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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06231998 - SD.4 RECEIVED JUN 1 9 1998 CLERK BOAgO OF SUpEgyISORS T FINAL REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE STATUS OF THE OAKLEY/KNIGHTSEN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT OAKLEY/KNIGHTSEN FIRE REVIEW COMMITTEE JUNE 1998 COMMITTEE PARTICIPANTS Oakley Municipal Advisory Council Enrico Cinquini Craig Williams Aaron Meadows(ex-officio) Knightsen Town Advisory Council Christine Jenneiahn Alvin Simas,.Jr. Seth Cockrell(ex-officio) Contra Costa Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Ray Miraglia Assistant Chief William Cullen Oakley Fire Administration Chief Joe Tovar Oakley/Knightsen Firefighters Association Paul Cutino United Professional Firefighters, Local 1230 Lou Paulson Oakley Incorporating Mike Pato At-Large Community Representatives Stephen D. Carter James Coleman David Gehling Ken Graunstadt, Jr. Willis H. Lamm William Leslie 06/18/98 Page 2 r L( INDEX Introduction Page 3 Section One The Oakley/Knightsen Community Page 6 Section Two Cost Page 10 Section Three Current and Future Revenue Sources Page 13 Section Four Funding Needs Page 16 Section Five Paid On-Call Vs. Full Time Staffing Page 22 Section Six Evaluation of options Page 32 Section Seven Conclusions Page 39 Section Eight Minority opinion Page 43 And Committee Response S-D, e_1 INTRODUCTION The Oakley Fire Protection District was first established in 1953. This District provided fire protection services to the Oakley and Knightsen communities through the use of volunteer firefighters. In December 19931 County Administrator Phil Batchelor submitted several recommendations regarding the provision of fire protection services in Contra Costa County to the Board of Supervisors. Among the recommendations contained in these documents was one which considered the possibility of consolidating each of the three existing paid on-call Fire Districts (Bethel Island, East Diablo and Oakley) into one fire district. Additionally, in response to then Supervisor Torlakson, a memo was prepared that considered the consolidation of the Oakley Fire Protection District to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District as a reserve division. There was considerable discussion on these alternatives. There was significant concern expressed by each of the East County Fire Chiefs that these recommendations raised too many unanswered questions at the time, and that the issue should be studied in more detail before any action was taken. They each indicated that this was a position that was supported by each of their respective fire advisory commissions. There were significant unanswered question's regarding funding issues, degradation of morale, and the impact of raising expectations both among the firefighters themselves and in the community for an increased level of service. After substantial discussion at the Board's public hearing, on a 3 to 2 vote, it was determined that the Oakley District would be consolidated, as a Reserve Division, into the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. Action on consolidating the Bethel Island and East Diablo Fire Protection Districts was deferred at this time., Staff was directed to prepare a resolution to be submitted to the Local Agency Formation Commission for the consolidation of the Oakley Fire District into the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. On May 10, 1994 the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 94/275 completing the proceedings for the County Fire Districts Boundary Reorganization. 06/18/98 Page 3 a Items 6(f) through 60) pertained specifically to the consolidation of the Oakley Fire Protection District. Item 6(f) stated: 94f, The Oakley Fire Protection District will become a reserve division of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, known as the Oakley Reserve Division. Fire protection services will continue to be provided by traditional paid-on-call personnel. It is the intention of the Board of Supervisors to continue the paid-on-call system unless future circumstances suggest that the system is no longer effective, in which case, the policy decision to alter or to augment the system will be made by the Board of Supervisors." Throughout 1997 the District V Supervisor was contacted by several individuals regarding the status of the Oakley Reserve Division. In response to growing concerns and questions raised by both firefighters (professional and reserve), members of the community, and the Chairs of both the Oakley Municipal and Knightsen Town Advisory Councils, Supervisor Canciamilla requested Board approval to set up a committee to study the provision of fire protection services in Oakley and Knightsen. Upon obtaining the Board's approval, recruiting for the Oakley/Knightsen Fire Protection Review Committee commenced in November of 1997. Representatives were designated by the Oakley Municipal Advisory Council, the Knightsen Town Advisory Council, the Oakley Incorporating Committee, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, the Oakley Fire — Reserve Division, United Professional Firefighters, Local 1230, the Oakley/Knightsen Firefighters Association. Six representatives were recruited from the Oakley/Knightsen communities to serve as at-large representatives. The Committee was formally established by District V Supervisor Joseph Canciamilla in December 1997, and held its first meeting on January 29, 1998. Supervisor Canciamilla attended the initial meeting and charged the Committee with reviewing fire protection service in the Oakley/Knightsen area and providing him with recommendations resulting from this review prior to the adoption of the County's Budget for Fiscal Year 1998/1999. The Committee established a timeline, with a goal of Board Orders introduced by Phil Batchelor,County Administrator,on 12/07/93 and 12/14/93. 06/18/98 Page 4 providing the District V Supervisor with a report outlining their recommendation(s) by June 1998. The following report outlines these recommendations, along with some of the data gathered and reviewed by the Committee as part of this process. 06/18/98 Page 5 SECTION ONE THE OAKLEY/KNIGHTSEN COMMUNITY A. Existing Oakley/Knightsen Community The Oakley/Knightsen community is presently a semi-rural area, with a combined population of approximately 26,8002. The majority of territory within the area known as "Oakley" consists of urban land use (primarily residential), with approximately .8,200 households3. This area saw dramatic residential growth in the period between 1985 and 1990 but has slowed substantially with only 2,700 units added in the 1990 -- 1995 period. In addition to the residential zoning in Oakley, the remaining land is designated for urban uses and zoned as commercial, heavy and light industrial, office, mixed-use, park, and public. There are approximately 168 acres designated for commercial and light industrial uses located primarily along Highway 4 (Main Street). As you transition from Oakley to Knightsen, the area becomes more rural in nature with the majority of land designated as agricultural lands. Aside from a core area known as downtown Knightsen, most of the lands within this area are outside the County's adopted Urban Limit Line and are not expected to develop for many years. Most of the residents of the Oakley/Knightsen area commute to employment centers outside the local area. There is, however, a growing employment base in the Oakley/Knightsen area due to an increase in new business start-ups. .. The estimated growth for the Oakley area is estimated to be approximately 3.9% per year over the next 10 years. Estimated growth for the Knightsen area is 2% per year over the next 10 years. The projected growth for the Knightsen area is constrained by the fact that the majority of land is outside the County's adopted Urban Limit Line, by 2 Provided May 18, 1998 via telephone conversation between Kathi Gilmore,District V staff, and Linda Moulton, Contra Costa County Demographer—Community Development. 3 Enrico Ciniquini letter of March 16, 1998. 06/18/98 Page 6 s'�• y current land use zoning, and by the lack of services in the area. No change is anticipated for any of these factors in the near future. B. Existing Fire Services There are two (2) fire stations located in the Oakley/Knightsen area, Station 93 in Oakley and Station 94 in Knightsen. Mutual aid is provided by Station 95 in Bethel Island, Station 54 in Brentwood, and Stations in Antioch. Station 93 (Oakley) has a staff of thirty-six (36) personnel including a Chief, Assistant Chief and five(5) Captains and 29 Firefighters. Station 94 (Knightsen) has sixteen (16) including an Assistant Chief, four (4) Captains and 11 Firefighters. There are currently seven (7) open positions available at Station 94. At full staffing levels, each station can provide two (2) complete crews for each dispatched call. Each station facility has the following: (a) Three (3) Type 1 (structure fire) vehicles (one being a 4-wheel drive vehicle) (b) One (1) Type 4 (grass fire) vehicle (c) One (1) Emergency Response van (d) One (1) S10 Blazer (for the Station Captain) (e) Dormitory areas (currently being used as office space, but convertible for dorm use for three (3) persons. (f) Kitchens, restrooms, and showers The area served by Oakley Station 93 has a current Insurance Service Organization (I.S.O.) rating of 3 (on a scale of 1 — 10; 1 being the best rating and 10 being the worst). Areas within 5 miles of Station 93 or 94 without a municipal water supply are rated an 8. The area served by Knightsen Station 94 has a current ISO rating of 3. Areas that are without a municipal water supply system or are more than 5 miles from a fire station have a 9 rating. This rating is established by the Insurance Service Organization which bases its determination on several criteria including water supply (40%), communications (10%) and Fire Department (50%); training and response to structural fires; types of apparatus; training and annual testing of 06/18/98 Page 7 equipment, number of fire hydrants, and response distance. The rating agency I.S.O. issue a rating that is generally used by insurance companies to set premium rates for homes and businesses (refer to the Appendix for a sample ISO rating sheet). C. Current Plans for Future Fire Protection Service/Facilities The locations of Station 93 (Oakley) and Station 94 (Knightsen) are well situated for meeting the service needs of the Oakley/Knightsen community until the year 2003. Due to projected growth demands in the subsequent five years (2003 to 2008), it has been determined that an additional fire station will have to be constructed, staffed, and outfitted with equipment and supplies. Current plans developed by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District call for the construction of two new fire stations during the 2003 to 2008 timeframe; Station 89 to be constructed at East 18th Street and Wilson in Antioch, and Station 92 at the tentative location of Live Oak and Knox Lane in Oakley. Station 89 would serve the far- eastern portion of Antioch and the westerly portion of Oakley. However, Assistant Chief William Cullen has noted that the proposed location of Station 92 is currently being evaluated to determine if there is a location better suited to meeting the needs of the Oakley area and to avoid the extreme overlap of coverage at this proposed location. One of the alternate locations being reviewed is the vicinity of the Fairview Avenue -- Lone Lone Tree Way area. This site would provide fire protection coverage in the southwest area of Oakley as well as the northwest area of Brentwood. It would also provide coverage to the western area of Knightsen. If it were determined to locate Station 92 in the alternate Lone Tree-Fairview location it would be within the Oakley planning area reflected in the County's adopted General Plan. This location would be outside, however,, the proposed boundaries reflected in Oakley Incorporating's current proposal for incorporation of a city of Oakley, as well as current boundaries for the Contra Costa County Fire District. There is currently a little over 2.3 million dollars ($2,300,000) earmarked for the Oakley area to build and equip proposed Station 92. There appears to be some 06/18/98 Page 8 question at this time as to what funding is available forthe staffing of this proposed station. Several models indicating how the stations might be staffed will be evaluated later in this report. In determining the exact locations of the two proposed stations, every attempt will be made to achieve the ideal Insurance Organization standard of having each fire station within a 1.5 mile radius of the other as well as meeting the current fire district goals established for Contra Costa County. The proposed construction of Stations 89 and 92 will provide a level of fire protection service to meet the needs of projected growth through the next twenty (20) years. 