It’s been months since the city started talking about creating a Fire Task Force to examine ways to save money in the city budget and increase protection for residents.
Now that it’s here and will consider ways to help the cash-strapped city, we urge the taskforce to ensure that the effort to save money does not overshadow the need for an organized and responsive department.
Monday Mayor Tony Bruscia named the 10 member board that includes Fire Chief Bill Garringer, County Supervisor Pat Loe and San Juan Oaks Golf Club general manager Scott Fuller. Originally proposed in early May, the task force was supposed to work on problems with local fire protection while saving money to help overcome a $4 million city budget shortfall.
The task force will focus on how to share fire protection with the county through possibly creating a new fire district and examine whether the city could save money by contracting with the California Department of Forestry.
Members of the City Council have been reluctant to look at the CDF option because it could mean a loss of local control over fire protection if the Hollister Fire Department were absorbed by CDF. But the city is facing a budget crisis, and all options should be explored. We’re not advocating disbanding Hollister’s fire department, but putting all the cards on the table so the city can make a prudent financial decision.
Still, the loss of local control should be the task force’s biggest concern when studying a CDF contract, and the city should include a minimum staffing clause to save local firefighter jobs if the CDF contract looks like a viable option. CDF is a state agency with greater responsibilities than local fire protection. Should a contract be considered, it must guarantee that Hollister’s needs stay on the top of the priority list.
Most importantly, the task force needs to look at a wide array of options like sharing duties and possibly equipment between the city and county departments. Fire protection is one of the most important services provided to residents from their local governments, and saving money must not come at the expense of a responsive department.
Regardless of the outcome, simply examining the system with the intent to improve it on all fronts is a good first step for the task force, which will hold its first meeting by the end of the month. Undoubtedly, the city has serious budget concerns to tackle in the next few years, and revamping fire protection could yield many cost saving alternatives. But the safety and protection of Hollister residents should always remain the paramount concern on the task force’s agenda.
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