Appendix Responses to the 2017-2018 Imperial

Recommendations 5

• R1
  The Department of Social Services should create a review and tracking system of all cases of public assistance at the supervisory and management level, with a dedicated system to ensure proper timelines and mandates set by the state are being met.
• R2
  The Department of Social Services Fraud unit should conduct an internal review of how it intakes, reviews, and assigns investigations to the District Attorney’s office. Procedures should be set in place to accurately reflect the actual dates of work being processed and the completion of each portion of the investigation.
• R3
  The current Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Social Services and the District Attorney’s Office should be reviewed and updated to reflect the current needs of these departments. Additional investigative staff, perhaps those dedicated to only public assistance issues, would alleviate the workload and help ensure state- mandated timelines are met. REQUIRED RESPONSES: Pursuant to Penal Code sections 933 and 933.05, the Grand Jury requests responses as from the following governing bodies : • 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: • Imperial County District Attorney’s Office: F3, F4, R3 • 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 Imperial County 2018-2019 Civil Grand Jury El Centro Fire Department MATRIX INSPECTION JUSTIFICATION County and City agencies are under a matrix for the Civil Grand Jury (Grand Jury) to inspect on a regular schedule. It has been at least 8 years since a review has been completed on this agency. BACKGROUND: The El Centro Fire Department (ECFD) was established in May of 1908 as a Volunteer Fire Department. Today the department is directed by a Chief and three Battalion Chiefs. ECFD currently responds to over 4,600 emergency calls each year and provides fire protection to over 42,000 El Centro residents, in excess of 11 square miles. Mission Statement The ECFD Mission Statement is: “Protect life, property, and environment through mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery actions”. They accomplish their mission through: • Mitigation – Action taken to prevent future emergencies and disasters and/or action taken to minimize their effect. • Preparedness – Action taken to prepare to handle an emergency or disaster. • Response – Action taken during the emergency or disaster. • Recovery – Action taken recovering from an emergency or disaster. Core Values The Core Values of ECFD are as follows: • Integrity – We hold each other accountable for adherence to a standard of high moral and ethical values. • Trust – We rely on, and have confidence in, the character, abilities, strength, and truthfulness of all our members. • Respect – We regard and treat each other as professionals. • 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. According to interviewed personnel, with the addition of the two soon-to-be-hired personnel, ECFD will be maintaining an appropriate number of firefighters to meet the needs of the City of El Centro. The facilities of each station are adequate for members. Equipment: Each station has a fire engine, with two in reserve. The frontline fire engines used by ECFD include two Pierce engines (2015) and one KME engine (2017). There are also two American LaFrance engines (2005) on reserve. All firefighters are assigned their own radios so that they can always be alerted of emergencies, even at home. Firefighters each have their own uniform, and there are additional uniforms available if needed. The additional uniforms are older uniforms that have been removed from regular use but are still within the limits of safety. According to the interviewed personnel and Grand Jury inspection, older equipment (e.g., protective personal gear) is often reused as needed or until deemed no longer safe. Due to budgetary constraints and the overall high cost of fire equipment, the ECFD tries to utilize equipment for as long as possible before ordering replacements. Maintenance Schedule: Firefighting uniforms are replaced every 10 years (max). Firefighters must report any rip or tear in their uniforms, as this decreases safety. Equipment must be replaced every 15 years (max). Water hoses are replaced every 10 years (max). Frontline fire engines are replaced every 8 years (max). Weekly checks of all equipment and hoses are performed, in addition to daily checks of uniforms and fire engines. There is also a five-year assessment performed to see which materials or equipment will be needed, and which will be put out of commission. When the Grand Jury visited Station 1, in April 2019, hoses were stamped 2018 as the last date of inspection. No hose had a 2019 stamp. According to interviewed personnel, ECFD is on-time with their maintenance schedules. CONCLUSION: It was determined by the Grand Jury that the El Centro Fire Department is following their policies and procedures. There appears to be a need for additional equipment, as often times, outdated equipment is used as backup until they can be replaced.
• R4
  Utilize key retention This recommendation will be implemented. tools.
• R5
  Increase quality of This recommendation is in the process of video surveillance being implemented. The Sheriff’s Office has equipment. been working with Public Works and the CEO’s Office to pursue a Capital Improvement Plan for facilities. Subject of Investigation: Imperial County Juvenile Hall Recommendations Responses Date Respondent Received by Grand Jury