06/18/98 Page 9 SECTION TWO COST This section of the report outlines the base cost data used to estimate costs for the various models considered. A. Staffing 1. Paid On-Call Personnel: The average rate for a paid on-call firefighter is $10.50 per call. Paid-Call personnel respond to approximately 500 calls per year. These equates to an average annual salary of$5,250 for each paid on- call firefighter. 2. Full-Time Personnel Using the current financial data of the Contra Costa Fire Protection District, an average rate of $112,000 annually for each full-time firefighter was established. B. Services and Supplies Utilizing expenditure detail reports generated by the office of the Auditor- Controller and information provided by administration staff of the Contra Costa County Fire District, services and supplies were estimated based on the higher of either (a) actual cost or (b) budgeted amount. Because the major cost differential from model to model is due primarily to changes in staffing and associated payroll costs, it was assumed that services and supplies for each of the models would be consistent. The total amount budgeted for services and supplies under each model scenario is $182,120 annually (detail provided in Table 4-2). The following expenses can be projected regardless of the service model which is developed. This schedule is divided into two subsections; replacement of aged equipment of significant costs and additional capital expenses required for expansion (additional station). Figures are presented in 1998 dollars, including costs for typical 06/18/98 Page 10 ��. outfitting of equipment, including radios and warning devices, which is customary for such replacements. Replacements are based on the County's age/mileage replacement schedule and does not consider replacement deferral and/or possible savings if any of the apparatus are suitable for service life extension programs. C. E ui ment AGED APPARATUS DUE FOR REPLACEMENT (DUE IN NEXT 5 YEARS INCL. CURRENT YEAR) 1998 Unit 914, Water tender/ engine 2659000.00 1999 Unit ???, 1 ton 4x4 service truck 369000.00 2000 Unit 911, 4x4 command vehicle (Blazer) 32,000.00 Unit 919, Medic aid van 46,000.00 2001 Unit 815, command vehicle (replace w/4x4) 329000.00 Unit 913, Type-2 all wheel drive fire engine 265,000.00 2002 2003 Unit 912, 4x4 command vehicle (Blazer) 329000.00 Unit 919, Medic aid van 46,000.00 TOTAL SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT through 2003: 7547000.00 AGED APPARATUS DUE FOR REPLACEMENT (DUE IN SUCCESSIVE 5 YEARS) 2004 Unit 920, 1 ton 4x4 wildland engine 50,000.00 2005 Unit 921, 1 ton 4x4 wildland engine 50,000.00 2006 2007 2008 Unit 915, Type 1 municipal engine 350,000.00 TOTAL SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT, 2004 through 2008: 4509000.00 TOTAL SCHEDULED REPLACEMENTS OVER NEXT 10 YEARS 11204,000.00 06/18/98 Page 11 D. Facilities Current plans call for the construction of a new fire station in the Oakley/Knightsen area in five years. Following are the anticipated costs for the construction and outfitting of the new station. NEW FIRE STATION EXPENSES Construction and outfitting of station: 1,400,000.00 Type 1 municipal engine: 3509000.00 1-ton 4x4 wildland engine: 50,000.00 Medic aid van 469000.00 Misc. tools and equipment 759000.00 TOTAL NEW FIRE STATION EXPENSES: 11921,000.00 Note: (1) Station apparatus bay specifications assume that enclosed apparatus parking should be sufficient to also house the district's spare apparatus. (2) The cost of hose has not been included in the new fire station expenses, as there is currently enough hose in surplus for two new engines. (3) New fire station expenses exclude site cost and sitepreparation. 06/18/98 Page 12 SECTION THREE CURRENT AND FUTURE REVENUE SOURCES The current source of revenue for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is from the fire district tax, which is a specified portion of 1% of the property tax generated by property owners within the District's boundaries. The total amount of revenue generated for the District for the 1997/1998 . Fiscal Year is estimated at $43,69411104. The portion of this revenue generated by the Oakley/Knightsen area is estimated to be $506,000.4 The Office of the County Administrator has provided a conservative growth estimate of 3% per year. Based on that information, Table 3-1 reflects estimated revenue generated by the Oakley/Knightsen area from the present through the next fifteen years. In addition to the revenue noted above, the Oakley/Knightsen Reserve Division has a capital fund generated by developer fees. This account has a current balance of approximately $2.3 Million. This fund is used to construct new fire stations and purchase new vehicles. The existing balance in this account would allow for the construction of a new fire station, as well as the purchase of two vehicle apparatuses. Given that current projections do not show a need for the construction of a new station for at least five years, and assuming that there are no significant changes to capital revenues, there will be adequate funding for a new fire station, purchase of vehicles for the new fire station, as well as replacement of vehicles at Stations 93 and 94 from this fund. The future sources of revenues for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and the Oakley/Knightsen Reserve Division within said district will depend upon several factors. 4 Per reported dated 4/9/98 from Terry McGraw(Special Districts),Office of the County Administrator. 06/18/98 Page 13 One factor relates to how the Oakley/Knightsen fire services are organized, including the type of service model which is adopted. Such decisions will impact future funding needs for the current fire district and the needs of the Reserve Division which could possibly be structured as a separate district. Another factor is related to the economic soundness and growth of both the larger area within the overall boundaries of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, as well as the local region which includes the communities of Oakley and Knightsen. The current funding needs for the Contra Costa Fire Protection District exceed the revenues available by approximately two million dollars per year. A recent Grand Jury report investigating the district's economic condition indicated that most of the deficit is a result of administration cost over runs and overtime for full time fire fighters. As a result of this, the Board of Supervisors authorized the hiring of a consultant, Mr. Mike Davis, to conduct a fiscal analysis and independent audit of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. Newly appointed Chief Keith Richter is also reviewing the current fiscal state of the District and will be making his own recommendations. The District is using it's reserve revenue fund to make up the current deficit, which at its current rate of consumption is projected to be depleted within the next fiscal year. It also noted that two assessments which historically provided revenue to the fire district had been eliminated only adding to the deficit problems. One of these assessments was a fee collected for the old Riverview Fire Protection District serving Antioch, Pittsburg and Bay Point. This fee had a sunset date in 1993, was put to the electorate for continuance, was defeated and hence eliminated. The amount of revenue collected on an annual basis was approximately 1.4 million dollars. The other assessment was the Oakley Benefit Assessment. The revenue being collected was $13.00 per parcel, generating approximately $107,000 on an annual basis. Even after the consolidation of Oakley Fire into the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District in 1994, and the discontinuation of the Riverview assessment, this fee continued to be collected. This issue was reviewed by the District and County Counsel when 06/18/98 Page 14 Proposition 218 was passed in November 1996. It was determined that due to the fact that Oakley was now part of a larger district without an assessment, and the legal requirements required under Proposition 218 to demonstrate the benefit to a specific area, that this assessment would be discontinued. The funds collected in this account have been used to fund one Firefighter-Project position at an annual approximate cost of $80,600. The worker assigned to this position has been on worker's compensation for close to a year. The worker's annual salary will be offset somewhat by worker's compensation's recoveries. veries. It is not presently known when, or if, the employee will return to work. The future impact of this personnel situation on the Oakley/K,nightsen Reserve is unclear. Therefore, for purposes of estimating costs for the various models considered in this report, the revenue for this assessment fund and the costs associated have not been included in any of the model calculations. At the close of Fiscal Year 1997/1998 the fund balance in this account is conservatively estimated to be $2459000. Future revenues for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District generated from the current source of property taxes will not meet the future funding requirements without one, or both, of two actions taking place. Major cost cutting measures must be implemented which may have a negative impact on the level of service being provided. in addition, new sources of revenue must be developed to augment current sources in order to not only meet the current funding needs, but also address those in the future. An additional tax and or assessment would provide such a source, but would have to beput to public vote and pass by a two thirds majority, which in this day and age is very difficult to accomplish. If the Oakley/Knightsen Reserve Division operated on its own as a separate but dependent district, the revenues currently being generated would meet the current funding needs of the division as long as it operated as it currently does with paid-on-call fire fighters. Future revenues would also keep up with future funding needs because salaries of paid on-call staff do not increase at the same rate as full time staff. 