Final Report 2018–2019

Conclusions 18

• CL1 Page 22
  There is insufficient interaction between the District Attorney’s office and the Department of Social Services, which strains the positive working relationship needed to properly investigate fraudulent claims.
• CL2 Page 21
  Department of Social Services fraud investigators are not meeting the timeline for eligibility determination set by the state of California.
• CL3 Page 21
  There is a lack of oversight/review into new and ongoing cases of public assistance benefits by the managers and supervisors of the Department of Social Services.
• CL4 Page 21
  The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that the Department of Social Services has with the Imperial County District Attorney’s office does not appear to serve the needs of the community. Requests for more staff have been denied.
• CL5 Page 22
  Imperial County Department of Social Services: F1, F2, F4, R1, R2, R3 Please submit an official response to the Civil Grand Jury Foreperson, P.O. Box 2011, El Centro, CA, 92244 INVITED RESPONSES: The following governing bodies are invited to respond to the Grand Jury report:
• CL6 Page 22
  Imperial County District Attorney’s Office: F3, F4, R3
• CL7 Page 22
  Imperial County Board of Supervisors: F3, R3 DISCLAIMER: Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code section 929 requires that reports of the Grand Jury not contain the name of any person or facts leading to the identity of any person who provides information to the Grand Jury. THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
• CL8 Page 25
  Mitigation – Action taken to prevent future emergencies and disasters and/or action taken to minimize their effect.
• CL9 Page 25
  Preparedness – Action taken to prepare to handle an emergency or disaster.
• CL10 Page 25
  Response – Action taken during the emergency or disaster.
• CL11 Page 25
  Recovery – Action taken recovering from an emergency or disaster. Core Values The Core Values of ECFD are as follows:
• CL12 Page 25
  Integrity – We hold each other accountable for adherence to a standard of high moral and ethical values.
• CL13 Page 25
  Trust – We rely on, and have confidence in, the character, abilities, strength, and truthfulness of all our members.
• CL14 Page 25
  Respect – We regard and treat each other as professionals.
• CL15 Page 25
  Excellence – We strive to continually improve and to provide the best service possible. Motto The Motto of ECFD is "Courage to Act, Commitment to Serve" Personnel and Locations The ECFD staffs three fire stations, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a minimum of 10 personnel. There are forty-one staff members working for ECFD: thirty-eight sworn safety officers, one Fire Chief, three Battalion Chiefs, ten Captains, nine engineers, and fifteen firefighters. There are also two clerical assistants and one staff assistant. Fire Station 1 Fire Station 1 was built in 1946 and is located at 775 State Street. It is currently being retro fitted in electrical areas. Security is also being increased. Due to its age, the repair work is a lengthier process. A shutoff system for the gas line is being added to the kitchen, to improve safety in the event of an emergency. The beds for personnel are in the process of being replaced; in the meantime, firefighters are using cots. This is the busiest station of ECFD due to its location in downtown El Centro. Emergency generators are tested for thirty-minutes every Friday. Fire Station 2 Fire Station 2 was built in 1984 and is located at 900 S. Dogwood Avenue. It features the Burn Institute Fire Safety Car, which is a mobile emergency car that holds the equipment and supplies that cannot be placed in the fire engines. Fire Station 2 is adjacent to Gomez Park, which is named after fallen ECFD member Lieutenant David Gomez, who passed away in the line of duty in 1976. The park contains a plaque and monument in memory of fallen members. ECFD personnel see this park as part of their station and they take pride in keeping it clean. Fire Station 3 Fire Station 3 is located at 1910 N. Waterman Avenue. It was built in 2014. As the newest fire station, it is the most state-of-the-art. It features classroom areas open to the public. It also houses the administrative offices of ECFD and stores equipment for all three stations. METHODOLOGY: A committee of the Civil Grand Jury (Grand Jury) conducted numerous interviews and visited the three fire stations for the City of El Centro as part of this investigation. They based their conclusions on information obtained during their interviews. INVESTIGATION: Throughout interviews, members emphasized the importance of maintaining equipment and stocking an appropriate amount of equipment necessary to aid firefighters in their service to the public. Personnel & Facilities: All three fire stations share space with American Medical Response (AMR) members. There are 10 fire personnel operating ECFD on a daily basis. Firefighters are grouped in a 3-3-3 distribution along with the Fire Chief. Firefighters rotate through each station for 6-months. The benefit of the rotation means that members are familiar with each other and each station. ECFD Firefighters are trained for all duties to be well-rounded, which is beneficial if there are staff shortages. They have the capacity for 12 total members and are in the process of hiring two new members to completely staff their needs. The ECFD is staffed with three arson investigators. All members are trained hazmat technicians, which is invaluable in situations involving chemicals or natural disasters. Members are also trained on OSHA Law and Regulations and sexual harassment policy. There is also a strike team that can be called as needed. The strike team is trained for crucial moments, such as assisting in large fires or helping other local agencies (e.g., U.S. Customs & Border Protection). Each fire station contains at least two restrooms, showers, and a kitchen. The restrooms have inner locks to accommodate female members as needed. Stations also contain a small living room for the firefighters to use. All stations are being upgraded for increased security, including access codes for gates, security cameras, and new sprinkler systems inside of the buildings.
• CL16 Page 28
  El Centro Fire Department: F1, F4, R1 You are required to submit your official response to the Imperial County Civil Grand Jury Foreperson on behalf of the superior court to: P.O. Box 2011. El Centro, California 92244. DISCLAIMER Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code section 929 requires that reports of the Grand Jury not contain the name of any person or facts leading to the identity of any person who provides information to the Grand Jury. THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
• CL17 Page 44
  Imperial County Jail: F1, R1 Please submit an official response to the Civil Grand Jury Foreperson, P.O. Box 2011, El Centro, CA, 92244 DISCLAIMER: Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code section 929 requires that reports of the Grand Jury not contain the name of any person or facts leading to the identity of any person who provides information to the Grand Jury.
• CL18 Page 49
  Imperial Valley Juvenile Hall: R1, R2, R3 Please submit an official response to the Civil Grand Jury Foreperson, P.O. Box 2011, El Centro, CA, 92244 DISCLAIMER: Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not identify individuals interviewed. Penal Code section 929 requires that reports of the Grand Jury not contain the name of any person or facts leading to the identity of any person who provides information to the Grand Jury. THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

No Responses Found 2

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.