Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

1. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Service Reduction and Fire Station Closure Plan

2. How Did We Get Here? • Global recession • The District’s revenue is primarily based on property tax assessments. • This revenue has decreased by approximately $32 million dollars from 2008 to 2012. • The District does not receive Prop-172 or other sales tax revenue from the County or Cities. • Personnel costs account for 89% of budget. • Health care costs increased. • Pension contributions increased due to market losses and de-pooling. • Diversion of approximately $12M per year to RDAs prior to dissolution. • Measure Q failed to achieve “super majority.”

3. Actions Taken Prior to Station Closures • Concessions by all personnel - (10% salary reduction, lower starting salaries, increased health care and pension contributions) • Non-operational positions held vacant • Eliminated positions and laid off employees • Controlled non-minimum staffing overtime • Deferred capital (fleet and facilities) purchases • Reduced operating costs and discretionary spending • Leveraged grants for staffing and equipment • Utilized $25M in reserve funds to maintain service • De-staffed two operational units (1/11 and 7/12) • Structural Reform – pensions, terminal leave, OPEB

4. Response Times Are Critical: • Goal: Arrive on the scene within 5 minutes 90 % of the time. • NFPA recommends a response time of 6 minutes 90% of the time. • NFPA requires an adequate firefighting force (16-personnel) on-scene within 10 minutes. • Current response time with 28 companies is 6:38 minutes. 90 percentile time is over 8:30 minutes.

5. Performance Picture

6. Planned Actions: • Close four (4 ) fire stations in early January as previously indicated • Conduct community meetings in the effected areas • Savings – Approximately $3M for second half of FY-2012/2013 • Impact – Reduced service delivery and public safety • Alter operational strategies and tactics to adjust to reduced resources • Continue to monitor response times, impact, and service delivery options

7. Efforts to Minimize Impact • Leverage automatic/mutual aid, and private sector partners • Potentially up-staff one or two units to expedite interior fire attack operations • Utilize existing reserve force to provide some coverage for closed stations when available   • Work to develop and implement an EMS-only (paramedic and EMT or 2- EMTs) unit in some or all of the affected stations during peak call volume time periods of 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. • Develop and implement an EMS-only reserve or volunteer program to cover the affected stations during the non-peak periods • Limit the response to some non-life threatening emergencies and public service calls • Enhanced use of dynamic resource deployment, e.g. posting • Utilize software to evaluate optimal fire station locations and response configurations • Reengineer training, apparatus maintenance, support functions

8. Analysis of Station Closures: • Community threat/risk • Call volume • Ability of adjoining fire stations to “absorb” the call volume and work load • Proximity of adjoining automatic and mutual aid fire stations • Transportation corridors • Impact on response times for the entire District

9. Fire Stations Identified for Closure: • Fire Station #4 – 700 Hawthorne Drive, Walnut Creek • Fire Station #11 – 6500 Center Avenue, Clayton • Part-time sharing with E-22 from Concord to leverage “reverse commuter” traffic flow • Fire Station #12 – 1240 Shell Avenue, Martinez • Fire Station #16 – 4007 Los Arabis Avenue, Lafayette

10. Impact of Closures on Fire Incidents

11. Response Time from Alternate Station:

12. 24 - Stations in Optimal Locations Based on Historical Incident Data

13. Full System Impact(FS04, FS11, FS12, FS16) • First Engine Dispatch to On-scene <= 6:00 : 71.44%. Avg. 5:21. • Add 1 additional minute for dispatch processing • First Engine Dispatch to On-scene <= 6:00 : 68.89%. Avg. 5:28. • Add 1 additional minute for dispatch processing 12/04/2012

14. FY-2013/2014 Budget: • Staff will continue to seek efficiencies and reduce costs while maintaining operational capabilities, safety requirements, and statutory mandates. • Utilize carryover funding from the FY-12/13 midyear service reductions • Maintain $2.6M stabilization fund as reserve • Serious deficits will still exist • Staff 22 or 23 fire stations

15. Strategic Funding Alternatives: • Reduction in inter-agency service charges to off-set services provided by the District to the County • Apply for second SAFER grant • Additional Prop-172 Funding • Cost recovery ordinance • Joint County/City tax initiatives • Public-Private partnerships • Attempt future parcel tax or benefit assessment measure • Supplemental revenue from County

16. Summary: • Sharply declining property tax revenue and increasing costs have created a “fiscal crisis” for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. • Cost-cutting efforts have been implemented and reserve funds are exhausted; however, additional savings are necessary. • Four (4) units are scheduled to be de-staffed in January 2013. • An additional one or two fire stations will need to be closed in FY-13/14 unless revenue is enhanced.