LAFCO
Fire Districts Final MSR
Read the report at Local Agency Formation Commissions ↗
S O LL A NN O F II R E D I SS T R II C T SS
M UU N I CC I PA L S EE RV II C E R E VV I E WW
F I NN A L
Adopted Octoberr 20, 2014
Prepared forr the
Solano Locall Agency Forrmation Commmission
by Policy Connsulting Asssociates, LLC.
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................................ 6
PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8
CONTEXT ................................................................................................................................................................. 8
CREDITS ................................................................................................................................................................... 8
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................... 8
SERVICE PROVIDERS .................................................................................................................................................... 8
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE ................................................................................................................................................. 8
GROWTH AND SERVICE DEMAND ................................................................................................................................... 9
PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT ...................................................................................................................................... 9
ACCOUNTABILITY ......................................................................................................................................................... 9
FINANCING ................................................................................................................................................................ 10
INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS ........................................................................................................................................... 10
SERVICE ADEQUACY ................................................................................................................................................... 11
ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................................. 12
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE OPTIONS ............................................................................................................................ 12
2. LAFCO AND MUNICIPAL SERVICES REVIEWS ............................................................................................ 14
LAFCO OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................................... 14
MUNICIPAL SERVICES REVIEW ORIGINS ....................................................................................................................... 15
MUNICIPAL SERVICES REVIEW LEGISLATION ................................................................................................................ 17
MUNICIPAL SERVICES REVIEW PROCESS ...................................................................................................................... 18
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE UPDATES ................................................................................................................................ 18
DISADVANTAGED UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES ..................................................................................................... 19
3. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 21
GROWTH & POPULATION PROJECTIONS ....................................................................................................................... 22
FIRE AND EMS SERVICES ........................................................................................................................................... 30
4. CORDELIA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT ................................................................................................... 44
AGENCY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................... 44
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ........................................................................................................ 49
GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS .................................................................................................................... 52
DISADVANTAGED UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES ..................................................................................................... 54
FINANCIAL ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES................................................................................................................... 54
PRESENT AND PLANNED CAPACITY .............................................................................................................................. 56
SERVICE ADEQUACY ................................................................................................................................................... 62
STATUS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARED FACILITIES .................................................................................................. 65
LAFCO POLICIES AFFECTING SERVICE DELIVERY ......................................................................................................... 67
CORDELIA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT SUMMARY OF DETERMINATIONS ....................................................................... 68
5. DIXON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT .......................................................................................................... 71
AGENCY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................... 71
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ........................................................................................................ 78
GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS .................................................................................................................... 80
DISADVANTAGED UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES ..................................................................................................... 82
FINANCIAL ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES................................................................................................................... 83
PRESENT AND PLANNED CAPACITY .............................................................................................................................. 85
SERVICE ADEQUACY ................................................................................................................................................... 91
STATUS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARED FACILITIES .................................................................................................. 93
LAFCO POLICIES AFFECTING SERVICE DELIVERY ......................................................................................................... 96
DIXON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT SUMMARY OF DETERMINATIONS ............................................................................. 97
TABLE OF CONTENTS cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 1
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
6. EAST VALLEJO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT .......................................................................................... 100
AGENCY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................. 100
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ...................................................................................................... 106
GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS .................................................................................................................. 109
DISADVANTAGED UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES ................................................................................................... 111
FINANCIAL ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES................................................................................................................. 112
PRESENT AND PLANNED CAPACITY ............................................................................................................................ 114
SERVICE ADEQUACY ................................................................................................................................................. 121
STATUS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARED FACILITIES ................................................................................................ 123
LAFCO POLICIES AFFECTING SERVICE DELIVERY ....................................................................................................... 126
EAST VALLEJO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT DETERMINATIONS .................................................................................... 127
