County of San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors Agenda Item Transmittal (1) Department (2) Meeting Date (3)*

"Five Cities Fire Authority does not want CAL FIRE's involvement with the use and allocation of the Five Cities Fire Authority equipment." CAL FIRE AGREES WITH THE FINDING 4 Comments: To date we have not been requested by the City of Arroyo Grande, the City of Grover Beach or the Five Cities Fire Authority to discuss CAL FIRE/County Fire as a dispatch option. It is CAL FIRE's policy not to solicit contracts for service; we must be requested by the entity interested in the service before we may engage in a discussion. If CAL FIRE were to dispatch Five Cities Fire Authority we would dispatch the specific equipment the Authority directed us to. All dispatch contracts are customized to meet the requirements of the agency contracting us.

"The County Sheriff's Office is prepared to handle both police and fire dispatches for the Cities of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach." The respondent partially agrees with this finding. Upon their request, the respondent is prepared to provide police dispatching for both Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach. However, the Sheriff's Office is not prepared or inclined to provide fire dispatching. The Sheriff's Office has never provided fire dispatching. Fire dispatching is the responsibility of County Fire / Cal Fire. Currently County Fire / Cal Fire has several fire dispatching contracts, including the City of Pismo Beach. The Sheriff's Office, Cal Fire and County Administration are in the early planning stages of building a Co-located dispatch center. A Co-located dispatch center would allow both law enforcement and fire to be dispatched from one location providing more timely communications and a stronger partnership that will allow us to deliver even better services to the citizens of the County.

"The reluctance to consolidate dispatch by Five Cities Fire Authority and CAL FIRE has brought action to a stalemate in finding answers to the dispatch issue. CAL FIRE AGREES WITH THE FINDING 6 Comments: CAL FIRE is not reluctant to engage in finding answers to the dispatch issue. However it is CAL FIRE's policy not to solicit contracts for service; we must be requested by the entity interested in the service before we may engage in a discussion. To date we have not been requested by the City of Arroyo Grande, the City of Grover 1 > 1 Beach or the Five Cities Fire Authority to discuss CAL FIRE/County Fire as a dispatch option. If they do, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss all options. Response to Grand Jury Recommendations The CAL FIRE/San Luis Obispo County Fire is required by the Grand Jury to respond to Recommendations 2 and 3.