Score: +9 (9/4/0)

Ventura County Grand Jury • 2003-2004

Santa Paula Firefighter Utilization

Published: May 20, 2004 5 pages

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Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F2

Findings 16 findings

F01

The State ofCaliforniapresently requires that firefighters be certified in emergency medicine, breathingapparatus, hazardous materials, and terrorism response. Classes mustbe taken annuallyto remain certified. F-02. The City ofSanta Paula was required to pay the County $33,000 in fiscal year 2002/2003 to improve the communicationsystem to meetthe requirementof theAgreementwith the Fire Protection District.

F03

The City ofSanta Paula presentlyconsideringentering agreementto is an I have the Fire ProtectionDistrict take its fire protection requirements. over

F04

Santa Paula Station 1 underthe Agreement, known E8l, is manned 24 now as hours dayby full-time firefighters. However, there occasionswhere a are volunteers staffingthe equipment at the station. are

F05

Santa Paula Station 2 undertheAgreement, known E82, is manned by now as volunteers on-call basis. F-15 below indicates E82's relationshipto the on an Agreement.

F06

SantaPaula Station E82 is fullymanned byvolunteers Saturdays. now on This beingdone trial basis. is on a

F07

Most ofSanta Paula fire and emergencymedical care requests are received by its police department and forwarded to the Fire Protection District dispatch center. SantaPaulaFirefighterUtilization

F08

Each morning, information is provided to the dispatch center regardingthe I staffing ofSanta Paula E81. Santa Paula is required to indicate how many full-time andvolunteerpersonnel staffingthe station. I are

F09

If volunteer shown being duty, the dispatch policy to have E81 not a is as on is respond out ofcitylimits. However, the Incident Commander, normally fire a chiefofthe Fire Protection District, may overnde this and have E81 respond based on current situations within the county. This practice is causing a morale problem to exist among the volunteers.

F10

Review ofthe contract in effect at the time ofthe complaint did not union indicate specific information regardingthe exclusion ofnon-union any firefighters.

F11

The automatic aid agreement portion ofthe Itgreementprovides the first alarm assignmentsfor E81 to Highways 150 and 126, and South cover MountainRoad. There are no provisions for E82 to cover these areas.

F12

There is, however, theAgreement provisionfor E82 to Fire in a cover ProtectionDistrict Station 26 should it be out incident and not available I on an for providingtheirnormal coverage.

F13

Provisions the operationalplan made that, should E81 be unavailable in are for more than thirtyminutes at an incident, the Fire Protection Districtwill provide equipment to Santa Paula at either the E81 E82 station cover or location.

F14

Usingthe boundaries the operational plan oftheAgreement, mileage checks in made from E81 to the destinations describedbelow. were Highway 150 north to Steckel Park is 4.2 miles. I Additional distance to KoenigsteinRoad is 3.8 miles. I County Station 20 coverage southto E81 is 9.5 miles. South Mountain Road and east to Balcom Canyon Road is 5 miles. I Fillmore Fire Station the distance from Fillmore to Balcom Canyon covers Road. I Highway 126 east to Sycamore Road is 4.6 miles. Fillmore from covers their city limits to SycamoreRoad, whichis approximately 4 miles.

F15

When requested and available, underthe Agreement, Santa Paulais to provide coverage for Fire ProtectionDistrict Station 26 from E82. IfVentura I City Station 6 is available, the coverage will cover westerlyfrom the city boundaryto Olive Road. IFVentura Station 6 is not available, coverage will encompass the entire District Station 26 sector. Coverage after 6 p.m. maybe provided by Santa Paula Station E81 but mustbe staffedby full-time firefighters.

F16

ArticleV oftheAgreementrequires thatbothparties will maintain three- a person (full-time personnei minimum staffing on primary response resources when covering or responding to one another's incidents. This basically requires each to respond with onlyequipmentmanned by full-time firefighters. Ifthe other partycannot accomplish this, the dutychiefshall be SantaPaulaFirefighterUtilization 3 1 I I notified. Both parties have retained the right to accept or reject coverage I response resources staffed withless than three persons.

F17

Review ofthe Santa Paula Fire Department Internet web site indicated I informationregardingthe Agreement not included, although there was was a section provided for it. Conclusions 1 C-01.In reviewing the complaint and based on the discussions noted in the findings, the Grand Juryfelt there was a morale problem among the volunteers and I perhaps thefull-time firefighterswithregard to how E82 functionedunderthe Agreement. (F-08, F-09, F-11, F-15) C-02.Althoughthere specificwordingfound in the contract to prohibit was no union I the ofE82 outside ofSanta Paula city limits, it is rarely dispatchedother use than specified in the itgreementwiththe Fire ProtectionDistrict. as (F-05, F-15) C-03.Althoughthe Santa Paula Fire DepartmentInternetweb site contains much informationfor the public, it is outdated it does not include information since I about the Agreement. (F-17) C-04.Inreviewingthe coverage areas outside ofthe citylimits as assignedunder the Agreement, the initial response times for E81 appearto be adequate, consideringthat in all directions from citylimits, halfthe distance from other stations approximately4 to 5 miles. However, should E81 be long is on a assignment incident, there mightbe question ofwhetherthe Fire on an a ProtectionDistrict equipment could respond in a shorter time span than E82. In mostincidents, thevolunteerswouldhave to be called out opposed to as readilymanned equipmentbeing available. CF-04, F-05, F-11, F-14, F-15) I I Recommendations I

