Citizens, firefighters form group to push for merger
Commissioners remain opposed
By Kara Chalmers
The Saratoga Fire District's firefighters' union has stepped up efforts to sway the SFD administration and recruit more citizens to its side in a push to merge the district with the Santa Clara County Fire Department. The move is one the administration--commissioners, Robert Egan, Henry Clarke and Jay Geddes, as well as SFD Fire Chief Ernie Kraule--opposes.
A firefighter and citizens group--called the Firefighter and Citizen Task Force (FACT)--has been formed, although it is somewhat loosely organized. FACT is comprised of Saratoga citizens who have shown some interest in the issue of contracting with the county department, according to SFD Capt. Jim Young. Rather than working as individuals, the citizens have banded together with some SFD and county department firefighters to better inform themselves about the union's and the county department's sides of the story, according to Young, so that, during SFD commission meetings, the public doesn't just get the board's side.
The goal of the group is to "give the citizens of Saratoga a clearer idea of what has transpired at the Saratoga Fire District over the past several years, and what the future could hold for the citizens," according to a letter printed in the Saratoga News "Speak Out" section on Jan. 17.
The union believes that a merger with the county department would better serve the firefighters and residents in the district, in terms of safety, while the administration says the SFD is doing a fine job of serving its citizens and firefighters.
The SFD hired a private consultant, DMG Maximus, to study the SFD's level of fire and medical services and found that the SFD was, in general, doing a good job, but could make a few changes, which Egan said the district is working on now. The study did not make any recommendations about whether or not to contract with the county.
The letter, signed by SFD Capt. Bill Morrison, union president on behalf of the union, said FACT was created because union firefighters and some citizens have become frustrated with the way the administration dealt with the requests of the SFD firefighters to merge with the county fire department.
"They know exactly what we feel and what we want and we've told them in many forums and we've kind of come to the end of that road," Young said, referring to the union's repeated requests to the administration to merge the two departments.
"They know what we think is right and they're resisting it," Young said, adding that the SFD fire station has become a "pretty tough climate to work in."
"The tensions are high," Young said. "It's a pretty small space."
The union has taken the issue of contracting as far as it can, Young said, and now it is up to interested citizens to become more involved and put pressure on the commissioners to contract, if that's what the citizens want.
"FACT is exploring options that the board has not yet looked into," Young said, adding that the group will then bring their findings to the commissioners.
The citizens in FACT, as well as Young and Morrison, visited the county fire department's headquarters on Jan. 10, to hear a presentation given by the chief of that department, Douglas Sporleder.
The FACT group had met and decided they wanted an official presentation from the county department so they could hear that Sporleder does, in fact, want to merge with the SFD, Young said.
According to Young, Sporleder talked at the meeting about how incorporating the Saratoga Fire District would tie his fire department together and serve the whole West Valley better. Today, the county department serves seven towns that neighbor Saratoga, as well as half of Saratoga.
"The next plan is to see how commissioners will approach county fire, because they had agreed in a public meeting to ask for a bid, and the county has still not been asked," Young said.
According to Egan, the SFD will ask the county for a bid for services.
"As we had said, we're following through with what the study requested us to do and provide the fire district with," Egan said, referring to DMG Maximus' level of service study. "We're putting together a request for proposals for a contract for services that will go to the county and other jurisdictions." He said the district is working on a draft now.
In following up with the specific recommendations the study made, the district has hired a company to put the job description together for assistant chief, Egan said. Egan also said that Chief Kraule has met with Chief Sporleder to put together a request for an auto aid agreement for ladder truck service for the six or seven buildings in the SFD that are tall enough to need one.
"We have met with and are working with county communications now on a proposal to do our dispatching," Egan said. The proposal would allow the district to keep all firefighters on the engines at night, when the day shift dispatcher goes home, Egan said. Today, a firefighter is taken off duty to handle dispatch on weekends and at night at the SFD station. Egan said all the district's software programs have been up and running as of Jan. 1, another of the study's recommendations.
Over the past few years, there have been several moves by the administration that the firefighters have not agreed with, including the need to pass a $6 million bond measure to pay for a new fire station for the SFD. The firefighters also argue that the district did not need to take over the property in back of the station through eminent domain to use as a temporary station during construction.
The union firefighters believe that if the SFD had just merged with the county department, it would not have been necessary to take over the back property, or pay so much for a new station. They also take issue with the district study, saying it should have made a recommendation on contracting with the county.
The union's Jan. 17 letter to the editor objected to the paid advertisement placed by the administration in the Saratoga News in November, since the union said it attacked the Saratoga union firefighters and the Santa Clara County Fire Department.
However, according to Egan, the union's letter blatantly attacked the SFD administration.
The letter criticized the SFD administration, saying it is apathetic and unresponsive, that it has an agenda it wishes to follow, regardless of comments from firefighters and citizens. It said the administration has broken promises and is close-minded and that it seems to ignore the citizens, firefighters and other political entities in the city.
According to Egan, this is not true. Egan said, beside attacking the SFD administration, the letter represents a "handful of union members that are trying to undermine our department."
"My understanding is, we've always had open meetings and open chances to talk about anything and if there are problems, we're able to discuss them," Egan said. "I don't know where he's coming from on his accusations."
Finally in the letter, the union said it has lost all confidence in the current administration, its ability to effectively and safely run the district, and asked that interested citizens come forward and apply for the two positions of fire commissioners that will be open as of November.
The election to fill the seats of two commissioners--Geddes and Clarke--will be held in November. At that time the citizens in the district will vote for commissioners who will serve four-year terms. Egan is not up for reelection for another three years.
Commissioners do not receive a stipend, but do have the option of health benefits, Egan said, and they must reside in the district.
Commissioner Henry Clarke has served for approximately 30 years, Jay Geddes for approximately 9 years and Egan has served for more than 21 years.
According to Egan, since he was elected 21 years ago, there has not been any opposition and the three commissioners have run unopposed.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