06/18/98 Page 15 SECTION FOUR FUNDING NEEDS The current funding needs of the Oakley/Knightsen Reserve Division will be looked at from several different models. The cost models developed were as follows: 1 Operating with paid on-call staff only. 2) Operating with paid full-time staff only. 3) Operating with a combination of paid on-call and full-time staff. Model Assumptions In order to estimate costs for the models, various levels of staffing were assumed for each model. Costs, as well as revenues, are estimated in 1998 dollars. The budget for the Oakley/Knightsen Reserve Division is folded into the overall budget for Contra Costa County Consolidated Fire District. The County's reporting system does not provide separate budget information for Stations 93 and 94. In addition, the structure of the reporting system is such that it is difficult to track certain services and supplies (referred to as "Program budget services and supplies) attributed to the Oakley/Knightsen Reserve. Current expenditure information and estimated costs provided by Contra Costa County Fire District administration for the current fiscal year, as well as historical budget and expenditure data for the former Oakley Fire District provided the Committee with a sound basis to formulate a very conservative estimate for the cost of services and supplies. Those values are assumed to remain constant regardless of the model selected. For purposes of cost estimating, it was assumed that the capital costs of replacing existing equipment and vehicles being used at Stations 93 (Oakley) and 94 (Knightsen) will be the same regardless of which option is ultimately selected. Commencing in 1998 and projecting out over the next five (5) years, the reserve division will need to replace 06/18/98 Page 16 SDI several firefighting and rescue vehicles. The replacement cost for these vehicles (in 1998 dollars) is estimated to be $745,000. This figure includes the cost of outfitting the new vehicles with equipment such as radios and warning devices. Each of the models was reviewed with respect to current funding needs (see Table 4-2) and is described below. I. Paid On-Call Model This model assumes a total staff of 52 personnel as is currently assigned to Stations 93 and 94 (see Section 1(B)for a detailed breakdown of personnel). Payroll under this model was adjusted to account for a Reserve Division employee currently providing services, on a full time basis, which are wholly attributable to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. The funding needs of a paid on-call system, including payroll, services and supplies is estimated to be $486,902. When the new fire station is constructed in the Oakley area, additional staff for this facility will be required. If the new station was to be staffed with paid on-call firefighters, some of the new station's operating costs could be deferred by transferring twelve (12) experienced firefighters to the new station. As noted in Section 1(B) previously, Station 93 has Ca current staffing level of 36 firefighters. Six firefighters would be hired for Station 93 and six for the new station. Station 93's staffing would then be based on a roster of 30, and the new station would have a roster of 18. Thus, adding a third station utilizing this staffing model would result in an increase of operating costs related to temporary (paid on-call) personnel of only 24% (equivalent to approximately $28,650 in direct salaries). Additional personnel would be added as call volume increases dictate. 06/18/98 Page 17 From an operational standpoint, it will be necessary to assign a core group of experienced paid-on-call fire fighters to the new station so that when new personnel are added to the roster, a portion of the new group can be assigned to each of the Oakley fire stations. Such an approach maintains a healthy ratio of"experienced to rookie" personnel on responding apparatus. Additionally, the more experienced personnel are needed to mentor new recruits in order to develop skills over and above what can be accomplished through the normal training process. When all of these issues are taken into consideration, growth can take place in a logical, step-by-step manner without straining district revenues and at the same time maintaining the community's historic level of service and proficiency. 11. Full-Time Staffing Model For reasons of funding, population served and number of alarms, full-time staffing was only considered for Station 93 at this time. Payroll costs were calculated for nine (9) full-time firefighters at average rates currently experienced for the Contra Costa County Fire District, and a countywide average value approximated for relief (i.e. vacations, holiday, sick leave, etc.). The full-time staffing model (at Station 93 only) is projected to cost $1.5 million (see Table 4-1). This estimate does not include the one-time cost of approximately $20,000 to convert the existing fire station for full-time personnel. Local revenues would generate less than half of what it would cost to operate the division under a full-time staffing model, and it is not anticipated that the community would raise the additional taxes necessary to adequately fund such a scheme. Based on average established rates for firefighters within the Contra Costa County Fire District and lacking any other revenue resources, an assessment of approximately $126.00 per household annually would be required in order to accommodate this level of staffing for Oakley/Knightsen area and to make up for a projected deficit of$1,035,600. 06/18/98 Page 18 When the future fire station is constructed, if it were to be staffed by full-time personnel as well costs for permanent salaries would double. This would bring the costs for full time staffing at Station 93 as well as the new station, withp aid on-call supporting Station 94 to $2,548.533. Projected revenues of $586,515 annually would leave a deficit of$1.9 million dollars. Based on current and anticipated revenue projections, there is no affordable way for the full-time model to expand as necessary to cope with expanding service needs. It is conceivable that full-time staffing could be achieved for the Oakley/Knightsen area at a lower rate and on an accelerated schedule if full-time salaries could be negotiated at a lower rate than presently experienced within the Contra Costa County Fire District structure. However, if the Reserve Division were to remain as part of that District, the cost-to-revenue ratio of this model would effectively preclude the Oakley/Knightsen area from integrating or combining with the Bethel Island or East Diablo Fire Protection Districts, should such an affiliation be sensible and desirable in the future. Ill. Combination Full-Time/Paid On-Call Staffing The costs for this model were based on a proposal which called for a full-time crew at Station 93 which would be backed up by the existing paid on-call staff. Payroll costs were estimated employing the same rates called out in Option 1 for the paid on- call staff, and Option 2 for full-time firefighters. Annual costs for this scenario are estimated to be $1.7 Million (see Table 4-1). This estimate does not include the one-time cost of approximately $20,000 to convert the existing fire station for full-time personnel. Lacking any other resources, this model would necessitate thepassage of an assessment equal to $141 per household annually to make up a projected deficit of $1,155,307. - Under the combination staffing scenario, the construction of a new station would cause permanent salary payroll to increase from 1.0 million dollars to 2.0 million dollars. The combination staffing costs when the new station is constructed would rise to a total 06/18/98 Page 19 of $2,663,240. With the revenue projected for Fiscal Year 2002/2003, this will leave a deficit of 2.0 million dollars. The assessment values calculated to make up for the deficits for the existing facilities under Options 2 and 3 were based on Oakley/Knightsen returning to a dependent special district status, and the assessment being borne by residents of Oakley/K:nightsen only. The additionala roll costs associated with staffing g a new station under Options 2 and 3 will increase the estimated assessment values as well. The Contra Costa County Fire District has a current financial deficit in excess of $2,000,000. This value does not include the $25,000,000 cost in currently deferred capital expenditures for essential vehicle/equipment re replacement and seismic retrofit p of fire stations cited in the recent Grand Jury report. It is apparent that consideration of either Option 2, Full-Time Staffing, or option 3, Combination Staffing, at Station 93 would place the Contra Costa County Fire District further in debt than isresentl i p y being experienced. As indicated below, with a new fire station called for in fiveY ears, costs for either of these options will add a minimum of$1,000,000 to the deficit. The Committee'also looked at future fund needs for each of the same models (refer to Table 4-2). Growth over the next five years will require the construction of a new fire station regardless of the model ultimately recommended. The capital costs of the new station construction and outfitting will be consistent for each of the three scenarios at a cost of$1,921,000. Table 4-2 reflects the estimated funding needs for each of the modelsexcludin ( g capital costs which are the same for all models) based on the addition of one new fire station. 06/18/98 Page 20 i Due to the increased staffing levels associated with the construction of a new station direct payroll costs will increase as follows for each of the scenarios: Option 1 (Paid On-Call System) $ 28,650 Option 2 (Full-Time Firefighters) $1,007,000 Option 3 (Combination Staffing) $1,007,000 06/18/98 Page 21 SD- 4 TABLE 4-1 ESTIMATED COSTS OF OPERATING EXISTING FACILITIES UNDER ALL THREE MODELS Option 1 Option 2 ** Option 3 ** Paid On-Call Full-Time Combination Staffing Staffing Staffing PAYROLL Permanent Salaries 11007,400 11007,000 Fire Chief 34,116 Assistant Chief 209844 Line Officers 10,092 51046 10,092 Temporary Salaries: Paid On-Call 1190280 849000 168,000 F.I.C.A. 25,704 12,852 25,704 Worker's Compensation 13,440 219,209 237,018 SUBTOTAL-PAYROLL 2231476 19328,107 11447,814 SERVICES & Office Supplies 11200 11200 11200 SUPPLIES Books/Periodicals 240 240 240 Communications 62,000 62,000 62,000 Utilities 79200 79200 71200 Small Tools&Equipment 240 240 240 Medical Supplies 19200 11200 19200 FF(Safety)Clothing 15,000 15,000 15,000 Household Supplies 720 720 720 Memberships 600 600 600 Rents 360 360 360 Maintenance of Equipment 29400 21400 21400 Central Garage 12,000 12,000 12,000 Gas/Oil 89760 81760 81760 Tires 19680 11680 19680 Repairs/Accidents,Vandalism 600 600 600 Maint.Of Electronic Equip. 71200 71200 71200 Maintenance of Buildings 69000 6,000 6,000 Maintenance of Grounds 840 840 840 Misc. Emp.Travel Expense 600 600 600 Professional Services(*) 309000 30,000 30,000 Data Processing Services 240 240 240 Date Processing Supplies 120 120 120 Insurance 19680 11680 11680 Firefighting Supplies 149400 14,400 14,400 Education/Training(Mat'Is) 21880 29880 27880 Food(fireground) 29880 21880 2,880 Other Special Dept. Expenses 480 4t0 480 Misc. Services&Supplies 600 600 600 SUBTOTAL-SVCS&SUPPLIES 182,120 182,120 182,120 OTHER Other Misc. Charges 460 460 460 EXPENSES: Contingency Reserve 50,000 0 0 Fire Inspection Allocation 309846 30,846 30,846 SUBTOTAL-OTHER EXPENSES 819306 31,306 31,306 GRAND TOTAL-Budget 486,902 1,541,533 11661,240 Less Oakley/Knightsen Revenue 5059933 505,933 505,933 Surl:)Ius/Deficit 191,031 (19035,600) (111551307) 6118!98 P existo tions.xls Page 21-1 TABLE 4-2 ESTIMATED COSTS WITH ADDITIONAL FACILITIES UNDER ALL THREE MODELS Option 1 Option 2 ** Option 3 ** Paid On-Call Full-Time Combination Staffing Staffing Staffing PAYROLL Permanent Salaries 2,014,000 2,014,000 F=ire Chief 34,116 Assistant Chief 20,844 Line Officers 10,092 5,046 10,092 Temporary Salaries: Paid On-Call 147,930 84,000 168,000 F.I.C.A. 25,704 12,852 25,704 Worker's Compensation 13,440 219,209 2371018 SUBTOTAL-PAYROLL 252,126 21335,107 21454,814 SERVICES& Office Supplies 11200 11200 11200 SUPPLIES Books/Periodicals 240 240 240 Communications 62,000 62,000 62,000 Utilities 71200 7,200 79200 Small Tools&Equipment 240 240 240 Medical Supplies 11200 19200 1,200 FF(Safety)Clothing 15,000 15,000 15,000 Household Supplies 720 720 720 Memberships 600 600 600 Rents 360 • 360 360 Maintenance of Equipment 29400 21400 25400 Central Garage 12,000 12,000 12,000 Gas/Oil 8,760 8,760 8,760 Tires 1,680 1,680 1,680 Repairs/Accidents,Vandalism 600 600 600 Maint. Of Electronic Equip. 