HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11172015 - D.6RECOMMENDATION(S):
CONSIDER accepting Task Force report on fire and medical services in East Contra Costa County, endorsing the
following Task Force recommendations, and determining the County's participation in their implementation:
Endorse a 2016 ballot initiative to fund the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD). The task
force recommends that an exploratory team be assembled to evaluate a 2016 ballot initiative to fund ECCFPD
and if appropriate, launch the campaign. Subject matter experts will be engaged to assist the task force in
evaluating the effort and timing necessary for an attempt to obtain the needed funding for the ECCFPD.
1.
Use Best Practices to Develop an Unconstrained Model for Fire and Medical Services (Master Plan District
services for the future). The task force recommends the engagement of consulting services for the development
of a financial and operational plan that would identify how fire and medical services should be delivered in the
existing ECCFPD with assumptions of population growth for the next 25 to 30 years. The task force further
recommends that subject matter experts from staff be included in this discussion.
2.
Fourth Fire Station. ADOPT Resolution No. 2015/424 and Appropriations and Revenue Adjustment No. 5018
to allocate $311,617 to fund for 18 months, in partnership with the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District
(District) and the Cities of Oakley and Brentwood, a fourth fire station (staffing of three personnel per shift) to
provide temporary improvement of fire and medical responses in the District, and to affirm the County's
commitment to work with member agencies to find long-term solutions to service needs.
3.
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 11/17/2015 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:See Addendum
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V
Supervisor
NO:Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Contact: Julie Enea, Senior Deputy County
Administrator (925) 335-1077
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: November 17, 2015
David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of
Supervisors
By: June McHuen, Deputy
cc:
D. 6
To:Board of Supervisors
From:Supervisor Mary N. Piepho and Supervisor Karen Mitchoff
Date:November 17, 2015
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TASK FORCE ON FIRE AND MEDICAL SERVICES IN
EAST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
RECOMMENDATION(S): (CONT'D)
>
FISCAL IMPACT:
The recommendation would require 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.
BACKGROUND:
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.
Following the April 2015 election in which property owners rejected an additional fire assessment to maintain the
five-station model, East County leaders, in June, formed a task force to discuss how fire and medical services can
be enhanced from the current three stations in operation. The Task Force, composed of representatives from
Brentwood and Oakley city management, ECCFPD and Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
management, the County District III and District IV Supervisors' offices, and IAFF Local 1230 leadership, looked
at both short-term relief and long-term solutions. The attached report transmits the Task Force's findings and
recommendations.
In particular, the Task Force is requesting in Recommendation No. 3 a financial contribution from each of the four
stakeholder agencies (cities of Brentwood and Oakley, Contra Costa County and the ECCFPD) to re-open the
fourth station for an 18-month period beginning January 1, 2016 to provide temporary improvement of fire and
medical responses in the District, and time for officials to plan for a permanent solution to serve the residents of
the the District. The contribution requested of each agency is based on the proportionate ratio of service calls in
each jurisdiction. ECCFPD's contribution is expected to be funded by combination of District property tax growth
and Oakley community facilities district funds.
In addition to the Task Force study, attached hereto are also a Resolution and budgetary adjustment that can be
adopted by the Board should the Board decide to implement Recommendation No. 3.