Recommendations 2

R01

Thatthe Santa Paulavolunteers be given detailed bnefingofthe Agreement a I betweentheir city and the Fire ProtectionDistrict. The Santa Paulafire chief and perhaps representative from the Fire Protection District should a accomplishthis.
R02

The Santa Paula Fire Chief his designate should and bringthe or review Internet web site up to date. R-OS.Duringthe annual ofthe Agreement, requiredby SectionXI, by the review as respective chiefs their designates, the ofvolunteers and E82 or use assignments should be given closer scrutinyto determinewhether E82 could respond more quicklythan Fire ProtectionDistrict equipment, undercertain conditions. 4SantaPaula FirefighterUtilization Responses I Recommendations R-01 R42 R-03 Res Re uired From: onses Santa Paula Cit Council X X X Res Re uested From: onses Santa Paula Fire Chief X X X Fire ProtectionDistrict Chief X I I I SamaPaulaFirefighterUtilization 5

Conclusions 1

CL1 Page 4

1 C-01.In reviewing the complaint and based on the discussions noted in the findings, the Grand Juryfelt there was a morale problem among the volunteers and I perhaps thefull-time firefighterswithregard to how E82 functionedunderthe Agreement. (F-08, F-09, F-11, F-15) C-02.Althoughthere specificwordingfound in the contract to prohibit was no union I the ofE82 outside ofSanta Paula city limits, it is rarely dispatchedother use than specified in the itgreementwiththe Fire ProtectionDistrict. as (F-05, F-15) C-03.Althoughthe Santa Paula Fire DepartmentInternetweb site contains much informationfor the public, it is outdated it does not include information since I about the Agreement. (F-17) C-04.Inreviewingthe coverage areas outside ofthe citylimits as assignedunder the Agreement, the initial response times for E81 appearto be adequate, consideringthat in all directions from citylimits, halfthe distance from other stations approximately4 to 5 miles. However, should E81 be long is on a assignment incident, there mightbe question ofwhetherthe Fire on an a ProtectionDistrict equipment could respond in a shorter time span than E82. In mostincidents, thevolunteerswouldhave to be called out opposed to as readilymanned equipmentbeing available. CF-04, F-05, F-11, F-14, F-15) I I

Agency Responses 1

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.

City of Santa Paula

July 26, 2004 • 2 pages • 13 responses • Score: +9 (+9, 4, 0) View Details ▾

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13 responses to findings and recommendations

R01

Thatthe Santa Paulavolunteers be given detailed bnefingofthe Agreement a I betweentheir city and the Fire ProtectionDistrict. The Santa Paulafire chief and perhaps representative from the Fire Protection District should a accomplishthis.

Response: Will Implement

Score: +1

R-01 Recommendation will be implemented by the Santa Paula Fire Chief no later than August 25, 2004 R-02 Recommendation will be implemented by the Santa Paula Fire Chief or his designated representative by September 30, 2004.

R02

The Santa Paula Fire Chief his designate should and bringthe or review Internet web site up to date. R-OS.Duringthe annual ofthe Agreement, requiredby SectionXI, by the review as respective chiefs their designates, the ofvolunteers and E82 or use assignments should be given closer scrutinyto determinewhether E82 could respond more quicklythan Fire ProtectionDistrict equipment, undercertain conditions. 4SantaPaula FirefighterUtilization Responses I Recommendations R-01 R42 R-03 Res Re uired From:...

Response: Will Implement

Score: +1

R-02 Recommendation will be implemented by the Santa Paula Fire Chief or his designated representative by September 30, 2004.

F03

The City ofSanta Paula presentlyconsideringentering agreementto is an I have the Fire ProtectionDistrict take its fire protection requirements. over

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

Concur F-03 Concur in part; disagree in part.

F06

SantaPaula Station E82 is fullymanned byvolunteers Saturdays. now on This beingdone trial basis. is on a

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

See F.05 F-07 Concur F-08 Concur F-09 Concur in part; disagree in part. If a part time/paid call firefighter is filling one of the three "full time" positions, E-81 is not dispatched on "automatic aid" to a County incident; however, the County IC, which can be a Captain, may request E-81 immediately under the terms of the existing mutual aid agreement. Some part time/paid call personnel have expressed dissatisfaction with this arrangement. F-10 Concur F-11 Concur F-12 Concur F-13 Concur F-14 Concur F-15 Concur F-16 Concur F-17 Concur Response to Recommendations R-01 Recommendation will be im...

F08

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

Concur F-08 Concur F-09 Concur in part; disagree in part.

F09

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

Concur F-08 Concur F-09 Concur in part; disagree in part.

F11

Response: Agree Score: +1

Concur F-11 Concur F-12 Concur F-13 Concur F-14 Concur F-15 Concur F-16 Concur F-17 Concur Response to Recommendations R-01 Recommendation will be implemented by the Santa Paula Fire Chief no later than August 25, 2004 R-02 Recommendation will be implemented by the Santa Paula Fire Chief or his designated representative by September 30, 2004.

F12

There is, however, theAgreement provisionfor E82 to Fire in a cover ProtectionDistrict Station 26 should it be out incident and not available I on an for providingtheirnormal coverage.

Response: Agree Score: +1

F13

Response: Agree Score: +1

F14

Response: Agree Score: +1

F15

Response: Agree Score: +1

F16

Response: Agree Score: +1

F17

Response: Agree Score: +1

No Responses Found 1

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

Ventura Fire Protection District Fire District