Fire Districts Association of California

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Fire Districts Association of California

• Fire District Trends and Issues
• Certificate of Achievement Program
• Module 4

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Issues Facing Fire Districts

• What Are They?

List the Top 10 Issues Facing Fire Protection
Districts in California.
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Mikes Top 10

1. Firefighter Safety
2. Changing public expectations
3. Increasing service demands/standards of cover
4. Funding and Prop 13
5. Mergers consolidation

• Generational changes and workforce expectations
• Personnel, relationships, egos
• Politics, elections and ethics
• Technology and equipment
• Transition from volunteer to career

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1. Firefighter Safety

• Health and wellness
• Experience of the workforce
• Training
• Lessons learned
• Variety of operations
• Organizational impact of serious firefighter
  injury or death

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2. Public Expectations

• Bigger, better, faster
• Write a check mentality
• Somebody else to figure out whats needed when I
  call 911 (until we ask for )
• Bedroom community residents
• All things to all people

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3. Increasing Service Demands

• Evolving services
• Fire protection Structural, wildland and all
  other
• Emergency medical services ALS, BLS, Transport
• Haz Mat Terrorism, regulation
• Rescue Auto extrication, technical rescue
• Non emergency services/Non traditional
• Flu, bio hazard
• Fire protection planning, prevention

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4. Funding and Prop 13

• Formulas locked by law
• Some unable to keep up with demand
• Inequities between public agencies

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Fiduciary Responsibility

• Audits and GASB 34
• Requires depreciation of assets
• Management discussion in financials
• Format
• Inventory and fixed assets accountability

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Board Oversight

• Pass a budget
• Staff spending authority based on budget
• Staff authority not to exceed 50,000 (or less
  based on district policy)
• Approve bills at board meeting (pre and post
  approvals)
• Routine review of bills and statements

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Financial Planning

• Revenue and expenditure projections
• Estimate tax/revenue growth using trends
• Determine acceptable reserves based on budget
  levels
• Ratio of revenues to expenditures
• Salaries and benefits
• Services and supplies
• Capital expenditures
• Debt payments

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Capital Expenditure Planning

• Equipment replacement schedule
• Disposal of surplus assets
• Facility additions/replacements
• Fire Stations
• Training Facilities
• Administration
• Maintenance

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Sample Equipment Replacement
ID Kind Type Manuf. Model Model Year Miles Assignment Reserve Replace
E 1 Engine 1 Pierce Pierce Saber 1996 61897 Sta. 1Type 1 Lead 2004/2005 2016/2017
E 2 Engine 1 FMC/Van Pelt FMC/Van Pelt Hahn 1986 82569 Sta. 1 Reserve Current 2004/2005
E 3 Engine 2 E One Ford Ford 1988 101583 est Sta. 3 Type 2 Lead   2005/2006
E 4 Engine 1 Pierce Saber Saber 2000 40670 Sta. 2 Type 1 Lead 2009/2010 2019/2020
E 5 Engine 3 KME International International 1991 31226 Sta. 3 Type 3 Lead 2006/2007 2011/2012
WT 1 Water Tender 1 Pierce International International 2002 4492 Sta. 3, Specialty NA 2017/2018
U 1 4X4 Pickup NA GMC Pickup Pickup 1995 50694 Station 2 Utility NA 2010/2011
U 2 Haz Mat 1 Paoletti GMC GMC 1990 6357 Station 1 Specialty NA 2010/2011
T 1 Truck 2 Van Pelt Duplex Duplex 1980 15544 Station 1 Truck NA Not Rec.
C 1 4x4 NA Chevrolet Tahoe Tahoe 1999 43415 Chief 1 NA 2009/2010
C 2 4X4 NA Ford Expedition Expedition 2000 19288 Chief 2 NA 2010/2011
C 3 4X4 NA Chevrolet Tahoe Tahoe 2002 19331 Chief 3 NA 2012/2013
BC 1 4X4 NA Chevrolet Pickup Pickup 1998 63544 Battalion Chief 1 NA 2008/2009
P 1 Sedan NA Ford 'Crown Vic 'Crown Vic 1991 69000 Prevention 1 NA 2006/2007
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Fiscal Controls

• Audits
• Inventory spot inspection
• Report reconciliation District and County
• Identification of vulnerable areas
• Open reporting of wrong doing

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Alternative Revenues

• Benefit Assessments
• Fees
• Special Tax
• 2/3 voter approval
• Grants
• FIRE Act
• Homeland Security
• Office of Traffic Safety
• No Magic Bullet

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Workers Compensation Costs

• Little legislative relief for public safety
• Impact of 9/11/2001
• Difficult to project
• Importance of safety and risk management

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Impact of Retirement Costs

• Defined benefits vs. Defined contributions
• Trends in benefit levels
• Lack of rate stability for Districts
• Overall cost

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Health Benefit Costs

• Substantial increases in recent years
• Benefit levels
• Trends
• FDAC EBA health care program

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• BREAK

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5. Mergers/Consolidation

• The million dollar question is
• How will consolidation be beneficial to the
  citizens of the District?
• Or
• Why are we doing this?

