The Press-Enterprise
Read the Grand Jury's 2008-2009 reports.
Riverside County should consider forming its own fire department in the future instead of contracting with the state, which plans to hike administrative fees this year, a new county grand jury report says.
Fire officials should also do more to discipline career firefighters who create a hostile work environment for their volunteer colleagues and to address conflict between the two groups, the grand jury said.
The report, released last week, makes 10 recommendations for cutting costs and reducing strife in the Riverside County Fire Department. The department relies on about 1,000 Cal Fire firefighters and personnel to protect the county and 18 contract cities. Cal Fire employees help train and work side-by-side with about 700 volunteer firefighters.
County Fire Chief John Hawkins, a state employee, declined to comment on the report Wednesday. He said his department is following standard procedure and formulating an official response to the grand jury. The response will be reviewed by the county executive office and Board of Supervisors and issued by Sept. 28.
At a May supervisors meeting, Hawkins said an anticipated increase in this year's administrative fees is not Cal Fire's fault. The higher cost reflects an increase in the fees that the state Department of Finance charges Cal Fire, he said.
County spokeswoman Lys Mendez said the county does not yet have a dollar estimate for how much Cal Fire administrative costs would go up, but they would increase from about 9.7 percent of the total contract amount to 11 percent.
Hawkins added at the May meeting that his department was working closely with the executive office to cut spending and help ease the county's budget crisis. Supervisors have since approved a budget that includes about $5 million in cuts to the department.
Officials with the separate associations representing career and volunteer firefighters declined to comment on the grand jury's recommendations and findings, but spoke generally about their concerns.
"It brings to light some of the issues that some firefighters are facing in the county," Angel Sanchez Jr., chairman of the Volunteer Firefighters Association, said of the report.
Terence McHale, policy director with CDF Firefighters, the union which represents career firefighters with Cal Fire, said the report should not be taken at face value.
The grand jury says local leaders with CDF Firefighters repeatedly told members that volunteer firefighters lacked training and were plotting to replace them.
"This type of propaganda has lent itself to the creation of a hostile work environment at some stations," the report says.
At some stations, Cal Fire firefighters commonly call in paid staff on overtime instead of using readily available volunteer firefighters to respond to a call, the report said. Such delays could jeopardize people's safety, the report said.
The grand jury also found that some equipment purchased by volunteer firefighter companies had been tampered with or had disappeared.
Most new volunteer firefighters did not receive new protective equipment and frequently what they received was extensively worn and sometimes defective, the grand jury said.
McHale said he disagrees with much of the report but concurs with at least one recommendation. The report says volunteers should be referred to as "paid-call firefighters" since they have the option to receive compensation on certain calls.
"Paid-call firefighters are a part of the equation; we recognize that," he said. "We respect that but we also want to make sure they are used in a capacity that enhances response, where they don't hurt themselves or endanger vulnerable citizens, who I believe expect and deserve the most well-trained and experienced personnel."
Reach Julia Glick at 951-368-9442 or jglick@PE.com
http://www.pe.com/localnews/rivcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_S_firegrandjury09.3762f90.html
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