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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 07212015 - FPD D.3RECOMMENDATION(S): ACCEPT a report from the 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. CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: No impact. APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 07/21/2015 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, Fire Chief (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: July 21, 2015 David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: June McHuen, Deputy cc: D.3 To:Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors From:Jeff Carman, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Date:July 21, 2015 Contra Costa County Subject:Fire Chief's Report ATTACHMENTS Fire Chief's Report - July 2015       2010 Geary Road, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523-4619 ● (925) 941-3300 ● www.cccfpd.org Contra Costa County Fire Protection District       July 21, 2015 TO: Board of Directors FROM: Jeff Carman, Fire Chief RE: Fire Chief’s Report ____________________________________________________________________________  Today, July 21st, marks the District’s annual line of duty death observance. This observance honors the fallen firefighters who are commemorated on the memorial wall at the District’s Training Division at 2945 Treat Boulevard in Concord. July 21st was chosen in recognition of the tragic loss of Fire Captain Matthew Burton and Fire Engineer Scott Desmond at the Michele Drive fire that occurred on July 21, 2007, in the City of San Pablo.  Effective July 1, the District promoted two captains and fourteen fire engineers. I want to congratulate Prevention Captain Lisa Martinez, Fire Captain Augusto “Paolo” Braganza, and Engineers Dylan Bruce, Frank Buccellato, Mike Cahill, Ryan Cramer, Ron Geraghty, Manny Harris, Sean Nugent, Rafael Ochoa, Jeff Ornellas, Steve Sawyer, Jake Valdez, Nick Vandenberg, Taylor Weltz, and Mike Yoshizaki. All of these personnel are highly motivated 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 and written examination in several years. District interviews are scheduled to begin the week of July 27th. Approximately 200 candidates have been invited to the initial interview. We are planning to begin Academy 49 in early January 2016.  An eligible list was recently promulgated to fill positions in the newly established classification of Fire Inspector I. Fire Inspector I was established as a general (non- safety) classification. The new positions will allow the District to expand engineering and code enforcement services in the fire prevention bureau. Interviews have been conducted and several candidates were selected to proceed in the background phase.  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. Board of Directors July 21, 2015 Page 2     After being de-staffed in July 2012, Engine 6 in Concord is back in service through the summer months. Engine 6 is a fully functional three-person company that responds from a fire engine platform. It will temporarily replace Squad 6, which is a two-person squad that primarily responds to EMS calls. The staffing of Engine 6 will provide some much needed relief during the height of the fire season. The current plan is to staff the engine through the end of September.  As a reminder, persistent drought conditions have resulted in bone-dry timber and vegetation. A simple spark from the use of outdoor machinery (lawn mowers, weed trimmers, power tools, tractors, etc.) could result in a catastrophic fire. Vigilance is critical. Clearance areas are particularly vital for residents living near forest vegetation.  At the last meeting of the Fire Board of Directors, the Board authorized the purchase of two (2) much needed Type III Model 34 wildland fire engines for emergency response. The apparatus used for fighting wildland fires is specialized and requires a configuration and specifications not common to the typical municipal fire department pumper. As you may recall the District was able to use specifications developed by Cal Fire and purchase these units as part of the Department of General Services California Multiple Award Schedule. I am pleased to report that the apparatus have already been delivered. After completing run through inspections, the units will be placed into operation. They will offset the recent reduction in the District’s Type III engine fleet and increase wildland firefighting capacity during what is anticipated to be a very busy fire season.  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 District’s proposal was the only submission. Presentations on the proposal have been conducted and award of the bid should be announced in the near future.