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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Objectives

• Identify trends and issues related to California
  Fire Protection Districts
• Identify common operational trends in the fire
  service
• Understanding of public expectations for fire
  protection districts
• Recognize forms of cooperative fire protection
  with pros and cons
• Basic understanding of legislative impacts
• Identify technological tools for FPDs.

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Issues Facing Fire Districts

• What Are They?

List the Top Issues Facing Fire Protection
Districts in California.
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Top Issues Facing FPDs

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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Operational

• 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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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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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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Funding and Prop 13

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

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Board Oversight

• Pass a budget
• Staff spending authority based on budget
• Approve bills at board meeting (pre and post
  approvals)
• Routine review of bills and statements

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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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Impact of Personnel Costs

• Retirement Defined benefits vs. Defined
  contributions
• Trends in benefit levels
• Workers Compensation
• Health Benefits
• Overall cost

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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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Forms of Joint Efforts

• Consolidation
• Joint Powers Authority
• Contracts for Service

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Considerations

• Governance
• Staff organization
• Labor
• Finance
• Facilities and equipment
• Technical Aspects
• Consolidation
• Disillusionment
• Successor Agency
• Elections

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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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Potential Consolidation Cons

• 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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Potential Consolidation Cons

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

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Consolidation Potential Pros

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

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Consolidation Potential Pros

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

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Consolidation Potential Pros

• 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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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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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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Consolidation Resources

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

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Generational Changes

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

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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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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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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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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
• Current issues

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Associations

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

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