7. MONTEZUMA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT ............................................................................................ 130
AGENCY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................. 130
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ...................................................................................................... 136
GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS .................................................................................................................. 138
DISADVANTAGED UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES ................................................................................................... 140
FINANCIAL ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES................................................................................................................. 141
PRESENT AND PLANNED CAPACITY ............................................................................................................................ 143
SERVICE ADEQUACY ................................................................................................................................................. 149
STATUS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARED FACILITIES ................................................................................................ 152
LAFCO POLICIES AFFECTING SERVICE DELIVERY ....................................................................................................... 154
MONTEZUMA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT DETERMINATIONS ...................................................................................... 155
8. SUISUN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT ....................................................................................................... 158
AGENCY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................. 158
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ...................................................................................................... 164
GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS .................................................................................................................. 166
DISADVANTAGED UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES ................................................................................................... 168
FINANCIAL ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES................................................................................................................. 169
PRESENT AND PLANNED CAPACITY ............................................................................................................................ 172
SERVICE ADEQUACY ................................................................................................................................................. 179
STATUS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARED FACILITIES ................................................................................................ 181
LAFCO POLICIES AFFECTING SERVICE DELIVERY ....................................................................................................... 185
SUISUN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT DETERMINATIONS .............................................................................................. 186
9. VACAVILLE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT ................................................................................................ 189
AGENCY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................. 189
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ...................................................................................................... 196
GROWTH AND POPULATION PROJECTIONS .................................................................................................................. 199
DISADVANTAGED UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES ................................................................................................... 201
FINANCIAL ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES................................................................................................................. 202
PRESENT AND PLANNED CAPACITY ............................................................................................................................ 203
SERVICE ADEQUACY ................................................................................................................................................. 210
STATUS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARED FACILITIES ................................................................................................ 213
LAFCO POLICIES AFFECTING SERVICE DELIVERY ....................................................................................................... 215
VACAVILLE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT DETERMINATIONS ......................................................................................... 216
10. FIRE SERVICES COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS .................................................................................... 219
SERVICE DEMAND .................................................................................................................................................... 219
SERVICE ADEQUACY ................................................................................................................................................. 222
SERVICE FINANCING ................................................................................................................................................. 231
11. ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................ 241
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE OPTIONS .......................................................................................................................... 247
TABLE OF CONTENTS cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 2
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................................... 259
INTERVIEWS ........................................................................................................................................................... 262
TABLE OF CONTENTS cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 3
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
L I S T O F F I G U R E S
FIGURE 1-1: FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS IN SOLANO COUNTY ....................................................................................... 8
FIGURE 1-2: EXISTING BOUNDARIES AND SPHERES OF INFLUENCE ................................................................................... 8
FIGURE 1-3: ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................. 12
FIGURE 3-1: POPULATION GROWTH RATES IN SOLANO COUNTY AND CALIFORNIA, DOF 2001-2014 .............................. 26
FIGURE 3-2: NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 2000-2013 ................................................ 27
FIGURE 3-3: COUNTYWIDE ADJUSTED DOF POPULATION PROJECTIONS ......................................................................... 28
FIGURE 3-4: COUNTYWIDE ADJUSTED DOT POPULATION PROJECTIONS ......................................................................... 29
FIGURE 3-5: ANNUALIZED GROWTH PROJECTIONS BY METHOD ..................................................................................... 30
FIGURE 3-6: FIRE SERVICE PROVIDERS IN SOLANO COUNTY .......................................................................................... 31
FIGURE 3-7: FIRE AND EMS PROVIDERS IN SOLANO COUNTY ......................................................................................... 33
FIGURE 4-1: CFPD LIST OF LAFCO-APPROVED BOUNDARY CHANGES ........................................................................... 45
FIGURE 4-2: CORDELIA FPD BOUNDARIES ................................................................................................................... 46
FIGURE 4-3: CFPD SERVICES ..................................................................................................................................... 47
FIGURE 4-4: CORDELIA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT GOVERNING BODY ......................................................................... 50
FIGURE 4-5: CFPD NUMBER OF CALLS BY YEAR, 2007-2013 ...................................................................................... 56
FIGURE 4-6: CFPD CERTIFIED PERSONNEL ................................................................................................................. 58
FIGURE 4-7: CORDELIA FPD FIRE STATIONS ................................................................................................................ 59
FIGURE 5-1: DFPD LIST OF LAFCO APPROVED BORDER CHANGES ............................................................................... 72
FIGURE 5-2: DIXON FPD BOUNDARIES ........................................................................................................................ 73
