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Fire district critics want city's support
By Oakley Brooks
The Saratoga Public Safety Commission officially presented its report on Saratoga's fire service to the city council on March 21, and comments from citizens and firefighters following the presentation admonished the commission's report.
The report, released on March 8, concluded that Saratoga's hybrid service provided by the Santa Clara County and the Saratoga Fire District "adequately" protects the city in medical and fire emergencies.
Members of the coalition of firefighters and citizens group gave the city council a list of safety issues they believe the commission has overlooked. The coalition is trying to gather city council support in convincing the Saratoga Fire District to join the county fire unit and put the entire city under one fire jurisdiction.
The city council would not comment on the report or the issue of fire jurisdiction, explaining that it was not an official agenda item. Council members said they will take up the item at the April 24 council meeting.
Community members, however, did express their feelings on the subject after Public Safety Commissioner Hugh Hexamer presented the commission's report, saying, "We stand by the conclusions."
Karen Walter, a member of Firefighters and Citizens Task Force, called it an "embarrassment" that the Saratoga Fire District has to rely on county fire support when responding to a fire. As the commission report notes, Saratoga Fire Department has established an agreement with the county to provide necessary backup for all fires within the city jurisdiction.
What the report failed to mention, according to FACT member Ed Farrell, is that the response time of county's backup is double that of the city's original response.
"I'm not pleased with the facts that have been overlooked," said Farrell.
The response-time issue was just one in a list of several that Farrell and FACT believe the commission bypassed, and which was presented in written form to the council on March 21.
The list included the city's inability to respond to another fire within the district if its engines are already out on call. Most districts have a system called "engine move-up," where reserve units move into stand-by when a stations' first unit are out on a fire call. Saratoga City doesn't have this capability.
Saratoga's lack of a ladder truck was also cited. The absence of a wildfire patrol in the city's backcountry on days of high fire risk. The commission report cites abundant vegetation as the biggest fire threat in the city.
"We now have city council's attention," said FACT Chairman David Dolloff. "Hopefully, they'll put pressure on the fire district to join the county."
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
