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Extracted from Consolidated Report

This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.

Imperial County Grand Jury • 2007-2008

City of Calexico Fire Department

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Findings 7 findings

F1 Page 21
No specific mission statement for the Fire Department was available for review or known to exist. It functions under the City’s general mission statement.
F2 Page 21
The City is experiencing rapid growth in population and residential and commercial development. The Department handles anywhere from 4200 to 4400 calls for services per year. The majority of these calls are requests for medical assistance. The medical aid 8 runs make up about eighty-five percent of the calls received. The Department has ten firefighters per day on duty per shift to handle emergency calls and the daily operations. They are supported by two front-line fire engines, one aerial ladder truck, and four ambulances.
F3 Page 22
The growth in development, particularly housing development in the northeast part of Calexico, has resulted in difficulty adhering to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for response time. The locations of the two existing stations make it difficult to respond to emergencies in these new developments in a timely manner.
F4 Page 22
The equipment is regularly maintained by the firefighters and the City’s maintenance shop. The station and apparatus (fire engines) appeared to be clean and in good shape. The City provides the required safety gear and equipment.
F5 Page 22
The firefighters feel that they are being offered and given the required training and education to carry out their duties. Much of the training is either mandated by the city or by state regulations. The firefighters take much of the training on their own initiative. A state fire officer certificate is required for any firefighter looking to promote to a captain position. A fire officer certificate entails taking eleven 40 hour fire courses and a obtaining a letter from the chief attesting that the firefighter has served in the capacity of a fire officer in the department for at least one year.
F6 Page 22
The interim fire chief stated that the Department is short-handed by a least twelve firefighters according to the NFPA standard of providing one firefighter for every one thousand residents. The daily influx of commuters and visitors sharply increases the population of the city and the number of emergency calls, further exacerbating the manpower problem.
F7 Page 22
Interviewees reported that the morale of the Department is on the rise since the appointment of an interim fire chief. One weakness reported was the lack of consistent standard operating procedures and the lack of written standard operating procedures. Under the interim chief’s direction, policies and procedures for departmental operations are being rewritten or newly written. Department personnel reported they were excited and happy with the new road map that is being laid out by the interim chief. They also reported that they feel their ideas are being heard and well received. The majority of personnel appear to embrace change and welcome its challenges. 9

Recommendations 3