CLERK'S ADDENDUM
Speakers: Vince Wells, President Firefighters Local 1230; Jeff Carman,Fire Chief, Contra Costa Fire
Protection District; Erick Stonebarger, Brentwood City Council; Stephen Smith, ECC Fire Protection
District; BobMankin. ACCEPTED the Task Force report on fire and medical services in East Contra Costa
County; ADOPTED Task Force Recommendations 1-3, Resolution No. 2015/424 and Appropriations and
Revenue Adjustment No. 5018, to allocate $311,617 in County revenue to help finance, for 18 months and
in partnership with East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) and the Cities of Oakley and
Brentwood, the opening/re-opening and operation of a fourth fire station to serve ECCFPD residents;
NOTED that the County funding allocation is short-term and one-time-only; APPROVED allocation of
$311,617 to ECCFPD conditioned on the ECCFPD Board of Directors taking action on the following
matters: (1) initiate action to change the existing Board of Directors from an appointed Board to an
elected Board, including application to the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo), if legally
required; ; (2) initiate action to form a citizen’s oversight committee for any revenue enhancement measure
that is sought, including residents and taxpayers within the District; (3) initiate action to evaluate changing
the District’s name to one that more accurately reflects the communities that it serves; and(4) approve the
recommendation of District Fire Chief Henderson to use the temporary fund allocation to re-open and
operate the fire station in Knightsen.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution No. 2015/424
Task Force Report - Fire and Medical Services in East County
Ltr from Director Young re Financial Review of Task Force Recommendation
Appropriations/Revenue Adjustment 5018_ECCFPD Subsidy for 4th Station
Powerpoint Presentation_Task Force Report - Fire and Medical Services in East County
Fire and Medical Services Task Force
Report to Elected Officials
October 21, 2015
Task Force Members:
Hugh Henderson, ECCFPD Fire Chief
Brian Helmick, ECCFPD Battalion Chief
Jeff Carman, ConFire Fire Chief
Vince Wells, President Local 1230
Gil Guerrero, Vice President Local 1230
Bob May, Board Representative Local 1230
Tomi Riley, Chief of Staff for Supervisor Piepho
Krystal Hinojosa, Chief of Staff for Supervisor Mitchoff
Bryan Montgomery, Oakley City Manager
Gus Vina, Brentwood City Manager
Fire and Medical Services Task Force: Operating Principles
The Fire and Medical Services Task Force:
Recognizes that given the most recent reduction in fire and medical services in East
Contra Costa County due to public rejection of the fire assessment initiative, there are
added risks to public safety; and
That there is a need to find long-term, sustainable financial and operational solutions
that will provide appropriate fire and medical levels of service in East Contra Costa
County; and
That public safety is a top priority for East Contra Costa County; therefore, the Task
Force and its members are charged with identifying long-term as well as short-term,
Page 1
temporary mitigation measures that will reduce public safety risks to the extent
possible, by:
1. Identifying an “unconstrained” model for levels of service for 250 square miles of
fire and medical response;
2. Examining long-term solutions;
3. Considering, discussing, and understanding data related to fire and medical services
(i.e. response times, staffing, station location, etc.);
4. Identifying temporary mitigation measures to reduce public safety risks;
5. Developing a funding plan to fund and implement such mitigation measures;
6. Accomplishing task force recommendations by August 2015.
BACKGROUND:
In the spring of 2014 the District started working on the fire benefit assessment to
maintain the five fire station model which was being supported by the FEMA Safer
grant.
In September 2014, fire station 54 downtown Brentwood was closed due to lack of
personnel leaving with the Safer grant expiring in November 2014.
April 27, 2015, the property owners voted not to assess themselves for additional fire
revenue and maintain the five station model.
May 11 2015, the district closed down the Knightsen fire station and started the current
three station model.
The District covers 249 square miles and a population of over 110,000. In 2014 the District
responded to over 6300 calls for service with 78% medicals, 10% fires and 12% public service
calls. The critical need for the District is to have enough resources to respond to a structure fire
without the use of auto aid and/or mutual aid. NFPA 1710 recommends 16 firefighters on scene
of a working structure fire within 10 minutes. This would require that the District have a
minimum of five engines on duty plus a Battalion Chief. The District has historically struggled
meeting this standard both with personnel and time and distance between stations.
SUMMARY FINDINGS:
1. The ECCFPD has on-going, structural financial deficiencies to the extent that it is unable
to provide adequate fire suppression and medical response services to the communities
in the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District.
