The Kern County grand jury
released a report Thursday claiming the Kern County Fire Department must
upgrade or replace aging facilities, reduce firefighters' exposure to diesel
exhaust and find new recruits.
"As a facility ages,
it may no longer meet the needs of an evolving workforce and community,"
the report said. "This can negatively affect efficiency, morale, safety,
security and overall efforts to provide quality fire, rescue and emergency
medical services."
The report begins by
acknowledging the Kern County Board of Supervisors conducted an analysis of
KCFD through the Center for Public Safety Management in 2017, which addressed
many similar concerns. Of the 62 recommendations, 55 instances have been fixed
or are currently in progress. The grand jury sought to address unfinished items
from the CPSM report, and other issues discovered during the investigation.
Ryan Alsop, Kern County's
chief administrative officer, said the county understands work still needs to
be done, but referenced the Board of Supervisors' investment of more than $10
million to replace fire engines, bulldozers and other vehicles.
Some difficulties also
arise when trying to make these upgrades, he said.
"There is a backlog
of infrastructure and equipment need, and that is something that we are working
with our fire chief to address," Alsop said in an emailed statement.
"It's not an overnight fix, replacing helicopters and fire stations is
tens of millions of dollars in each instance, but we are currently working to
get our county into a position where our backlog of these projects is largely
eliminated and additional funding for these critical investments can be
provided more rigorously."
A "significant
number" of KCFD facilities are "well past their serviceable"
life, according to the grand jury. Nine stations are more than 60 years old.
The oldest facility — Station 53 on Old River Road and Taft Highway — is 71
years old, the report states. The document claims fire stations have a service
life of approximately 50 years.
The grand jury also
visited numerous fire stations and documented other concerns for a variety of
stations.
Station 45 on Edison
Highway had exposed rebar, water-damaged ceiling tiles and cracks on the
exterior wall. A bathroom remodel was completed, and all water damage was
repaired this fiscal year, KCFD Chief Aaron Duncan said in an email. Next
month, the department plans to resurface, texture and paint the exterior of the
station, he added.
The report also states the
facilities' exercise area is located in the department's Fleet Maintenance
shop.
"This area is a major
health concern," said the grand jury in the report. "Firefighters are
exposed to diesel exhaust, carbon monoxide, metallic abrasion particles,
sulfates and silicates."
Duncan did not answer a
question about this claim; however, the chief said an official response will be
given to the Board of Supervisors within 90 days.
The report also claims a
diesel exhaust removal system is missing in seven stations, while 39 facilities
possess the filtration. Furthermore, 28 stations are missing back-up power
generators or a fire sprinkler suppression system, according to the grand jury.
"A fire or power
outage at any station would disrupt the entire KCFD operations," the
report states.
Duncan said he has
received $1.2 million in grants that will buy 32 generators this fiscal year
for fire stations without a back-up generator or an outdated generator.
KCFD struggles to find new
recruits, the report said, "which leads to mandated overtime, sleep
deprivation and burn-out."
Duncan said staffing is a
"top priority." He added the current budget funds all safety positions,
and has created a bridge program for Kern County Fire Department Seasonal
Wildland Firefighters to become full-time firefighters. Moreover, he added 27
recruits graduated in January 2022 and 19 recruits began training Jan. 31.
The grand jury recommends
the KCFD develop a plan to replace or repair stations 50 years or older over
the next five to 10 years. Funding should be secured by the Board of
Supervisors and by tapping into President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure
Bill, known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, according to the
report.
KCFD invests money each
fiscal year to address the backlog of equipment and infrastructure needs,
Duncan said in an email.
The county has 90 days to
provide an official response to the grand jury report.
The Bakersfield
Californian
Ishani Desai
February 18, 2022
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