SFD To Ask For Bid From County Fire Department, Says SFD Commissioner
District considers hiring deputy or assistant chief
SFD study now complete
By Kara Chalmers
The Saratoga Fire District plans to ask the chief of the Santa Clara County Fire Department, with which the SFD union firefighters have been pressing the district to contract, for an estimate of what such a contract would cost, said the chairman of the district's board of commissioners, Robert Egan.
Egan made the statement at a public meeting on Nov. 29, that was a study session for all three commissioners to look in detail at a report on the district's level of service, which a consulting firm completed in November. But Egan said the SFD first must look at how the county serves the other cities in its jurisdiction and decide what exactly to ask for in a contract. He said the SFD would want to ensure a similar level of service of what the district has now, and he specifically mentioned ensuring six firefighters and two engines, with a paramedic staffing each engine.
The private consulting firm, DMG Maximus, completed the nine-month study on the district's fire and medical services, and DMG's report outlines how well the SFD is performing in many areas and suggests ways it can improve in others. The report provides information and statistics on the Hillsborough, Woodside and Rancho Santa Fe fire departments, which are all comparable to the SFD in terms of the size of service area, the number of stations and staffing, among other areas. The study includes statistics on the county department, as well, but does not recommend whether the SFD should merge with the county department.
The county fire department, which serves seven neighboring towns, covers half of Saratoga, while the independent SFD covers the other half. The SFD has auto and mutual aid agreements with the county department so that, if either department needs backup equipment and personnel in an emergency, it can get it from the other department, if available.
According to the final report, during 1999, the county department responded to the SFD 79 times, while the SFD reciprocated on 54 occasions.
Union firefighters have been insisting on a contract with the county since they say a merger would increase the safety and services--all for the same or lower cost than the amount the SFD spends today--for the firefighters and the residents who live in the district.
The commissioners have said that instead of merging with the county, it would be more financially viable for the SFD to take control of services for the entire city. In addition, the commissioners have charged that union firefighters are only insisting on a merger with the county department since they believe the county offers more opportunities for advancement.
The union firefighters say the reason they threw their support behind the commissioners' $6 million bond measure for a new fire station--which Saratoga voters passed in April--was because the commissioners agreed to a study that would involve the county fire department, and would include a recommendation on a merger. Before that, the union firefighters had threatened not to support the measure since the commissioners denied the union's request to contract with the county.
Commissioners maintain that the study was never intended to be a consolidation feasibility study, and was intended only to look at how well the SFD provides services.
The final report finds that the SFD has several strengths, among them individualized customer service to residents and visitors, and that the district appears to receive substantial community support and goodwill.
According to the recommendations in the report, DMG recommends that the district hire a deputy or assistant chief, since the number of firefighters in the district has grown, the station is scheduled to be rebuilt and expanded, and there is a need for more managerial and administrative staff. At its next meeting on Dec. 22, the commission will explore the idea in more detail, after finding out what salaries and job descriptions are for assistant chiefs in other fire departments.
The second recommendation DMG makes is for the SFD to study, in depth, the way it handles dispatch services, and possibly increase the number of personnel to handle dispatch. Today, the SFD employs one dispatcher who works from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. However an on-duty firefighter has to handle dispatch during the times when the highest volume of calls come in, which happens at night and on weekends, when the dispatcher is off duty.
According to the report, dispatch data reveals that 82 percent of the district's calls for service through 911 occur during the hours when the dispatcher is off duty.
Egan said the commissioners have been discussing this issue for years. He said now the district might consider hiring more staff to fill either part-time or full-time dispatch positions. He said that the district would either form a committee to explore the matter or hire someone to show the district different ways to solve the problem. The commissioners agreed that for now, it was important to keep a minimum of seven firefighters on duty, so that there can be three on each engine, when one is committed to dispatch duties.
DMG also suggested that the district complete a needs assessment of its technological infrastructure.
The report states that, while the SFD may at times need a ladder truck or a hazardous materials unit--two pieces of equipment it does not own, an aid agreement with the county would be adequate to fill this need.
According to the report, there are approximately seven buildings three or more stories above accessible grade within the SFD. Also, the city of Saratoga currently has a land use restriction that prohibits any new building from being constructed above 35 feet in height.
"There's no indication that we need a truck company," Egan said at the meeting on Nov. 29. "We just need to have one available, which we do have available."
Also, the report suggests that nine firefighters respond to fires, and Egan said that with an aid agreement with the county, the SFD would not have a problem with that number.
The next step is for the commissioners to meet with all three shifts of firefighters for questions and input on the final report, which they will do in open meetings on Dec. 12-14. Then, the commissioners will hold a public hearing on the report. The date for the public hearing is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 18, in the evening, but the commission will make a final decision on that date at its next meeting on Dec. 22.
Commissioners won't reach any final decisions during any of these study sessions, but will return with comments and input for discussion at their regular board meetings.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