2. Long-term, sustainable financial and operational solutions should be considered in order
to provide adequate fire suppression and medical response services to the East Contra
Costa Fire Protection District communities. A long-term solution needs to be identified
Page 2
to address the financial deficiencies that exist and will continue to exist, and a
heightened awareness is emerging now of the District’s predicament that may not be
sustained over time.
3. Due to the reduction in services and the increase in public safety risks, immediate and
temporary short-term mitigation measures should be considered.
4. Due to the clear and present risks related to fire station closures, the short-term
mitigation measures need to directly address fire suppression services.
5. Financial support for any temporary, short-term mitigation measures should be
considered by all of the affected stakeholders (i.e. ECCFPD, County of Contra Costa, City
of Oakley, and City of Brentwood), and care should be taken that any short-term
measure does not adversely affect any long-term solution.
6. A grass roots community based group should be formed to help communicate fire and
medical response information to the citizens and business interests.
7. Consulting services should be considered to both evaluate long-term solutions, short-
term recommended mitigation measures, as well as to design the ultimate
unconstrained model for fire and medical services.
8. Extreme efforts should be made through public outreach to make sure the public
understands that the short-term mitigation measures are temporary and do not resolve
the financial nor operational deficiencies facing ECCFPD. Furthermore, it needs to be
understood that these measures do not bring the ECCFPD to within, or even close to,
national standards for fire suppression activities.
SPECIFIC TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS:
RECOMMENDATION 1: Consider a 2016 ballot initiative to fund ECCFPD
The task force recommends that an exploratory team be assembled to evaluate a 2016 ballot
initiative to fund ECCFPD and if appropriate, launch the campaign. Subject matter experts will
be engaged to assist the task force in evaluating the effort and timing necessary for an attempt
to obtain the needed funding for the ECCFPD.
RECOMMENDATION 2: Use Best Practices to develop an Unconstrained Model for Fire and
Medical Services (Master Plan District services for the future)
The task force recommends the engagement of consulting services for the development of a
financial and operational plan that would identify how fire and medical services should be
delivered in the existing ECCFPD with assumptions of population growth for the next 25 to 30
years. The task force further recommends that subject matter experts from staff be included in
this discussion.
Page 3
RECOMMENDATION 3: A fourth fire station (staffing of three personnel per shift) should be
added to provide temporary improvement of fire and medical responses in the “district.”
Costs: $1.4 M (Full Year costs)
Operational Impacts: Adding a fourth fire station would increase the daily staffing of firefighters
on duty from 9 to 12, which would assist in decreasing workload of the current personnel on
duty and reduce some of the burden of relying on auto aid responses. The District at a
minimum would still require one auto aid engine for any structure response trying to meet the
goal of getting 16 firefighters on scene of a working structure fire within 10 minutes.
Outcomes: 25% increase in daily staffing; reduction on auto aid system; increased
firefighter/community safety; reduction of having all resources deployed at the same time; and
an improvement in overall response times throughout the District.
Fiscal Impact: Total annual costs are $1.4 million; however, the first year costs are $788,000
with an estimated implementation of January 2016. Costs were allocated based on calls for
service within the district (Attachment A). It is recommended that the Fire Chief continue
efforts to increase revenue sources to the district to help offset impacts to stakeholders.
Minority Report(s)
There were no minority reports submitted by task force members and the vote was unanimous
on submitting the task force recommendations to the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District
Board, the City of Oakley City Council, the City of Brentwood City Council, and the Contra Costa
County Board of Supervisors.
