Fire Districts Fire Districts Association of Association of

CaliforniaCalifornia

Fire District Trends and IssuesFire District Trends and Issues

Certificate of Achievement Certificate of Achievement ProgramProgram

Module 4Module 4

ObjectivesObjectives

Identify trends and issues related to Identify trends and issues related to California Fire Protection DistrictsCalifornia Fire Protection Districts

Identify common operational trends in the Identify common operational trends in the fire servicefire service

Understanding of public expectations for Understanding of public expectations for fire protection districtsfire protection districts

Recognize forms of cooperative fire Recognize forms of cooperative fire protection with pros and consprotection with pros and cons

Basic understanding of legislative impactsBasic understanding of legislative impacts Identify technological tools for FPDs.Identify technological tools for FPDs.

Issues Facing Fire DistrictsIssues Facing Fire Districts

What Are They?What Are They?

List the Top Issues Facing Fire

Protection Districts in California.

Top Issues Facing FPDsTop Issues Facing FPDs

1.1. Firefighter SafetyFirefighter Safety

2.2. Changing public Changing public expectationsexpectations

3.3. Increasing service Increasing service demands/standards demands/standards of coverof cover

4.4. Funding and Prop 13Funding and Prop 13

5.5. Mergers & Mergers & consolidationconsolidation

6.6. Generational changes Generational changes and workforce and workforce expectationsexpectations

7.7. Personnel, Personnel, relationships, egosrelationships, egos

8.8. Politics, elections and Politics, elections and ethicsethics

9.9. Technology and Technology and equipmentequipment

10.10. Transition from Transition from volunteer to careervolunteer to career

Operational Operational

Firefighter safety, health and Firefighter safety, health and wellnesswellness

Experience of the workforceExperience of the workforce TrainingTraining Lessons learnedLessons learned Variety of operationsVariety of operations Organizational impact of serious Organizational impact of serious

firefighter injury or deathfirefighter injury or death

Public ExpectationsPublic Expectations Bigger, better, fasterBigger, better, faster ““Write a check” Write a check”

mentalitymentality Somebody else to Somebody else to

figure out what’s figure out what’s needed when I call needed when I call 911 911 (until we ask for $)(until we ask for $)

Bedroom community Bedroom community residentsresidents

All things to all peopleAll things to all people

Increasing Service DemandsIncreasing Service Demands Evolving servicesEvolving services Fire protection: Structural, Fire protection: Structural,

wildland and all otherwildland and all other Emergency medical services: Emergency medical services:

ALS, BLS, TransportALS, BLS, Transport Haz Mat: Terrorism, regulationHaz Mat: Terrorism, regulation Rescue: Auto extrication, Rescue: Auto extrication,

technical rescuetechnical rescue Non emergency services/Non Non emergency services/Non

traditionaltraditional Flu, bio hazardFlu, bio hazard Fire protection planning, Fire protection planning,

preventionprevention

Funding and Prop 13Funding and Prop 13

Formulas locked by Formulas locked by lawlaw

Some unable to Some unable to keep up with keep up with demanddemand

Inequities between Inequities between public agenciespublic agencies

Board OversightBoard Oversight

Pass a budgetPass a budget Staff spending Staff spending

authority based on authority based on budgetbudget

Approve bills at Approve bills at board meeting (pre board meeting (pre and post approvals)and post approvals)

Routine review of Routine review of bills and statementsbills and statements

Fiscal ControlsFiscal Controls

AuditsAudits Inventory spot Inventory spot

inspectioninspection Report Report

reconciliation: reconciliation: District and CountyDistrict and County

Identification of Identification of vulnerable areasvulnerable areas

Open reporting of Open reporting of wrong doingwrong doing

Alternative RevenuesAlternative Revenues

Benefit AssessmentsBenefit Assessments Fees Fees Special TaxSpecial Tax 2/3 voter approval2/3 voter approval GrantsGrants