79200 7,200 79200 Maintenance of Buildings 69000 69000 61000 Maintenance of Grounds 840 840 840 Misc. Emp.Travel Expense 600 600 600 Professional Services(*) 30,000 30,000 30,000 Data Processing Services 240 240 240 Date Processing Supplies 120 120 120 Insurance 1,680 19680 1,680 Firefighting Supplies 14,400 14,400 149400 Education/Training(Mat'ls) 2,880 2,880 2,884 Food(fireground) 29880 2,880 21880 Other Special Dept. Expenses 480 480 480 Misc. Services&Supplies 600 600 600 SUBTOTAL-SVCS&SUPPLIES 182,120 182,120 182,120 OTHER Other Misc.Charges 460 460 460 EXPENSES: Contingency Reserve 50,000 0 0 Fire Inspection Allocation 30,846 30,846 30,846 SUBTOTAL-OTHER EXPENSES 819306 319306 31,306 GRAND TOTAL-Budget 515,552 21548,533 27668,240 Est. Oakley/Knightsen Rev.FY 2002/03 5869515 586,515 586,515 Surplus/Deficit 70,963 (1,962,018) (2,081,725) 6/18/98 futureoptions.xis Page 21-2 SECTION FIVE PAID ON-CALL VERSUS FULL TIME STAFFING The bases for these analytical comparisons include a number of key issues which are pertinent to implementing a practical, serviceable and self-sustaining emergency service model which at the same time can be adjusted and/or integrated or combined with other regional service models at some future date when it is appropriate and sensible to do so. It is not the Committee's desire to recommend any model which cannot be funded with existing and anticipated revenues, which cannot effectively service the level of requests for service, which cannot sustain itself over the forecast life of the model, and which by its design limits the practical options to integrate or combine with other agencies on a basis of true mutual benefit and improved service-to-cost for all affected residents. In addition to these more general concepts, the Committee identified the more specific issues of personnel qualifications, available staff, response times for first second and third responding pieces of equipment, hiring practices of career an paid on- call personnel and alternative methods for hiring paid on-call personnel which were to be considered as a basis of its recommendations. Three'staffing models have been analyzed using these criteria: (1) paid on-call staffing, (2) full-time staffing, and (3) combination full-time and paid on-call staffing. (1) Paid On-Call Staffing Paid on-call staffing uses qualified and certified personnel who respond to the fire station and/or emergency scene when paged to an incident. Currently both Stations 93 (Oakley) and 94 (Knightsen) utilize paid on-call staffing. These personnel are only when paid, by the call, when called to duty; hence, the term "paid on-call." 06/18/98 Page 22 4' Traditionally, paid on-call personnel are recruited from applicants who live in the community proximate to the fire stations and who have careers whose work schedules (e.g. shift workers) help maintain around-the-clock coverage for emergency calls when the paid on-call staff as a whole is viewed. This availability is important as it is desirable that at least 1/3 of the paid on-call roster must be available at any given hour. Traditional recruitment criteria also included relevant experience such as trade skills and past experiences (e.g. chemical handling, industrial fire brigade, EMS employment, past experience as a paid on-call firefighter, certification as a fire service or medical instructor) which enhanced the individuals ability to perform as a paid on-call firefighter. Personal characteristics of a desirable paid on-call personnel include a history and familiarity within the community, enthusiasm and commitment to the prospect of being a paid on-call firefighter, good reasoning skills, good morale character and a high degree of self-motivation. Those persons who demonstrated these characteristics and who also lived within a reasonably short response distance to the fire station were considered for the purposes of filling roster vacancies. Due to the significant population density, geographic and infrastructure differences between the Oakley and Knightsen communities, response time issues are presented separately in the more detailed discussions of the two fire stations presented later in this section. Traditionally, paid on-call applicants would submit their applications to the local Fire Chief and, particularly in the case of the Oakley fire station, they would reo'a--in on a waiting list for several years before being considered for filling roster vacan:ies. They would be known in the community, and known to local chief officers. Local chief officers would personally interview and investigate the most favorable candidates and make appointments based on their findings. New recruits without established fire service history and certification would be trained to Fire Fighter-I and Title 22 (EMT-D) 06/18/98 Page 23 standards by qualified instructors from within the ranks of the organization. Training for new recruits with documented current and relevant fire service history and certification would be more 'fast track" in nature, focusing on review of learned skills, demonstrating proficiency, learning local procedures and bringing required certifications up to date. All recent recruits, whether experienced or inexperienced, had to undertake and pass a physical examination which certified them as fit to perform the duties of a paid on-call firefighter. Those accepted into the Oakley/Knightsen fire service have traditionally been held in high esteem by large segments of the local 'communities; factors which ultimately become significant motivators and further the self-sustenance of the Oakley/Knightsen paid on-call model. Since the consolidation in 1994, recruitment, selection and training was taken away from the local Fire Chiefs and has been handled in Pleasant Hill. Applications on file that had been collected by the local Fire Chiefs previously were not considered by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. Recruitment standards were lowered with respect to response time to the fire station and relevant past experience. For example, the CCC Fire Protection District standard for recruitment is that selected applicants must live within a ten minute travel distance to the fire station. This standard is not workable when the stated performance standard for Stations 93 and 94 is for personnel to respond to the station, mobilize emergency apparatus and be on-scene within five minutes of the receipt of the 9-1-1 alarm. The recruit training process conducted by the Contra Costa Fire Protection District took place in Concord, and was scheduled in a manner which was not compatible with the shift work schedule, which is highly desirable for paid on-call personnel. Therefore, the persons whose professional work schedules were the most desirable to the organization were eliminated from participation. 06/18/98 Page 24 ED. The training process was also inflexible with respect to the existing qualifications of the recruits. Recruits would receive "full course" training in areas where they already met or exceeded performance standards. There was no system for challenging various training modules by providing documentation of training received and demonstrating proficiency. Such an approach is not desirable when one considers the need for relevancy in training when asking people to commit numerous hours per week of their personal time to training and preparation. With respect to Station 93, there was a large enough pool of applicants so that good quality, qualified personnel were secured to fill vacancies in the roster, although some of the applicants travel distances exceed traditional acceptable criteria. With respect to Station 94, there was an insufficient number of applicants who were able to commit the rigid "academy" schedule. The roster of personnel for Station 94 has now declined to the point that a few Station 93 personnel must "cross over" and respond to calls in Station 94's area to ensure that a second crew can be mustered. It should be noted that candidates exist in the Knightsen area in close proximity to the station who have relevant recent fire service experience, yet they are not being presently utilized. To further compound the issue, there is currently a "hiring freeze" imposed by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District for paid on-call personnel. To date, there has been no formal explanation forthcoming from that agency as to how the staffing problem at Station 94 will be resolved. While it could be argued that the historic, local section process cold use more formal definition, it remains the most practical and cost-effective means for recruiting, training, and certifying personnel as needed to fill local roster vacancies. The local Fire Chiefs have the ability to clarify ad public local recruiting, selection and training policies g 9 so that it can be established that such policies fall within industry Y and Count guidelines, and candidates can be appropriately informed as to what is expected of them and what the hiring and training process involves. Such clarification and definition would bring about better understanding of the local hiring process on the part of all parties of interest. 06/18/98 Page 25 �'its• �� The paid on-call system can be expected to effectively operate within existing and projected locally generated revenues. The paid on-call system would not preclude the development of other appropriate future staffing options a may be needed, including the implementation of scheduled standbys for paid on-call personnel, utilization of part- time personnel and incremental utilization of career personnel if affordable and if needed to maintain current service levels and ensure adequate coverage. The paid on-call system is self-sustainable as long as personnel management approaches are utilized which advance high levels of morale, self-esteem and individual involvement. Specific station related staffing issues follow. Station 93: The current staffing model at station 93 is adequate to handle the current volume of calls or service and has enough built-in reserve capacity to maintain service at the predicted rate of growth for its service area. The paid on-call system provides for proper staffing of engine companies (4 personnel per unit), which complies with ICS standards and the OSHA "Two Plus Two" rule for making access into the interior of burning structures. The paid on-call firefighters can staff multiple pieces of equipment which may be needed for"full response" alarms and complicated rescue calls. This model provides immediate back-filling during emergencies. All personnel who turn out to alarms and those who do not respond on the apparatus assigned to the incident are available at the station to respond on remaining equipment as needed or to other emergencies which may concurrently occur. If some personnel leave the district while assisting with critical patient ambulance transports, sufficient local personnel will remain to adequately handle other emergencies which may arise. 06/18/98 Page 26 Based on historic records, response times for paid on-call personnel responding from work or from home.can be expected to average slightly above a half-minute longer from receipt of alarm to actual rolling of apparatus as compared with personnel already located in the fire station. The 4response time" issue has been thoroughly investigated and reviewed by the Committee. In the case of medical emergency responses, Oakley's "Fast Response Team 13 mitigates this statistical difference. The presence of 4-person staffing on fire apparatus and the capability of sending multiple units mitigates the difference in cases of fire responses. It should be further noted that this model is the only one being considered which can effectively deal with multiple simultaneous calls without reliance on emergency resources responding long distance from adjacent communities. For "full responses" such as structure fires, four engines are dispatched to a call in order to bring 12 firefighters to the scene. Station 93 typically rolls a second engine to a call within 2 minutes of the first, and would have a third engine available within two minutes of the second engine. In reality,' Station 93 an and Antioch station typically provide the third and fourth due engines and the paid on-call personnel left behind at the station can staff the third engine for additional resource requests or other simultaneous calls. Assuming the typical response of four personnel per engine, the paid on-call stations can field a complement of 12 personnel on-scene utilizing only three engines, leaving additional resources available to service other community needs. . Station 94: Based on thepopulation served, number of incidents, and locally generated revenues, the only model being considered for Station 94 is paid on-call staffing. This station ispresently performing with less reserve capacity than considered desirable by the Committee. The cause of this capacity gap is the number of paid on-call positions which are presently funded but vacant, with no immediate plans to fill them. It is 06/18/98 Page 27 expected that if the station were properly staffed, it could meet or exceed the standards for speed of response and depth of coverage expected of a rural paid on-call station. Except for differences in response times due to longer personnel travel distances to the fire station, and longer distances from the station to territories protected, the same issue would be applicable as presented for Station 93 with one additional exception. Due to the rural setting of this fire station, it is more likely that the first responding fire apparatus from this station may roll with three, rather than four personnel; however, the balance of the response complement could be expected to meet or exceed the four person standard. 