Attachments
Attachment A: Cost Allocations
Attachment B: Fire Assessment Results
Attachment C: Resolution
Page 4
Funding Matrix
As of September 25, 2015
Adding a 4th Station
1st Year 2nd Year Total
ECCFPD $399,352 $474,626 $873,978
Brentwood $190,485 $475,515 $666,000
Oakley $109,315 $272,887 $382,202
County $89,127 $222,490 $311,617
Totals $788,279 $1,445,518 $2,233,797
Funding Assumptions:
a. Funding is for five positions (four are already existing).
b. Cost allocation for cities and county is based on calls for service.
c. Model uses $600,000 CFD Oakley to cover Oakley costs of $382,202, $116,352 year one and $101,446 year two for ECCFPD.
d. ECCFPD year one funding includes $283,000 of the property value increases in FY15/16 and $116,352 CFD Oakley.
e. ECCFPD year two funding includes $283,000 property value increases in FY15/16, $102,000 CFD Oakley; $90,000 AV in FY16/17.
ATTACHMENT A
Page 5
Board of Directors Meeting
July 6, 2015
ATTACHMENT B
Page 6
Returned
Ballots
27%
Ballots Not
Returned
73%
* For purposes of this presentation, each parcel is
assigned one ballot, and vice versa. When single
ballots were submitted for multiple parcels, each
parcel has been counted separately. Page 7
Brentwood
52% Oakley
22%
Discovery
Bay
17%
Bethel
Island
4%
Byron
3%
Knightsen
1%
Marsh
Creek
1%
Page 8
Yes
47% No
53%
*Results in this presentation reflect the raw number of parcels
with ballots cast, not the weighted value of these ballots. Blank
ballots (e.g., those returned without a mark in support or
opposition) have been removed from this analysis. Page 9
Yes
54%
No
46%
Page 10
Yes
41%
No
59%
Page 11
Yes
40%
No
60%
Page 12
Yes
33%
No
67%
Page 13
Yes
38%
No
62%
Page 14
Yes
24%
No
76%
Page 15
Yes
71%
No
29%
Page 16
Board of Directors Meeting
July 6, 2015 Page 17
November 17, 2015
Fire and Medical Services Task
Force Recommendations
Discovery Bay
Oct. 28, 2015 Brentwood
July 24, 2015
Byron
August 3, 2015
Discovery Bay
September 3, 2015
Hugh Henderson, ECCFPD Fire Chief
Brian Helmick, ECCFPD Battalion Chief
Jeff Carman, ConFire Fire Chief
Vince Wells, President Local 1230
Gil Guerrero, Vice President Local 1230
Bob May, Board Representative Local 1230
Tomi Riley, Chief of Staff for Supervisor Peipho
Krystal Hinojosa, Chief of Staff for Supervisor Mitchoff
Bryan Montgomery, Oakley City Manager
Gus Vina, Brentwood City Manager
November 2:ECCFPD - Completed
November 10: Oakley/Brentwood - Completed
November 17: Contra Costa County
December 7:ECCFPD
1.Structural financial deficiencies
2.Long-term and sustainable solution needed
3.Public safety risks unacceptable
4.Focus on fire suppression services
5.All stakeholders are affected
6.Grass roots communication effort
7.Master Planning for the future
8.TEMPORARY short-term mitigation
1. Consider a 2016 ballot initiative
2. Master Plan the ECCFPD
3. Open a fourth station
1st Year 2nd Year Total
ECCFPD $399,352 $474,626 $873,978
Brentwood $190,485 $475,515 $666,000
Oakley $109,315 $272,887 $382,202
County $89,127 $222,490 $311,617
Totals $788,279 $1,445,518 $2,233,797
Approval of Resolutions
◦Funding
◦Implement Recommendations
Memorandum of Understanding
◦Memorialize two year funding
◦Commitment to work together
Board of Supervisors approval of Resolution to
implement recommendations
Task Force members comments?
Questions/Answers
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY EXECUTIVE FIRE CHIEFS
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.
1500 Bollinger Canyon Road San Ramon, CA 94583
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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 sub itted,
Paige Meyer, Fire Chief
Chair, Contra Costa County Executive Fire Chiefs
cc: CCC Executive Fire Chiefs' members
1500 Bollinger Canyon Road San Ramon, CA 94583
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