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Considerations

• Governance
• Staff organization
• Labor
• Finance
• Facilities and equipment

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Process Options

• Consultant report
• Committee
• Top Down implementation

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Must be able to articulate pros and cons.
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Consolidation Risks

• Loss of Local Control
• Subsidy from one agency to another
• Fear of
• Lost board positions
• Change
• Loss of pay/benefits (or Y rating)
• Loss of organizational history
• May not be as close to local community

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Consolidation Risks

• Time invested and it doesnt come together
• Potential for damaged relationships/hard feelings

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Consolidation Potential Benefits

• Seamless operations
• Consistent level of service throughout
  consolidated district
• Reduced/streamlined administration (divert to
  line functions)

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Consolidation Potential Benefits

• Consistent equipment standards
• Hiring standards/process streamlined
• Consistent training standards
• Depth of resources increased
• Reserve equipment

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Consolidation Potential Benefits

• Specialty resources/programs widely available
• Cost avoidance apparatus, staff, stations,
  administration
• Deeper awareness of each agencys capabilities
  through study/cooperation

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Influencing factors

• FINANCE
• Labor unions
• Political will
• Geographic limitations
• Contiguous boundaries
• Cost/ability to align labor agreements
• Staff retirements and timing

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Influencing Factors

• Culture and values of each organization
• LAFCO
• Outside political pressure
• Dispatch services
• Requires strong leadership

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Once Formed

• Ownership issues
• Disparate views from old regimes
• Finances
• Time to find new organizational identity
• Work to develop processes/documents
• Alignment of policies, procedures, labor
  agreements

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Governance Options

• Consolidated fire protection district
• Joint powers authority
• Contract for service (CDF Contract)

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Situations that shout Watch Out

• Widely disparate
• Finances
• Operations
• Labor agreements
• Levels of service

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Situations that shout Watch Out

• Lack of support from
• Governing bodies
• Chiefs (administrative staff)
• Labor unions
• Volunteers
• Allied agencies
• Key community members

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Situations that shout Watch Out

• Inability to articulate beneficial facts about
  consolidating.

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Consolidation Resources

• IAFC Fire Department Consolidation, The
  end..or the Beginning
• Other agency experiences
• Consulting firms

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6. Generational Changes

• Entry level now versus 30 years ago
• Technical society
• Education improvements
• Evolving expectations
• Broader mission
• Volunteerism

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7. Personnel

• If it werent for people,
• this job would be easy.

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Personnel

• Relationship between the board, the chief, the
  firefighters and the staff
• Divisive personnel issues
• Embattled board/chief
• Individual board member agendas

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8. Politics, Elections, Ethics

• Controversial board election
• Conflict of interest violations
• Varying views on issues

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9. Technology and Equipment

• Sophisticated (and expensive) equipment for
  operations
• Apparatus (engines, trucks, specialty equipment)
• Monitoring
• EMS, Para medicine
• Rescue equipment
• Computer technology
• Radios P25 compliance, narrow banding
• Other communications

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Communication Tools

• Web sites
• Televised board meetings
• Email
• Newsletter
• Newspaper guest editorials
• Town Hall meetings
• Other?

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Web Site

• Use care in design
• Thing about what the purpose and message is you
  want to deliver
• Once you start, keep it up to date
• Policy on links

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Televised Board Meetings

• Community TV access in many areas, part of cable
  franchise
• Colleges, council chambers, county buildings,
  schools, for access
• Develop policies before starting on camera angles
  and protocols
• Be aware of change in dynamics

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Email Messages

• Instant communications tool to a large number of
  people
• Be careful of potential for Brown Act violations

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Newsletter

• Direct mailer effective for targeting general
  information to citizens
• Mailer list Confirm accuracy
• Use care in editing
• Can be expensive

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10. Volunteer Transition

• Cost gap widening for personnel
• Safety and response standards
• Public demands for service
• Funding

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FDAC Legislative Advocacy

• Joint Legislative Task Force with the California
  Fire Chiefs Association
• Paid lobbyist Ralph Heim
• Task Force monitors legislation and takes
  appropriate positions
• Email/fax communication
• Very active on Prop 1A
• Current issues

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Associations

• Fire Districts Association of California
• California Fire Chiefs Association
• League of Cities, Fire Chiefs Department
• California State Firefighters Association
• California Professional Firefighters

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