11. Full-Time Staffing For reasons of funding, population served and number of alarms, full-time staffing was only considered for Station 93. Full-time personnel do not have any residency requirement. They are hired through the Contra Costa County Human Resources Department, which schedules a written examination, physical agility test and oral interview resulting in scores which are used to establish an,eligibility list. Due to a consent decree, the County Human Resources Department may use a lottery process or "band" individuals who pass the various elements of the testing process in order to create a more ethnically diverse list of candidates. The Fire Chief and/or his designees conduct final interviews with groups of personnel who are referred to him by the County Human Resources Department. These candidates are referred for such interviews based on their ranking on the eligibility list. Career personnel are hired as firefighter trainees and attend full time academy sessions until training is complete and they demonstrate proficiency in the required areas of skill and knowledge. The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District has not established procedure to recruit experienced personnel via "lateral transfers" for either career or paid on-call positions. 06/18/98 Page 28 Full-time staffing involves three personnel being assigned to each of three 24- hour shifts. This equates to a total requirement of nine personnel to provide 24-hour, seven day per week coverage. In addition, an equivalent of a tenth person is required to cover vacations, sick leave and other assignments as the station staffing must remain constant. Work shifts typically start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 8:00 a.m. the following day. Each shift would consist of a Captain, a driver-operator and a firefighter. These personnel would remain immediately available with their fire engine of their entire duty period except during training activities, when committed to emergency scenes, and when assisting with critical victim ambulance transports to hospitals. Statistics indicate that average response times for the first apparatus out of the station would be forty seconds faster for in-station personnel as compared with paid on- call personnel. Additionally, response times should be more consistent since there are occasions when paid on-call personnel closest to the fire station are not available and initial apparatus have to be rolled by members who have to travel a greater distance. Since full-time staffing would result in faster responses to some alarms when the local crew is available, and markedly slower responses to other alarms when the local crew is committed elsewhere, it is incorrect to generalize that career, staffing by its design Ensures faster response times. It does, however, provide a more predictable pattern for establishing response time probabilities. Furthermore, a full-time crew can only field one apparatus which is staffed only by 3 personnel — one person short of the ICS standard and OSHA "Two Plus Two" rule. Once that crew is unavailable, coverage for additional alarms would have to be provided from crews assigned to other communities who would either have to respond from distant stations or would be "moved up" into the Oakley area to fill in the coverage gap. 06/18/98 Page 29 Lf To mitigate a degradation of service as compared with the current paid on-call model, off duty career personnel would have to be subject to immediate call-back to provide coverage during long term incidents and to promptly respond multiple pieces of apparatus. It is likely that such personnel would not be located so that they could respond as quickly as the closest group of paid on-call personnel. Furthermore, the cost of such coverage would be prohibitive Under the Fair Labor.Standards Act, all personnel would have to be paid at an overtime rate of $36.70 for Captains, $32.56 for driver-operators, and $29.55 for fire fighters. Furthermore, the Act speaks to issues such as stand-by pay and other benefits when full-time personnel are required to be available, during their time off. The impact to Station 94 of the conversion of Station 93 to career personnel is a nebulous issue. There could arise some personnel conflicts; however, Station 94 is sufficiently removed that one could expect it to sustain its paid on-call system provided the personnel were effectively managed. 111. Combination Full-Time/Paid On-Call Staffing For reasons of funding, population served and number of alarms, combination staffing was considered only for Station 93. The model called for the importation of a full-time crew at Station 93 which was to be backed up by the existing paid on-call crew. The premise for this proposal was that the career crew could handle most of the calls without a loss of back-up coverage since ,the paid on-call personnel would still be available to fill additional response needs. The element of staffing the station with career personnel would be identical to the full time staffing model described earlier in this section. Again, the impact to Station 94 of the conversion of Station 93 to combination staffing is likely to be minimal. There could arise some personnel conflicts; however, Station 94 is sufficiently removed that one could expect it to sustain its paid on-call system provided the personnel were effectively managed. However, based on documents and testimony received, the 06/18/98 Page 30 committee has cause to believe that the paid on-call element of this combined staffing concept will not be self-sustaining. Therefore, the anticipated service provided to the community would likely be less than suggested. This scenario would still cost an estimated $1.1 Million annually, taking us back to the same financial concerns expressed with regard to the full-time staffing model. 06/18/98 Page 31 SECTION SIX EVALUATION OF OPTIONS Based on the cost data and operational information presented in the two previous section, the Committee chose to evaluate six options for fire service delivery to the Oakley/Knightsen area. Those options are as follows: (1) Maintaining the Status Quo: Remaining with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (2) Returning Oakley/Knightsen to Dependent Special District Status (3) Creating an Independent Oakley/Knightsen Fire District (4) Detaching from the CCFPD; attaching to East Diablo (5) Detaching from the CCFPD; attached to Bethel Island (6) Formation of an Far East County Fire District In evaluating these options, the Committee focused on funding, levels of service, ability of the model to be self-sustaining, the model's ability to adjust to changing local needs and its ability to avail itself of cooperative, integrative or consolidative options with other far east county agencies; circumstances which may become mutually desirable as the region grows. The six options analyzed by the Committee appear below. A. Maintaining Status Quo: The first option to be considered involves making no political structure changes. In effect, the "Oakley Reserve Division" would remain under the administration of the Contra Costa Fire Protection District. The Committee has received evidence and testimony which lends itself to question the effectiveness and local relevance of a management system which is physically far removed from the Oakley-Knightsen area and which isprimarily focused on full time (career) fire station operations. 06/18/98 Page 32 j sem•� Failure to keep station personnel rosters filled, fill promotional paid-on-call vacancies, issue proper basic safety equipment and provide relevant paid-on-call fire fighter training have been difficult to resolve or have apparently not been resolved at all. pp Y Management of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District has submitted proposals to remove equipment and emergency apparatus from Oakley and Knightsen for purposes of"standardization," without regard for the impact that such changes would have on local services. The subordinate status of the Oakley Reserve Division requires the division to avail itself of certain Contra Costa County Fire District provided services even if those services could have been more economically provided within the Division. The only significant cost savings to Oakley-Knightsen was the absorption of the Division's pro- rata p rata share of dispatching costs by the parent organization. This "absorption" did not reduce or eliminate the dispatching costs; it merely combined Oakley/Knightsen's pro- rata share with the rest of the District's dispatching costs. At the time of the formation of this committee, the Contra Costa County Fire District had been unable to resolve conflicting issues that exist between its career and paid-on-call staff. These conflicts alone strike at the heart of the self-sustenance of the paid-on-call model and present a condition which is unacceptable. As noted previously in the report, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is presently experiencing severe financial problems. The Committee has reservations that CCFPD will not likely be able to pass a tax measure sufficient to mitigate its present financial problems. This inability to generate necessary funds would ultimately extend itself to, and impact services in, the Oakley-Knightsen area. In addition, including the currently solvent Oakley/Knightsen Reserve Division with the ,financially strapped CCFPD may also negatively impact Oakley/Knightsen's ability to progress to a higher service level in a timely manner. . O6/18/98 Page 33 B. Returning Oakley/ Knightsen to Dependent Special District Status Separating the Oakley Reserve Division from the parent organization, while p g Y keeping it under the Count umbrella would provide locally focused management of p g Y services while maintaining reasonable continuity during transition. The basic support services which maintain the district would continue to exist, but could be supplanted or Y p replaced b local options as may be practical and/or cost effective to implement. p Maintaining dependant status would make it easier for the district to constructively engage 'veland enter into mutually beneficial service enhancing and cost Y saving g 1 p ' agreements with adjacent dependent districts. If development and future demographics and service needs warrant, maintaining dependent status would ease functional integration and/or consolidation should they become mutually beneficial as the same governing board controls the various agencies which would be considered in such proposals. Conversely, the return to separate dependent district status would not p reclude the District from seekingindependent status should the community wish to do so in the future. The Oakley Reserve Division has maintained its organizational hierarchy through the consolidation period so its administrative and operations sections would not have to structurally reorganize if it separated from the parent organization. The Dependent Oakley Fire Protection District would be able to pursue local p Y financing options tions should the community wish to fund enhancements in services, regardless of whether Contra Costa County Fire District is able to do the same. Dependent status would mean that the Board of Supervisors will serve as the Oakley/Knightsen Fire Protection District's governing board. While this may provide for fess direct citizen input (local control) than desired since local citizens elect only one of the five members of the Board of Supervisors, it is anticipated (and a recommendation of this Committee) that the former Oakley/Knightsen Fire Advisory Board be re- 06/18/98 Page 34 • 41 established if dependent special district status is restored. This will provide the local community with a public forum at which their concerns can be addressed. In addition, some of the control and service issues expressed by the citizenry could be addressed through a formal citizen review and evaluation process of the District every five years utilizing a forum similar to this Committee and constructively engaging an active Fire Advisory Commission which would be appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The intent of this option would be to return the Oakley Fire Protection District to its status which existed prior to consolidation, within its original boundaries. It should be noted for the record that in adopting the traditional boundaries of the district, some territory at the east end of the district will be returned to the Bethel Island Fire Protection District. C. Creating an Independent Oakley/ Knightsen Fire District The operational arguments for an independent district are basically the same as presented for the dependent district. The single greatest advantage of an independent district over a dependent district is that the independent district is managed by a locally elected governing board. Such elective representation maximizes citizen accountability, a principle often referred to as "local control." Independent districts may not qualify for all of the County support services which are provided to dependent districts. These services would have to be self provided or contracted for through other agencies or private contractors and include a host of items including, but not limited to, auditing, purchasing, payroll processing, and legal services. Depending on the type of district and amount of support services which it could provide for itself or contract for at more favorable rates than the County, an independent district could cost marginally more or less than a dependent district. 