Over the past several decades, the
costs involved in providing fire service have climbed. Based on the statewide average, a
new suburban fire station can cost from $1.5-2 million. The cost of a new Class I pumper
with a 1,000 gallon per minute pumping capacity averages around $350,000. A Class IV
pumper with 250 gpm capacity averages around $60,000. One set of “turnouts”
(individual protective clothing and gear) costs about $2,000. The cost to place a
three-person paid engine company in service on a 24 hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
basis can cost from $1.5 – 1.8 million.
In Siskiyou County, volunteers may cut costs to communities by
building the station and manning the engines, but they can’t survive long without
financial support to buy the necessary materials, equipment, insurance and gas. According
to a study by Saint Joseph’s University, the average volunteer is saving his/her
community from $25-45 thousand – the estimate cost of replacement with career
firefighters.
Let’s not forget that our volunteers are required to have the
same basic training as paid career firefighters. Just to start, a firefighter is required
to complete a minimum of 26 hours of public safety and first aid training, 16 hours of
hazardous material courses, eight hours of CPR, five of personal protective equipment use,
four hours on communicable disease awareness, three hours on the use of self contained
breathing apparatus, and one hour each on sudden infant death and elder abuse training.
(This does not include the additional hours of specialty training for our EMTs and
paramedics.) That is quite a commitment and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to
attract and retain the rare breed of men and women and choose to volunteer.
The County and the Fire Chief’s Association have taken a look at
some of the issues surrounding fire service in Siskiyou County. Recently, a Municipal
Services Review (MSR) was commissioned by LAFCO (Local Agency Formation Commission.) The
MSR made the following short term recommendations:
(1) Officially adopt levels of service for each area (response time
goals); (2) Improve the ability to communicate and distribute information through
computers, software and the internet; (3) Assist residents in forming Fire Safe Councils;
(4) Improve volunteer recruitment, retention and recognition; (5) Provide leadership
development opportunities for volunteers; (6)
Consider adding some paid responders over time; (7) Improve driver training; (8) Support a
countywide development fee on new building to create future fire infrastructure; (9)
“Harden” the fire stations with generators, etc. to make them more independent
during disasters; (10) Dispose of old surplus equipment; (11) Standardize Procedures; and
(12) Improve public awareness.
The following long term recommendations were also made: (1) Create a
volunteer firefighter tax exemption; (2) Attach minimum performance goals and safety
requirements as conditions to any County funding; (3) Determine how much money is the
minimum to operate a fire department in Siskiyou County; (4) Re-align district and ZIB
borders - consider consolidations; (5) Consider forming a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA)
among county, cities, districts and hose companies to address common issues and planning;
(6) convert hose companies to tax-based institutions; (7) Consider downscaling fire
apparatus (pumping capacity); (8) Develop a
countywide Master Plan; (9) Explore other reorganization options; and (10) Establish a
LAFCO reorganization committee.
We are already working on some of these. Obviously not everyone can
help move every recommendation forward, but every one of us must be part of the solution
to this countywide problem. The first step is awareness. The next step is involvement.
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