City Fire Department Consolidations/Mergers Issue | Background | Findings | Conclusions | Recommendations | Responses |

Conclusions 9

• CL1 Page 5
  2. Include an effective dispute resolution processes in all consolidation agreements. 7 APPENDIX A CENTRAL COUNTY FIRE SCHEDULE OF SAVINGS (PER YEAR) FROM BURLINGAME/HILLSBOROUGH FIRE MERGER SWORN PERSONNEL COSTS: Savings FY 02/03 FY 09/10 Valued @ Authorized Positions (Before Merge) Authorized Positions (Current) Positions Current Savings Breakdown Burlingame Hillsborough Total Burlingame Hillsborough Total Eliminated Salaries Burlingame Hillsborough Fire Chief 1 1 2 1 1 1 $ 333,427 - 1 Deputy Chief 1 1 1 1 - - - Assistant Chief (1) 4 4 - 4 4 - Division Chief (1) - 1 1 (1) 857,412 (5) ( 1) - Fire Marshal (1) 1 1 1 1 - - - Deputy Fire Marshal (3) 2 2 - 2 518,546 (6) 2 - Battalion Chief 3 3 2 2 4 (1) (283,600) ( 2) 1 Mechanic 1 1 1 1 - - - Fire Inspectors (2) 1 1 2 2 (1) Wash ( 2) 1 Administrative Captain (2) - 1 1 (1) Wash ( 1) - Captain (2) 12 9 2 1 10 9 1 9 2 Wash 2 - Firefighters/Paramedics (4) 29 2 1 5 0 24 1 7 4 1 9 1,855,188 (7) 5 4 Total 50 3 6 8 6 43 2 9 7 2 14 $ 3,280,973 7 7 1) These positions are at the same salary level. 2) These positions are at the same salary level. 3) Eliminated Deputy Fire Marshal position computed @ 90% of Fire Marshal position 4) Currently, each city has one vacant Firefighter position. 5) 3 positions @ $285,804 each 6) 2 positions @ $259,273 7) 9 positions @ $206,132 ALL OTHERS: 1 Fire Engine @ $400,000 with 15 years useful life $ 26,667 Tools associated with 1 fire engine @ $75,000 over 15 years useful life 5,000 Maintenance costs associated with 1 fire engine 20,000 Protective equipment with 5 year replacement @ $2,200 each (11 sets) 4,840 Training costs 14 @ $1,200 each 16,800 Total - All Others $ 73,307 GRAND TOTAL OF SAVINGS PER YEAR $ 3,354,280 ALLOCATION FACTORS 60% 40% SAVINGS ALLOCATION $ 2,012,568 $ 1,341,712 City of Millbrae PAUL SET0 Mayor DANIEL F. QUPGG 62 1 Magnolia Avenue, Millbrae, CA 94030 Vice Mayor MARGE COLAPPETRO Councilwoman I July 27,20 1 0 GINA PAPAN Councilwoman NADIA V. HOLOBER Honorable Clifford V. Cretan Councilwoman Judge of the Superior Court @all of Justice, 400 County Center, 2"*F loor Redwood City, CA 94063 Dear Judge Cretan: I am writing to you on behalf of the Millbrae City Council. This letter will serve as the City of Millbrae's formal response to the May 26,2010 letter from the Superior Court transmitting the report from the Civil Grand Jury with regard to "City Fire Department Consolidations/Mergers." The Millbrae City Council reviewed and approved this response at its meeting on July 27, 2010. The City of Millbrae appreciates the opportunity to respond to your report. The report is well organized and highlights the primary issues surrounding consolidation/merger efforts. The Grand Jury investigation focused on the four consolidations that have occurred in the county. Table 2 also defines the different relationships that can occur without necessarily having a full consolidation. Discussions of mergers in San Mateo County have been occurring on and off for the past 20 years. The economic downturn certainly provides an incentive for municipalities and districts to pursue cost reduction measures, but fire service in this county has certainly pursued shared services opportunities, joint equipment purchases, consolidated dispatch services, and engaged in a publiclprivate relationship with the ambulance provider. The City of Millbrae has entered into at least four merger discussions with its neighboring agencies in the past. For one reason or another, whether it was the economic conditions, the political climate, or an outstanding issue that could not be resolved, these efforts did not come to fruition. Although the report recommends agencies such as Millbrae consider consolidation efforts, it is not as simple as it sounds. There are numerous issues, such as governess models, payroll, insurance, labor issues, parity, and station closures that create and contribute to the complexity. Each of those issues alone may have