– FIRE ActFIRE Act– Homeland SecurityHomeland Security– Office of Traffic SafetyOffice of Traffic Safety

No “Magic Bullet”No “Magic Bullet”

Impact of Personnel CostsImpact of Personnel Costs

Retirement: Defined benefits vs. Retirement: Defined benefits vs. Defined contributionsDefined contributions

Trends in benefit levelsTrends in benefit levels Workers CompensationWorkers Compensation Health BenefitsHealth Benefits Overall costOverall cost

Mergers/ConsolidationMergers/Consolidation

The million dollar question is: The million dollar question is:

How will consolidation be beneficial to the citizens How will consolidation be beneficial to the citizens of the District?of the District?

Or:Or:

Why are we doing this?Why are we doing this?

Forms of Joint EffortsForms of Joint Efforts

ConsolidationConsolidation Joint Powers Joint Powers

AuthorityAuthority Contracts for Contracts for

ServiceService

ConsiderationsConsiderations

GovernanceGovernance Staff organizationStaff organization LaborLabor Finance Finance Facilities and equipmentFacilities and equipment Technical AspectsTechnical Aspects ConsolidationConsolidation DisillusionmentDisillusionment Successor AgencySuccessor Agency ElectionsElections

Process OptionsProcess Options

Consultant reportConsultant report CommitteeCommittee ““Top Down” implementationTop Down” implementation

Must be able to Must be able to articulate pros and articulate pros and

cons.cons.

Potential Consolidation ConsPotential Consolidation Cons

Loss of “Local Control”Loss of “Local Control” Subsidy from one agency to anotherSubsidy from one agency to another Fear of:Fear of:

– Lost board positionsLost board positions– ChangeChange– Loss of pay/benefits (or “Y” rating)Loss of pay/benefits (or “Y” rating)– Loss of organizational historyLoss of organizational history

May not be as close to local communityMay not be as close to local community

Potential Consolidation ConsPotential Consolidation Cons

Time invested and it doesn’t come Time invested and it doesn’t come togethertogether

Potential for damaged Potential for damaged relationships/hard feelingsrelationships/hard feelings

Consolidation Potential ProsConsolidation Potential Pros

Seamless operationsSeamless operations Consistent level of Consistent level of

service throughout service throughout consolidated districtconsolidated district

Reduced/Reduced/streamlined streamlined administration administration (divert to line (divert to line functions)functions)

Consolidation Potential ProsConsolidation Potential Pros

Consistent Consistent equipment equipment standardsstandards

Hiring Hiring standards/process standards/process streamlinedstreamlined

Consistent training Consistent training standardsstandards

Depth of resources Depth of resources increasedincreased

Reserve equipment Reserve equipment

Consolidation Potential ProsConsolidation Potential Pros

Specialty Specialty resources/programresources/programs widely available s widely available

Cost avoidance: Cost avoidance: apparatus, staff, apparatus, staff, stations, stations, administrationadministration

Deeper awareness Deeper awareness of each agency’s of each agency’s capabilities through capabilities through study/cooperationstudy/cooperation

Influencing factorsInfluencing factors

FINANCEFINANCE Labor unionsLabor unions Political willPolitical will Geographic limitationsGeographic limitations Contiguous boundariesContiguous boundaries Cost/ability to align labor agreementsCost/ability to align labor agreements Staff retirements and timingStaff retirements and timing

Influencing FactorsInfluencing Factors

Culture and values of each Culture and values of each organizationorganization

LAFCOLAFCO Outside political pressureOutside political pressure Dispatch servicesDispatch services Requires strong leadershipRequires strong leadership

Situations that shout “Watch Situations that shout “Watch Out”Out”

Widely disparate:Widely disparate: FinancesFinances OperationsOperations Labor agreementsLabor agreements Levels of serviceLevels of service

Situations that shout “Watch Situations that shout “Watch Out”Out”

