Monterey County Grand Jury • 2023-2024

Monterey Fire Department: Overdue for Overhaul Downtown Monterey Fire Station 11 on Pacific Avenue Source: Photograph

Published: April 30, 2024 29 pages

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⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings 19 findings

During its interviews and tours, the CGJ found that firefighters are uniformly committed to the mission of public safety.

The City of Monterey has not addressed the issues of aging facilities, increasingly failing fire apparatus, and timely follow-through on mental health services all leading to low staff morale and public endangerment. 17

The transition to a consolidated set of policies has not been a priority of the MFD Administration, leading to confusion among staff. Apparatus

The MFD is not adhering to its Vehicle & Equipment Replacement Policy as three- quarters of the fire apparatus is at or beyond its lifecycle replacement. This has resulted in a doubling of the repair frequency over the past three years, increasing the workload of the City's Public Works Department, and affecting apparatus availability for emergencies, thus endangering the public.

The MFD’s primary tiller truck has been out-of-service for nearly a year and the 25- year-old backup tiller truck has frequent breakdowns often leaving the MFD without an operable 100-foot ladder causing the need to call for mutual aid from other fire departments.

Having only one certified fire apparatus mechanic serving the Monterey fleet hampers quick repairs and puts the MFD at risk of not having the proper equipment in service to respond to emergencies thus endangering the public. Monterey Fire Stations

All Monterey-owned fire stations are in a significant state of disrepair. Years of neglect and normal wear have resulted in unsafe and unsanitary living and working conditions and contribute to the low morale for MFD personnel.

Station 13 and the daytime airport south-side modular trailer currently rely on audio alerts with no visual information on 911 calls unlike other Monterey Fire stations limiting available information on the emergency.

The extent of the deterioration of the Station 13 training tower is a danger to the station, its firefighters, and the parking area immediately adjacent.

F10

Most MFD firefighter companies work and live in 70-year-old facilities that have not been thoroughly tested for hazardous building materials potentially endangering their health and safety.

F11

Responding from the new airport north-side station increases the response time to serve the Fisherman’s Flats/Ryan Ranch/Hwy 68 neighborhoods putting public safety at risk.

F12

Firefighter companies at the airport south-side modular trailer do not have access to safe inside changing and storage areas for their turnout gear, violating NFPA standards and causing potential harm and distress for firefighters.

F13

Fire engines at the airport south-side modular trailer are exposed to the weather hastening deterioration and increased costs for repair or replacement.

F14

No potable water is available inside the south-side modular trailer, compromising the health and safety of the firefighters who work there during daytime hours. CAD/911 Dispatch Systems

F15

The MFD currently relies on an outdated two-tone paging system for alerts. Upgrading to a modern Fire Station Alerting system would enhance response times for multi-station emergency calls and bolster public safety.

F16

Unreliable CAD software and hardware in the fire apparatus and stations forces firefighters to rely on less comprehensive systems to respond to calls efficiently. Mental Health

F17

The MFD does not utilize facility dogs that have been successfully used to enhance wellbeing for first responders and build positive relationships in the community.

F18

Some MFD staff are unaware of the process to access a City-contracted Licensed Marriage Family Therapist or County Behavioral Health Department personnel which compromises their mental wellness.

F19

The MFD policies for After-Action Reviews and Critical Incident Stress Management are in draft form leading to confusion or misinterpretation by MFD personnel.

Recommendations 19

R1

No recommendation needed.
R2

The City of Monterey formalizes its multi-year strategic plan for the MFD that addresses: updating facilities, replacing apparatus, training firefighter staff, and ensuring that the mental health service policy is clearly defined
R3

The MFD Administration consolidates all MFD policies into a single unified system by September 30, 2024. Apparatus
R4

The MFD Administration aligns its Monterey Vehicle & Equipment Replacement Policy with NFPA Standards for apparatus replacement
R5

The City of Monterey funds the repair of the primary MFD aerial ladder making it operational
R6

The City of Monterey develops a hiring plan or internship program to maintain sufficient certified and appropriately compensated fire mechanics commensurate with the number of fire apparatus by October 31, 2024. Monterey Fire Stations
R7

The City of Monterey develops a schedule to begin upgrading, renovating, or replacing the MFD fire stations
R8

The City of Monterey ensures that all visual 911 Center alert system boards function at all MFD stations, including the south-side modular trailer
R9

The City of Monterey immediately red-tags and develops a plan to repair or demolish the Station 13 training tower
R10

The City of Monterey performs a comprehensive assessment to identify potentially hazardous building materials in all MFD fire stations
R11

The City of Monterey creates a plan for a permanent fire facility to provide faster, 24-hour emergency response coverage for the communities near the Highway 68 corridor
R12

The City of Monterey, MFD and MPAD Administration collaborate to provide safe and private decontamination changing and storage areas for turnout gear at the airport modular trailer to comply with NFPA standards
R13

Until a permanent facility is constructed, the City of Monterey collaborate with MPAD to provide a protective structure for the fire apparatus at the south-side modular trailer
R14

The City of Monterey provides a potable water source for the south-side modular trailer by November 30, 2024. CAD/911 Dispatch Systems
R15

The City of Monterey and MFD Administration collaborate with the County of Monterey to implement a plan and timeline for upgrading to a modern Fire Station Alert system
R16

The City of Monterey ensures all CAD software/hardware is consistently operational in all fire apparatus and stations by November 30, 2024. Mental Health
R17

The MFD Administration conducts a study to gauge the interest and feasibility of MFD personnel obtaining one or more facility dogs
R18

The City of Monterey posts at each fire station information regarding the availability of the contracted Licensed Marriage Family Therapist
R19

The MFD Administration finalizes and distributes the AAR and CISM policies ensuring that every critical incident is reported, and after-action mental support services are made available by October 31, 2024. 20

No Responses Found 2

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

Monterey City

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