06/18/98 Page 35 Without the advantage of extensive in-depth detailed analyses, the Committee assumes that the operating costs of an independent district will be slightly higher than that of a dependent district and this assumption is based in part of the experiences of other independent districts. D. Detaching from Contra Costa County Fire District; Attaching to East Diablo Fire District At this time, detaching from the Contra Costa County Fire District and attaching to the East Diablo Fire District is not considered to be a viable option. The East Diablo Fire District does not maintain staffing standards equal to Contra Costa County Fire District nor the Oakley/Knightsen Reserve Division. East Diablo staffs stations with only two personnel. The Committee does not endorse an plan where agencies Y p g s would merge who cannot fund Oakley-Knightsen's current level of service, which the Committee views as a reasonable benchmark. Payroll rates for their full-timep ersonnel are significantly less than those for full-time firefighters in the Contra Costa County Fire District. However, the same career versus paid-on-call personnel conflicts are likely to extend themselves into the Oakley and Knightsen stations if a merge were to takep lace at this time. The Committee has determined that there are several funding and operational issues which must be addressed thoroughly before a merging of the g g Oakley/K:nightsen Reserve with the East Diablo District would be feasible. The fact that the Committee has determined that this is not a desirable option at this time does not of preclude consideration of this option in the future. In fact, it is the recommendation of this Committee that this option, as well as (E) and (F) below continued to be studied as a means of addressing the future delivery of fire services in Far East County. Y E. Detaching from Contra Costa Fire District; Attaching to Bethel Island Fire District For many of the reasons indicated in (D) above, this option is not considered to be viable at this time. 06/18/98 Page 36 Although the Knightsen area of the former Oakley Fire Protection District will have slow or restricted growth due to the location of some of the land outside the County's adopted Urban Limit Line, there is a portion of the Hotchkiss Tract which is within the Urban Limit Line, and for which some development projects have been approved by the County. One such development is the Cypress Lakes Project, which was approved for 1300 homes. One of the conditions of approval attached to this Project was a requirement for the construction of a fire station irT the vicinity of Bethel -Island Road and East Cypress. This project has currently lost its funding; however, there are other projects also approved for this area. When this area does begin to develop, there will be a need for a fire station in the area. It may be more appropriate at the time development begins to occur to discuss cooperatively with the Bethel Island Fire District plans for providing service to this area. As stated in (D) above, the fact that the Committee has determined that this is not a desirable option at this time does not preclude consideration of this option in the future. In fact, it is the recommendation of this Committee that this option, as well as (D) and (F) below continued to be studied as a means of addressing the future delivery of fire services in Far East County. F. Formation of an Independent Far East County Fire District Formation of a larger district is not a desirable option until each component of the potential district is operationally and financially self-sufficient and can contribute to the greater good of the region. The Committee has reviewed evidence and taken testimony which leads it to conclude that a number of this county's serious fire service problems have been the result of combining insolvent agencies with those which were more solvent in hopes that the portions which were better off could carry the load. The end product of this strategy has been little more than apostponement of dealing with financial and operational realities which have now spread throughout the entire combined organization. 06/18/98 Page 37 The tax rates in the far east county which are apportioned for fire services are too low and -too disparate for speculative merging of districts in hopes of forestalling a local problem in one community by combining it with another. The formation of an independent East County Fire District is not in and of itself a flawed concept; however, the potential participating agencies have sufficient fiscal and operational differences at this time that such an option cannot be considered viable. Again, this is the type of issue which should be re-evaluated at future five year review period. 06/18/98 Page 38 SECTION SEVEN CONCLUSIONS The Committee recognizes that the Oakley/Knightsen area has grown substantially in the last decade, and will continue to experience growth over the next decade. The Committee also acknowledges that as the area grows, the system of fire service deliveryto the area will require thoughtful review and study in order to make the q g changes necessary to accommodate that growth. It is a stated goal of the Committee to provide the recommendation of a model which will allow for the most efficient, cost effective fire service to the community. The Committee has reviewed substantial historical documentation related to the consolidation of the Oakley/Knightsen Fire Protection District into the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District that took place in 1994. However, the consensus of the Committee is that this consolidation was done without the benefit of adequate study. In addition, testimony and documentation has been provided to the Committee indicating objections registered by the Oakley/Knightsen Fire. Advisory Commission and the Oakley Municipal Advisory Council, as well as several Oakley Union School District Board Members and other members of the general public, to any change in the provision of fire service to Oakley and Knightsen without benefit of further review and study. While the consolidation did not achieve any substantial change or enhancement of fire service delivery to the Oakley/Knightsen area, it has resulted in a degradation of morale of paid on-call firefighters, many of whom are long-time and well respected residents of the community. Additionally, the Committee found that there was no economic benefit derived from the consolidation. Based on its review of the models presented in this report, the Committee has determined that the only practical service model which can be offered within the confines of locally generated revenues and which can be expected to maintain the current level of service, affordably cope with increasing service demands, be self- sustaining and flexible enough to change as the needs of the community and region dictate is; the paid on-call model. 06/18/98 Page 39 The other models studied fail on the basis of cost. If such models were to be implemented at this time, it would require the passage of substantial assessment fees to the local community. In addition to cost, other factors were considered as well. The full-time only model falls below historical standards of staffing of engines and emergency scenes (as provided by paid on-call firefighters) and brings with it the issues of "incident vacuum" when there would be no local coverage during emergency incidents nor availability of additional emergency resources as needed " except from long distances from surrounding communities. If cost were not an issue, the combination model might be considered except that it is a model which is not likely to be self-sustaining, and on that basis Would not be appropriate to recommend. The issue of local control is an important factor to consider when evaluating each of the models presented. There is strong support for local control and for decision- making at the community level. This is evidenced by the presence of both the Oakley and Knightsen Municipal Advisory Councils, as well as the current efforts of the Oakley Incorporating Committee. The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Fire Advisory Commission is comprised of seven individuals; one seat representing each of the five Supervisorial districts, and two at-large positions. Presently, a resident of Antioch is serving in the District V position, and a resident of Knightsen is serving in one of the two at-large positions. Given the huge disparity in population for the Cities of Antioch and Pittsburg as compared to Oakley and Knightsen, it is highly unlikely that a resident of either Oakley or Knightsen would be appointed to the District V position. And there is no guarantee, given the competing interest of Bay Point as the other unincorporated area in this district, that the at-large seat will be held by either an Oakley and Knightsen resident. Were that the case, the communities of Oakley and Knightsen could find themselves without any real representation at all. That representation is further diluted 06/18/98 Page 40 t 57Do by the fact that the Oakley/Knightsen area comprises such a small percentage of the overall Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. On the basis of their study, the Oakley/Knightsen Fire Review Committee recommends as follows: (1) That the Oakley/Knightsen Reserve Division be detached from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. (2} That the Oakley/Knightsen Fire Protection District be re-established as a Dependent Special District, and restored to the original (pre-consolidation) boundaries. (3) That the former Oakley/Knightsen Fire Advisory Commission be re- established. (4) That the portion of the Hotchkiss Tract area which was transferred from the Bethel Island Fire Protection District to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District as a part of the 1994 consolidation be detached from the District and returned to the Bethel Island Fire Protection District. (�>} That a local Citizens Task Force be established to conduct periodic reviews (no later than five years after reorganization) of fire service delivery, in conjunction with the Oakley/Knightsen Fire Advisory Commission, and to make recommendations with respect to future service. The Committee subscribes to the principle that the local fire service agencies in Far East; County avail themselves of each other, coordinate their efforts and cooperate in such a manner as to achieve maximum benefit for all the residents in the region. Toward this end, it is recommended that the newly separated Oakley Reserve Division should engage, to the fullest extent possible, in enhanced automatic aid agreements, sharing of programs, personnel and resources in areas of mutual benefit wherever appropriate, and contract with each other for low-cost, locally provided services. Such activities should include, but not be limited to, increasing automatic aid commitments with adjacent agencies, sharing, providing joint support for and/or contracting for training services and resources, developing a sub-regional disaster 06/18/98 Page 41 SD. y response program, and participating collectively in support service programs. It is intended that such activities be orchestrated on a basis of mutual benefit, with each participating agency contributing in-kind or contributing financial support for services received. 