Lack of support from:Lack of support from:– Governing bodiesGoverning bodies– Chiefs (administrative staff)Chiefs (administrative staff)– Labor unionsLabor unions– VolunteersVolunteers– Allied agenciesAllied agencies– Key community membersKey community members

Once Formed…Once Formed…

Ownership issuesOwnership issues Disparate views from Disparate views from

old regimesold regimes FinancesFinances Time to find new Time to find new

organizational identityorganizational identity Work to develop Work to develop

processes/documentsprocesses/documents Alignment of policies, Alignment of policies,

procedures, labor procedures, labor agreementsagreements

Consolidation ResourcesConsolidation Resources

IAFC: Fire IAFC: Fire Department Department Consolidation, The Consolidation, The end…..or the end…..or the BeginningBeginning

Other agency Other agency experiencesexperiences

Consulting firmsConsulting firms

Generational ChangesGenerational Changes

Entry level now versus 30 years agoEntry level now versus 30 years ago Technical societyTechnical society Education improvementsEducation improvements Evolving expectationsEvolving expectations Broader missionBroader mission VolunteerismVolunteerism

PersonnelPersonnel

Relationship between the board, the Relationship between the board, the chief, the firefighters and the staffchief, the firefighters and the staff

Divisive personnel issuesDivisive personnel issues Embattled board/chiefEmbattled board/chief Individual board member agendasIndividual board member agendas

Technology and EquipmentTechnology and Equipment

Sophisticated (and expensive) Sophisticated (and expensive) equipment for operationsequipment for operations

Apparatus (engines, trucks, specialty Apparatus (engines, trucks, specialty equipment)equipment)

MonitoringMonitoring EMS, para medicineEMS, para medicine Rescue equipmentRescue equipment ComputerComputer technology technology Radios: P25 compliance, narrow bandingRadios: P25 compliance, narrow banding Other communicationsOther communications

Web SiteWeb Site

Use care in designUse care in design Thing about what Thing about what

the purpose and the purpose and message is you message is you want to deliverwant to deliver

Once you start, Once you start, keep it up to datekeep it up to date

Policy on “links”Policy on “links”

Televised Board MeetingsTelevised Board Meetings Community TV access Community TV access

in many areas, part of in many areas, part of cable franchisecable franchise

Colleges, council Colleges, council chambers, county chambers, county buildings, schools, for buildings, schools, for accessaccess

Develop policies Develop policies before starting on before starting on camera angles and camera angles and protocolsprotocols

Be aware of change in Be aware of change in dynamicsdynamics

Email MessagesEmail Messages

Instant Instant communications communications tool to a large tool to a large number of peoplenumber of people

Be careful of Be careful of potential for Brown potential for Brown Act violationsAct violations

NewsletterNewsletter

Direct mailer Direct mailer effective for effective for targeting general targeting general information to information to citizenscitizens

Mailer list: Confirm Mailer list: Confirm accuracyaccuracy

Use care in editingUse care in editing Can be expensiveCan be expensive

Volunteer TransitionVolunteer Transition

Cost gap widening for personnelCost gap widening for personnel Safety and response standardsSafety and response standards Public demands for servicePublic demands for service FundingFunding

FDAC Legislative AdvocacyFDAC Legislative Advocacy

Joint Legislative Task Force with the Joint Legislative Task Force with the California Fire Chiefs AssociationCalifornia Fire Chiefs Association

Paid lobbyist: Ralph HeimPaid lobbyist: Ralph Heim Task Force monitors legislation and Task Force monitors legislation and

takes appropriate positionstakes appropriate positions Email/fax communicationEmail/fax communication Current issuesCurrent issues

AssociationsAssociations

Fire Districts Association of CaliforniaFire Districts Association of California League of Cities, Fire Chiefs League of Cities, Fire Chiefs

DepartmentDepartment California Fire Chiefs AssociationCalifornia Fire Chiefs Association California State Firefighters AssociationCalifornia State Firefighters Association California Professional FirefightersCalifornia Professional Firefighters California State Association of CountiesCalifornia State Association of Counties