solutions, but taken together these issues make the process long and tedious. Nevertheless, the City of Millbrae has continued its efforts to achieve shared fire service arrangements and potential consolidations. Currently, the City of Millbrae and the City of San Bruno share Fire Chief and Battalion Chief services for a credible amount of savings to each agency. Millbrae, San Bruno, Central County Fire, and San Mateo share a training staff between the four agencies that eliminates the need for each agency to dedicate a single resource to the training program. Millbrae, San Bruno, and Central County Fire are currently having an implementation analysis done by a consultant to confirm merger opportunities. City CounciUCity Manager City Clerk Public WorksfEngineering Recreation Police Department (650) 259-2334 (650) 259-2334 (650) 259-2339 (650) 259-2360 (650) 259-2300 Personnel FinancelWater Conlmunity Development Building Division Fire Department (650) 259-2334 (650) 259-2350 (650) 259-2341 (650) 259-2330 24%8?8f 9-2400 In summary, the Grand Jury recommendations do have validity, but the report needs to recognize that consolidations/mergers are complex and require the alignment of economic, labor, and political factors. Our own experience leads us to believe that the provision of fire services on an independent agency basis over the long term is cost prohibitive. We do agree that a dispute resolution process needs to be in place, but that is no guarantee that there will not be conflict between agencies even in the best of times. The example of the San Carlos - Relmont quandary certainly demonstrates that these relationships are not easy and to unravel them leads to additional complexities. Again, thank you for the opportunity to respond to your report; I trust you will find our comments helpful. ?& % Paul Seto Mayor cc: City Council City Manager
• CL2 Page 6
  The process of fire department consolidation is greatly simplified because of the San Mateo County “boundary drop” provision in the Advanced Life Support JPA. Fire departments within San Mateo County function operationally as a single county wide fire department. 8 San Carlos Staff Report of March 13, 2010, ” Overview of Initial Cal Fire Letter Proposal to Provide Fire Services in San Carlos” 9 Chart provided by San Mateo County Public Safety Communications Center – Annual Statistics 2009 6
• CL3 Page 7
  Successful consolidations require the support of the key stakeholders: city councils, city managers, fire management, firefighters, fire union and the community.
• CL4 Page 7
  Cities that have consolidated fire departments have realized significant cost savings while maintaining the same level of services. This has been accomplished through personnel attrition, the closing of fire stations, and the reduction of fire management positions.
• CL5 Page 7
  Many cities and fire districts, including those who have consolidated, may find it difficult to sustain the current levels of service due to revenue shortfalls associated with the current economy and the obligations to salary, health benefits and pension costs.
• CL6 Page 7
  Jurisdictions who contract with Cal Fire realize significant savings in salaries, workmen’s compensation rate, pension and health benefit contributions.
• CL7 Page 7
  The merged JPA agreement of Belmont-San Carlos Fire has equal representation from each jurisdiction. Because there is no effective dispute resolution process in place, management decision making regarding cost sharing and other matters is slow and at times contentious.
• CL8 Page 7
  The implementation of mergers can be accomplished prior to agreement on each and every administrative detail such as personnel, payroll and workers compensation procedures.
• CL9 Page 7
  The cities of San Bruno, Millbrae, Foster City, San Mateo, Redwood City and the Colma and Woodside Fire Protection District have opportunities to significantly reduce the cost of services to taxpayers by aggressively pursuing consolidations and mergers.

No Responses Found 1

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