Alluding to the Hollister Fire Department as a problem that
needs to be fixed, the Hollister City Council agreed to form a task
force made up of select community members to evaluate the future of
the department Monday.
Alluding to the Hollister Fire Department as a problem that needs to be fixed, the Hollister City Council agreed to form a task force made up of select community members to evaluate the future of the department Monday.
Mayor Tony Bruscia, who proposed the task force, asked that the Council approve requisition of a proposal from the California Department of Forestry (CDF) to contract with the city to provide fire protection, which would mean elimination of the Hollister Fire Department.
Council members denied requesting a proposal from CDF without more information from all of San Benito County’s fire representatives.
Attempting to save money by consolidating services stems from the city’s projected $4 million deficit that has resulted in cuts or layoffs in almost every city department.
“If you want to form this task force… I think we need to bring those entities to the table – Aromas Fire District, San Juan Bautista, Hollister and, of course, the county,” said Councilmember Tony LoBue. “We can find out what we actually need and then ask to see if CDF can provide all those things. We’re not going to go out for a proposal if we don’t know what we want.”
The task force would consist of a representative from each fire department, the county and several other non-biased yet informed community members.
LoBue and Councilmember Pauline Valdivia suggested the creation of a fire district, which would use property taxes to fund fire protection in the city and county, as an alternative to contracting out with CDF.
“I know what we have right now is not working,” said Councilmember Pauline Valdivia. “Regardless of what we decide to do, we need to seriously look at the fire department… Because I can see this being a long-term situation.”
In an interview, Hollister Fire Chief Bill Garringer, who strongly opposed the idea of contracting with CDF, suggested a similar idea.
“Combine with the county… Let’s consolidate into a fire district and take the burden off both general funds for running a fire department, and let property tax money pay to run the fire district,” he said. “That’s not a bad idea and I could help with that… Forget the state – let them go fight their weed fires.”
In an interview before the meeting, Bruscia championed the idea of a CDF proposal to begin a lengthy process that he hopes will, in the end, set a more rigid set of standards for the fire department while creating a more cost-effective service.
He softened his approach at the meeting, stating he isn’t suggesting the city has to contract with CDF, but needs to explore alternatives to becoming more efficient with the city’s limited resources.
“If we can provide the same level of service with a lower cost, great,” Bruscia said. “If we can’t, we tried, but we need to look.”
CDF currently contracts with 25 other California cities to provide fire protection, Bruscia said.
Fire services would suffer if the city’s fire department were replaced with CDF, Garringer said, who is being laid off effective July 1, due to the city’s Reduction in Force layoffs.
CDF’s first responsibility is to the state, not the local community of Hollister, Garringer said.
“You’re giving (CDF) fire stations brand new fire equipment that we’ve bought over the past few years… Then CDF can say, ‘Send that engine to L.A.’ They do it all the time,” he said. “Every year they ask us to (assist) at fires down south and every year I say no. My responsibility is to the citizens of Hollister.”
In 1997, CDF delivered a proposal to the city similar to the one Bruscia is attempting to obtain that outlined funding for equipment, salaries and copious other details as to what would occur if they took over the city’s fire protection.
Total operating expenses for the CDF option in 1997 were almost $50,000 more than the amount the city would pay to service Hollister with its own department, according to the proposal.
“The city manager asked for the proposal,” Garringer said. “I don’t know his reason – to see if it was cheaper, probably. And then it turned out not to be.”
If a proposal is issued and it turns out to be more cost effective, the city will “get what it pays for,” Garringer said.
“CDF is going to say, ‘we’ve got a big fire going somewhere in our state, let’s go fight it – we’ll leave minimum people here,'” he said. “You’re entering into an agreement with a state fire department. You’re gonna get what the state feels like giving you, and they’re gonna take your money.”
The possibility of creating a fire district, the CDF proposal and an increased sales tax that Bruscia hopes to place on the November ballot to garner more money for fire protection are issues the members of the fire task force will discuss, among other things, he said.
What it all comes down to is fire safety, no matter how it gets done, he said.
“I don’t care how we do it. I don’t care if it’s our firefighters, I don’t care if the county takes over the service, I don’t care if CDF does, I don’t care,” Bruscia said. “Tell me what makes the most sense, tell me what’s right and why, and let’s do it.”
Examining every option is crucial to the city’s financial future, said City Manager Dale Shaddox, who is resigning his position effective May 11.
“The only reason that CDF has come up is because there are local examples of CDF contacts being successful. With that in mind, I think it’s worthwhile of thinking about it and evaluating it,” he said. “We should do that with all the services the city provides.”
