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Special Projects Committee
Part 3
III. FIRE DEPARTMENT UNIFICATION BACKGROUND
The focus of this investigation is unification of the Hollister Fire Department, the California Department of Forestry, the Fire Departments in San Juan Bautista and Aromas, and the San Benito County Fire Department. The largest city in the county, Hollister, currently has one fire station located at 110 5th Street. The California Forestry and Fire Protection Department (CDF) has the Hollister Air Attack Base located at 2300 San Felipe Road, which operates mainly during the fire season. During the off-season period the CDF services are “on call” for assistance. The investigation was begun during the 1998-1999 Grand Jury and has continued through the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 Grand Juries. The concerns of fire protection for the County as a whole, staffing levels, the number of fire stations and the funding levels were investigated. The objective has been to determine if a unification of the Hollister Fire Department, the CDF and outlying units in San Juan Bautista and Aromas was feasible and could aid in the coverage of protection and in meeting the minimum response time requirements of San Benito County. At this time there is an informal but mutual state of assistance between the various Fire Stations.
METHOD OF REVIEW
Study of previous Grand Jury reports
Interviews:
The Chief Administrative Officer
The Deputy Administrative Officer
Hollister City Manager |
OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS
An interview was held with the Hollister City Manager on October 4, 2000 to discuss any progress made in the unification of the fire protection districts throughout the County that was begun three years earlier.
Several points of interest were made regarding service requirements for Hollister’s situation. Currently it is costing $250.00 per household per year to operate the fire department. The annual budget is approximately $2,000,000. There are several areas of the city that do not fall within the “5 minute” response time limit which is a widely accepted goal throughout the State. Some locations are closer to ten minutes. Funds are available to build and equip a new second station, and a potential site has been identified. The City Manager feels it would be difficult to hire additional staff due to the current housing market. He is satisfied with the staffing level for the current station at the present time. The City Manager believes that when construction of a new fire station is begun, it could become operational in less than two years. The City has held discussions regarding additional third and fourth stations over the next twenty years.
The County does not consider unification a high priority at this time and therefore is not interested in assisting with the funding. The County Board of Supervisors shows no interest in entering into a joint agreement with the City regarding the unification of the fire districts.
Hazardous Materials incidents are also a responsibility of the Fire Department. Due to regulatory restrictions, according to the City Manager, the city currently contracts this service to an outside agency. The City Manager also points out that the ability to perform basic containment procedures is in place and will remain so in the future.
CONCLUSIONS
It appears that the affected agencies and governing bodies are having difficulty in addressing this issue as a matter of importance. Although all parties are aware that a unification of fire services would certainly benefit the County, urban and rural citizens alike, there does seem to be an inability to come to a progressive solution. Funding is a major factor in preventing the factions from coming together. The Grand Jury believes that the continued expansive growth within the County should warrant a proactive approach to future fire protection, and the many obvious benefits it would bring.
RECOMMENDATIONS
| 1. |
The Grand Jury recommends that efforts continue to bring together the entities involved in a cooperative manner. |
| 2. |
Fire protection from sources other than the Fire Department should also be evaluated (e.g. fire sprinkler systems). |
AFFECTED AGENCIES
Hollister Fire Department
San Benito County Fire Department
California Department of Forestry
San Juan Bautista Fire Department
Aromas Fire Department
RESPONSE REQUIRED
California Penal Code s/s 933 requires that a response to this final
report's recommendations be delivered to the presiding judge within 90
days of the receipt of the report.
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