06/18/98 Page 42 SOD. SECTION EIGHT MINORITY OPINION AND COMMITTEE RESPONSE Minority opinion The position of the minority of the Oakley Knightsen Fire Protection review Committee is to maintain the status quo. To quote from Resolution 94199 Section 2.f: "it is the intention of the Board of Supervisors to continue the paid-on-call system unless future circumstances suggest that the system is no longer effective, in which case, the policy decision to alter or augment the system will be made by the Board of supervisors." It is our intention to outline below some areas that support sustaining this Board Resolution and maintaining the status quo. Binet The advantages for Oakley Knightsen Reserve Division to stay part of contra Costa County Fire District (CCCFD) are many. In the area of Budget, separating from CCCFD would create another level of government with its associated costs. The primary advantage of remaining a part of the contra costa county Fire District (CCCFD) is the benefit of being able to utilize resources of the larger District. To quote from the March 31,1993 letter from Assemblyman Tom Torlakson which he send to the Board of supervisors and this Committee on why Oakley Knightsen became part of CCCFD, he wrote: "it was clear to me that in the long run the contra Costa County Fire Protection District would have more resources to deal with the expansion of fire services both in geographic expansion as well as for increased Staffing, graining needs and other administrative services.$$ Some of the costs can be defined others will not be able to be predicted. Some of the increased costs will be in the area of dispatching and apparatus maintenance and repair. Both of those areas are provided at no cost to the Reserve Division since it is part of the larger District. The cost of property tax collection is another area that the ►6/18/98 Page 43 separate District would have to budget for as it is currently figured for the entire CCC Fire District. The ability to purchase supplies, maintenance items and the benefits of group purchasing would also be lost. It may be possible for the separate Oakley Knightsen to continue in the Contra Costa Fire purchasing program. However it is not clear who would be the functional coordinator for that program, and any increased costs that might be incurred administratively. Administrative If Oakley Knightsen becomes a separate Fire District, it is not clear who will manage and administrate the District. Although the proposal identifies a part time Fire Chief and 2 part time Asst. Chiefs, it does not address who will handle some of the issues listed below. Under a separate District the County would also charge for administrative costs including the use of County Counsel, the Special District Analyst, Risk Management, and other departments. Since the Board of Supervisors consolidation resolution some areas of the Reserve Division have changed. As an example the Oakley Knightsen Firefighters Association has gained recognition as a bargaining unit under the Board of Supervisors. Because the Association will be able to negotiate, grieve and have issue with anything that falls under wages, hours and working conditions this creates more areas of administrative detail. It is not clear who in the new Oakley Knightsen Fire District from management will deal with these issues and all of them will require support from County Human Resources Department. The cost of that support is not defined or known at this time. All of those services are currently provided in CCCFD. There have been general discussions concerning expansion of EMS services in the community and the possibility of Advance Life Support. Any increased levels of EMS service will require specific overhead administration and probable quality improvement programs. As a separate dependent District there are no provisions designed or developed to provide consistent administrative controls for EMS programs. EMS administrative controls are currently provided by the EMS coordinator in CCCFD. 06/18/98 Page 44 Prior to the merger the Oakley Knightsen Fire District had a full time (40 hour) person whose salary was paid by a Benefit Assessment. The rational for having a full time person was to increase service and to have someone to help with day to day operations. That individual is off on Workman's Compensation and the Benefit Assessment has been eliminated by Proposition 218. As a separate District there was a need to have a full time person at Station 93. There is no recommendation to reestablish that full time person for Oakley under the new separate Fire District proposal. This is an incremental reduction in service. Ageneral list of some Administrative Costs that have not be explored in the proposal are: Equipment servicing and testing (Ladders, pumps, SCBA's), Insurance, Clerical and Accounting, and Payroll. Training / Recruitment Currently all recruitment and training is coordinated through the CCCFD. This has limited the ability to be flexible in hiring the paid on call personnel. However CCCFD, has the ability with its Affirmative Action Program to provide systematic outreach to the community to recruit and select candidates that reflect the ethnic and gender make up of the community. The Training Division of CCCFD currently maintains and monitors the over 400 training hours that are required by all Firefighters or paid on call to maintain the ISO rating and State and Federal regulations. Three full-time employees and there staff currently administer the Training programs within the Contra Costa County Fire District (CCCFD). Under a separate dependent district the administration of a comprehensive training program is not addressed either functionally, as in who will administer the program(s), or financially, as in the cost to administer program(s), or participate in outside Training organizations or events. Response Time Prior to Consolidation the Reserve Division responded independently from CCCFD. While there was automatic aid provided, there was a clear division in 06/18/98 Page 45 response. Today when Station 93 is dispatched an engine from Antioch is dispatched as a backup and responds unless Station 93 has a 3 person crew and responds within a certain time. This system ensures that resources are moving towards the affected community. In some cases the backup engine has arrived prior to Station 93 personnel. While this is not the norm it does point to the advantages of having a backup system. A study done by a Committee member in November 97 showed an obvious variation of response times based on time of day and if other functions were occurring at the station at the time of the alarm t Example: Drill night). This also, we believe validates the need to remain in CCCFD in order to continue the current backup response system. As a separate District that backup provision would be eliminated. Additionally staff positions and command and control functions on large-scale emergencies are not defined under the separate Oakley Knightsen District. Currently the Fire Chief, Assistant Chiefs, Battalion Chiefs and Training staff of Contra Costa Fire provides those overhead Command and Control functions. Planning Making the Oakley Knightsen Reserve Division a separate dependent Division under the Board of Supervisors does not consider the long term planning issues for the area. The extension of transportation routes into the community will affect the communities emergency services needs. The planning of Station 89 that will respond both to Antioch and into Oakley would now become unclear, and it might actually delay its implementation. Questions arise of who would develop the long-term solutions for the new district. Planning issues and concerns need to be addressed currently as plans are developed for the next 20 years for Oakley Knightsen area. It is not identified in the committee's recommendations who will conduct this planning function. summary The purpose of the Committee was to: "Review current fire service levels provided to the Oakley and Knightsen, as well as making recommendations for long term service." We believe that the Committee recommendation does not do this. 06/18/98 Page 46 'a+4r+/ The Committee has been a good process for all of the various groups to voice their opinions and take issue about what has happened concerning Fire Protection. It has pointed out various shortcomings and concerns. we believe with this knowledge, coupled with the new Fire Chief, and changes in the Fire District administration, that all of the issues that have been raised can be addressed. with the administrative changes in Contra Costa Fire we now have the ability for all of us to focus towards a long-term beneficial solution. We believe that the Committee recommendations may be advantageous to certain factions within the community, however the Committee's recommendation does not improve service for the communities of Oakley and Knightsen. Additionally the Committee's recommendation is in conflict with the advisory vote in November of 1993 by the people of Oakley concerning Fire Protection. That Measure (Measure J) asked: "Should existing separate fire districts in Contra Costa County be consolidated to the greatest extent possible into one fire district in order to pursue cost savings and/or improve efficiencies? The votes in Oakley responded by saying "Yes to Measure J and passing it by 63.8 percent. The result of the recommendation is a creation of another governmental agency at an increased cost, with no additional benefit to the community. Committee Response to Minority Opinion The Committee does not dispute the intent of the Board stated in Resolution 94/90. However, one of the driving forces behind the formation of this Committee was the fact that the conditions of this Board Carder, as stated and adopted by the Board of Supervisors, were not being sustained. No determination had ever been made by the Board of supervisors that the paid on-call system in place at the time of consolidation was ineffective, and yet changes were being planned for and implemented at Stations . 93 and 94. 