks are illegal in Contra Costa County the proliferation of illegal firework use causes dozens of fires throughout our District well into the midnight hours.