Brentwood could soon see new two-person rescue squads to beef up the beleaguered fire district’s stretched-thin firefighter staff, with developers footing much of the bill.
That’s because this week the Brentwood City Council and the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District board of directors both unanimously approved a service enhancement plan and new mechanisms to address growth in the city.
“This is really a long time coming,” ECCFPD Chief Brian Helmick told the fire board on Wednesday. “This is part of our strategic initiative. We are looking at ways to increase service levels within our jurisdiction.”
For the past two years, city and fire district ad-hoc committees have looked to enhance service in Brentwood, which generates about half of the ECCFPD calls for service, some 75 percent of which are medical. The district also serves Oakley and unincorporated areas of Discovery Bay, Byron, Knightsen, Bethel Island, Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory, but has not reach agreements with those areas yet.
Councilwoman Karen Rarey is a member of the city’s fire and emergency services committee and recalls bring up the concept two years earlier, but said it took awhile to flush out funding sources.
“I heard our residents loud and clear,” she told the fire board. “Brentwood can no longer continue to allow development within our community without increasing fire and medical services. This fire-first enhanced service concept achieves this.”
Under the plan, the fire district for the first time will have a seat at the table when the city and developer are hashing out an agreement. That means increased developer fire impact fees could be assessed to help pay for new stations. In addition, if fire community facility districts are established, the developer could be asked to pay for those assessments upfront so the district could get rescue squads up and running sooner, she said.
“The fire district has never been at the table and now they are so it makes fire an urgent issue upfront,” Brentwood City Manager Gus Vina said. “…The fire committees are recommending short-term bridge solutions, a two-person squad with a firefighter EMT. We would implement this solution in coordination with development and growth. And as the chief has alluded to, we’ve got to do it now.”
Vina added that it is critical to note that the two-person squads would eventually convert to three-person engine companies, depending on the district’s needs.
Upfront developer monies could foot the estimated $3.7 million bill, he said, for a two-member squad, which includes approximately $700,000 for equipment, leaving the rest for salaries and benefits for the six firefighters (three shifts of two each working daily). These squads would primarily be medical squads and not drive the fire engines, but could assist other firefighters on call if needed, he added.
“Brentwood is one of the fastest-growing cities in the county still and so it is critical to implement this part of the solution as fast as possible to impact the developments that are coming through the door,” Vina said. “This is a bridge solution only. It’s to jump start and bring some responsibility to the development that is still coming.”
Chief Helmick agreed, noting that with the current growth, the district will need another three stations, one in Brentwood, one in Discovery Bay/Byron and one in Oakley. At build-out, Brentwood would need even one more, he added.
The chief added that the district hopes new impact fees will help to build fire stations, community facility districts will pay for the operations and a potential tax measure or additional benefit assessment will be approved to address current deficits.
“These are short-term bridges to long-term permanent solutions,” he said.
“Baseline property tax is not going to be enough to operate a station, so that’s why we need community facility districts…We have learned that there is not a silver bullet to fix everything, one thing that we can do as a district to eliminate all of our problems.”
Vina said the city and district are now partnering well to solve the staffing and station challenges.
“I think good things are coming and I believe in leaving the solutions to the experts, and that’s why I think the fire district needs to take a serious lead in (determining) the solutions that are needed.”
Vincent Wells, president of the United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County, also supported the new enhancement concept and two-person squads.
“We’re in support of this plan,” he said. “… We’d like to be there in Oakley and with the (county) board of supervisors as well. Fire services is a priority as we consider growth.”
Fire board Vice President Stephen Smith, who motioned to approve the plan, acknowledged the work done for many months behind the scenes to enhance services.
“Frankly, Brentwood has been taking a lot of heat while we got all of this stuff together, and I am glad we can finally begin rolling out the results of the work that has been going on all this time.”
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