96/18/98 Page 47 F Bud et "Advantages for Oakley/Knightsen Reserve Division to stay part of Contra Costa County Fire District (CCCFD) are many. In the area of Budget, separating from CCCFD would create another level of government with its associated costs." The Committee does not agree that advantages for the Oakley/Knightsen Reserve Division staying with CCCFD are many. During the course of the review conducted advantages have not been stated or supported to the satisfaction of the Committee. Current expenditures, as well as cost and revenue projects provided in the body of the report substantiate the return to a dependent special district, which will have the flexibility to meet the future needs of the community, while remaining fiscally solvent. The statement that returning to dependent, special district status would create another level of government is not accurate. We are recommending that the Oakley Fire District be restored to its previous status. The statement also fails to recognize that this particular level of government would allow the community more direct representation and the ability to control it's own future. The minority opinion attempts to imply that "another level of government with its associated costs" will result in increased costs. This implication is not supported by any findings of the Committee. Rather, the deficit situation of the CCCFD is well documented, and the ability of the Oakley/Knightsen Reserve Division to operate within the bounds of its revenue sources has been documented as well. Having already existed as a dependent, special district costs for return to that status can be very well defined. All significant costs have been defined .and estimated. The Committee's analysis included review of current costs as well as historical costs when the organization existed as a separate district. Historic figures brought forward were generously adjusted to account for inflation and other impacts which would result in predictable increases. Overhead costs have been reviewed and considered. The minority opinion also attempts to make the general statement that as costs are currently being provided under the auspices of the CCCFD, they are being provided 06/18/98 Page 48 at no cost to the Reserve Division. This is a wholly inaccurate statement; while the actual costs are buried within the confines of the overall budget, they area nevertheless actual expenditures experienced. The minority opinion cites as examples the cost of dispatching and the cost of property tax collection. In fact, these costs would be the same regardless of whether the Reserve Division remains with CCCFD, or returns to dependent, special district status. The County utilizes a formula to calculate the cost for property tax collection. The cost of dispatch remains the same regardless of which model is- selected. As explained in the text of the report, these costs have been assumed to be of equal value for all model estimates. The Committee has confirmed that Oakley/Knightsen, as a dependent special district, can participate in all of the various County, State and Federal bulk purchasing contracts. The requirement to use a "middle man" (CCCFPD's purchasing division) to obtain materials and supplies will be eliminated, a reduction of cost. Additionally, certain costs such as apparatus repair, were Lower prior to consolidation. As a separate district, Oakley will have the opportunity to "shop" for the best value for services, and the ability to maximize the spending efficiency of taxpayer dollars. With regard to the quote from the March 31, 1998 letter from Assemblyman Tom Torlakson: "It was clear to me that in the long run the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District would have more resources to deal with the expansion of fire services both in geographic expansion as well as for increased staffing, training needs and other administrative services." While the quote itself is accurate, it is taken out of context. In the March 31, 1998 document, the sentence directly preceding the quote above states "Given the choice of inclusion in either the new Contra Costa expanded -ire district or the East Diablo Fire District, the Commission chose the expanded Contra Costa fire district." In other words, the Oakley Fire District was not given the option of remaining a separate, dependent district. It is also clear at this point in time, given the huge deficit currently being experienced by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, that Assemblymember Torlakson's assessment has now proven to be hugely inaccurate. 06/18/98 Page 49 There are several other inaccuracies contained in the March 31, 1998 memo. Assemblymember Torlakson indicates that this move reflected what OMAC members, Oakley commissioners and Oakley firefighters "expressed to me to be their preferences". This statement is a truncation of the preferences expressed by the communities of Oakley and Knightsen. The preference was to remain a dependent special district at that point in time. This is evidenced by a petition signed by every member of the Oakley Municipal Advisory council, two members of the Oakley Union School Board, two Oakley Fire Commissioners and numerous other member of the public. This petition was submitted to then-supervisor Torlakson on December 14, 1993 with a request that no change be made in the status of the Oakley Fire District. Administration The committee's proposal is not a new concept. It simply recommends that the Oakley District be restored to its former status, and that its former administrative structure (which was both cost effective and relevant to community needs) be re- established. Again, utilizing both current costs and historic data, administrative costs have been adequately provided for in the model comparisons. Prior to consolidation, the Oakley Fire Protection District had two firefighters' associations which were recognized by the local administration. As employees of Contra Costa County, members of these associations had a right to representation. Subsequent to the consolidation, in response to the changes proposed by CCCFD administration for the Reserve Division, and areas of conflict between the paid on-call and career firefighters, these associations united and requested formal recognition. It is important to note that a major factor in the request for formal recognition was the actions taken by CCCFD administration subsequent to the consolidation. The unification of these two former associations into one actually simplifies employee management, as it is likely that any differences between the Oakley and Knightsen areas would be resolved prior to presenting issues to Management. The fact that the paid on-call firefighters have organized and gained formal recognition is a factor that would exist whether they remain with CCCFD or return to their former status. Any cost differential involved in dealing with this newly recognized 06118198 Page 50 association as part of CCCFD or a dependent special district is considered to be minimal. The Advanced Life Support program operated under the auspices of the Contra Costa County Fire District is suffering severe financial problems. Personnel, in whom the District has collectively spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in training have been informed that the program is out of money and the completion of their training is not longer planned by the District. The Oakley organization is self-sustaining with respect to EMT-B level skills. The EMS coordinator in CCCFD is not the only individual qualified to provide administrative controls. These controls can also be provided for through the County's Health Services Department. There are several, existing dependent districts who avail themselves of such services. It is also noted that the Bethel Island Fire Protection District, a dependent district, runs a very successful pilot Paramedic program. The full-time employee whose salary was paid by the Oakley benefit assessment is, as stated in the Minority Opinion, currently on Workman's Compensation, and has been for nearly a year. As stated in the body of the report, there is currently no information as to when, or if, this individual will return to this position. It should also be noted that Oakley Fire administration did not feel the creation of this position was necessary, and that the assessment funds could be better utilized. In the absence of this project employee, the balance of the paid on-call personnel have been able to .maintain the required local support of the fire station, its equipment and related needs. Although the benefit assessment is no longer being collected (as fully explained in the body of the report), there is an estimated fund balance of$245,000 at the close of Fiscal Year 1997/1998. The Committee has requested that the County Administrator's Office review the project employee's current status in an effort to determine what the status of his situation is and what impact it will have on the remaining revenue in the Oakley Assessment Account. The Committee did not make a recommendation that this position be re- established as there is not enough information available to make that determination. 06/18/98 Page 51 Additionally, the Committee feels that any action regarding this position should be determined by the restored Oakley Fire administration and advisory commission. Additionally, it is the opinion of the Committee that under the requirements of Proposition 218, it is much more likely that an Oakley Benefit Assessment could be re- instated as a dependent special district than as part of a larger district in a significant deficit status. It should also be made clear that the "incremental reduction of service" referred to in the Minority Opinion occurred while Oakley was under the administration of CCCFD, and this reduction has not been addressed by CCCFD. As stated above, the costs referred to in Paragraph 4 under the Budget portion of the minority report have been included in the budget line items. Training/Recruitment Historic and current data clearly indicate that the former Oakley Fire District had greater success in recruitment. The minority opinion itself states the inflexibility of the CCCFD in hiring paid on-call personnel. The mention of the benefit of the "systematic outreach" of CCCFD's Affirmative Action program is a smokescreen, and has not resulted in "the recruitment and selection of candidates that reflect the ethnic and gender make-up of the local community. " The success of the former Oakley district to recruit personnel is evidenced by the waiting list of applicants applying to serve as paid on-call firefighters in the Oakley/Knightsen area, a list that is well documented and reflects substantially the diversity of the community. The newly separated district will be self-sustaining. Oakley/Knightsen personnel are currently used to train both reserve and career firefighters who work in the larger district. The Committee sees no significant increase in costs;- rather an increase in efficiency and relevance through locally based recruitment and training. Response Time A preponderance of the first arrival of Antioch engines to Oakley calls were found to be anomalies, caused by such events as gross errors in the Communications Center, os/18/98 Page 52 i and a few instances where the Antioch engines were already in the area. The remaining instances are statistically insignificant. The separate district would still function under the Incident Command System, and involve itself with allied agencies and participate in regional Incident Command Teams. Thus, there would be no loss in command and control capabilities, and those in command would have personal knowledge of the district, its hazards, personnel and equipment. Plannin The Committee has reviewed not only current options for the Oakle /Kni htsen Y g community, but at future service as well. The Committee's first responsibility is to preserve a vibrant, motivated and competent force of emergency responders in sufficient quantities to meet present and future needs and to do so within the funds which are available to it. The Committee has addressed the long term planning issues and has outlined and overall strategy for maintaining available local organization while at the same time maintaining its involvement in current and future regional issues. Summer The Committee believes it fulfilled its duty of providing recommendations on fire service delivery to the Oakley/Knightsen area which will provide the most effective model at the most efficient cost. The minority opinion faults the Committee for not making specific recommendations with regard to the detailed operations of a separate dependent district. 'The Committee has recommended that the Oakley/Knigbtsen Reserve Division be restored to its dependent, special district status. The Committee has additionally recommended the restoral of the former Oakley Fire Advisory Commission, as well as the establishment of a Citizens Task Force to work with the District on long-range g planning issues. It is not within the purview of the Committee to dictate to the newly restored administration or advisory commission the exact details of their daily operation. The Committee is mindful of the fact that the Oakley Fire District existed prior to 06118/98 Page 53 consolidation and was fully capable operating a successful district. A new district is not being created; a district which has the benefit of a vast amount of experience is simply being restored to its prior status. With regard to Measure "J", which Oakley votes supported by 63.8%, it is obvious that every responsible taxpayer would advocate a system that could potentially provide cost savings and improve efficiencies. The Oakley Fire District has been a part of Contra Costa County Fire District since 1994. Neither efficiencies nor cost savings have been demonstrated since that time. 06/18/98 Page 54