FIGURE 5-3: DFPD SERVICES ..................................................................................................................................... 74
FIGURE 5-4: DIXON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT GOVERNING BODY .............................................................................. 78
FIGURE 5-5: DFPD NUMBER OF CALLS BY YEAR, 2007-2013 ...................................................................................... 85
FIGURE 5-6: DFD CERTIFIED PERSONNEL ................................................................................................................... 86
FIGURE 5-7: DFPD FIRE STATIONS ............................................................................................................................. 88
FIGURE 6-1: EVFPD LIST OF LAFCO APPROVED BORDER CHANGES ........................................................................... 101
FIGURE 6-2: EAST VALLEJO FPD BOUNDARIES .......................................................................................................... 103
FIGURE 6-3: EVFPD SERVICES ................................................................................................................................. 104
FIGURE 6-4: EAST VALLEJO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT GOVERNING BODY ................................................................. 107
FIGURE 6-5: VFD NUMBER OF CALLS BY YEAR, 2007-2013 ...................................................................................... 114
FIGURE 6-6: VFD CERTIFIED PERSONNEL ................................................................................................................. 115
FIGURE 6-7: VALLEJO FD FIRE STATIONS .................................................................................................................. 117
FIGURE 7-1: MFPD LIST OF LAFCO APPROVED BORDER CHANGES ............................................................................. 131
FIGURE 7-2: MONTEZUMA FPD BOUNDARIES ............................................................................................................ 132
FIGURE 7-3: MFPD SERVICES .................................................................................................................................. 133
FIGURE 7-4: MONTEZUMA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT GOVERNING BODY ................................................................... 136
FIGURE 7-5: MFPD NUMBER OF CALLS BY YEAR, 2007-2013 ................................................................................... 143
FIGURE 7-6: MFPD CERTIFIED PERSONNEL .............................................................................................................. 145
FIGURE 7-7: MONTEZUMA FPD FIRE STATIONS ......................................................................................................... 146
FIGURE 8-1: SFPD LIST OF LAFCO APPROVED BORDER CHANGES .............................................................................. 159
FIGURE 8-2: SUISUN FPD BOUNDARIES ..................................................................................................................... 160
FIGURE 8-3: SFPD SERVICES .................................................................................................................................... 161
FIGURE 8-4: SUISUN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT GOVERNING BODY ........................................................................... 164
FIGURE 8-5: SFPD NUMBER OF CALLS BY YEAR, 2007-2013 .................................................................................... 172
FIGURE 8-6: SFPD CERTIFIED PERSONNEL ................................................................................................................ 174
FIGURE 8-7: SFPD FIRE STATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 176
FIGURE 9-1: VFPD LIST OF LAFCO APPROVED BORDER CHANGES ............................................................................. 190
FIGURE 9-2: VACAVILLE FPD BOUNDARIES ............................................................................................................... 192
FIGURE 9-3: VFPD SERVICES ................................................................................................................................... 193
FIGURE 9-4: VACAVILLE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT GOVERNING BODY ...................................................................... 197
FIGURE 9-5: VFPD NUMBER OF CALLS BY YEAR, 2007-2013 .................................................................................... 204
FIGURE 9-6: VFPD CERTIFIED PERSONNEL ............................................................................................................... 205
FIGURE 9-7: VFPD FIRE STATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 207
FIGURE 10-1: FIRE AGENCY SERVICE CALLS BY TYPE, 2013 ..................................................................................... 219
LIST OF FIGURES cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 4
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
FIGURE 10-2: TOTAL SERVICE CALLS BY REPORTING AGENCY, 2013 ........................................................................ 220
FIGURE 10-3: FIRE AGENCY RATIO OF MUTUAL AID CALLS, 2013 ............................................................................ 221
FIGURE 10-4: SERVICE CALLS PER 1,000 RESIDENTS, 2013 .................................................................................... 221
FIGURE 10-5: RESPONSE TIMES (MINUTES) ............................................................................................................ 224
FIGURE 10-6: ISO RATINGS ................................................................................................................................... 225
FIGURE 10-7: SERVICE AREA PER FIRE STATION ..................................................................................................... 225
FIGURE 10-8: FIREFIGHTERS PER 1,000 RESIDENTS, 2014 ...................................................................................... 226
FIGURE 10-9: STAFFING LEVELS ............................................................................................................................ 226
FIGURE 10-10: FIREFIGHTER CERTIFICATION ............................................................................................................ 228
FIGURE 10-11: FIRE AGENCY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ............................................................................................ 229
FIGURE 10-12: REVENUE SOURCES (FY 12-13) ....................................................................................................... 232
FIGURE 10-13: PERCENT CHANGE IN PROPERTY TAXES LEVIED IN SOLANO COUNTY (FYS 09 – 13) .............................. 233
FIGURE 10-14: CHARGES FOR SERVICES .................................................................................................................... 234
FIGURE 10-15: FUNDRAISING EFFORTS .................................................................................................................... 236
FIGURE 10-16: OPERATING EXPENDITURES PER CAPITA (FY 12-13) ......................................................................... 237
FIGURE 10-17: OPERATING EXPENDITURES PER CAPITA (FY 12-13) ......................................................................... 237
FIGURE 10-18: OPERATING EXPENDITURES PER SERVICE CALL (FY 12-13) ................................................................ 238
FIGURE 10-19: RESERVE LEVELS IN MONTHS OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES, FY 12-13.............................................. 239
FIGURE 11-1: DISPATCH RECOMMENDATIONS BY DISTRICT ...................................................................................... 244
FIGURE 11-2: MUTUAL AND AUTOMATIC AID AGREEMENTS ..................................................................................... 247
LIST OF FIGURES cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 5
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
AC RON YMS A N D D E F I N I T I O N S
ADWF: Average dry weather flow
af: Acre-feet
afa: Acre-feet per annum
ADC: Average Daily Calls
AFB: Air Force Base
ALS: Advanced Life Support
BLM: U.S. Bureau of Land Management
BLS: Basic Life Support
BOE California Board of Equalization
CAD: Computer Aided Dispatch
Cal Fire: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
CCICCS: California Incident Command Certification System
CC&R: Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions
CEQA: California Environmental Quality Act
CFPD: Cordelia Fire Protection District
CHP: California Highway Patrol
CIP: Capital improvement plan
CSDA: California Special District Association
CY: Calendar year
DFG: California Department of Fish and Game
DFPD: Dixon Fire Protection District
DIF: Development Impact Fee
DME: Durable Medical Equipment
DPA: Cal Fire Direct Protection Area
DOF: California Department of Finance
ECC: Emergency Command Center
EMS: Emergency Medical Services
EMT: Emergency Medical Technician
EOA: Exclusive Operating Area
EOC: Emergency Operations Command
ERAF: Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund
EVFPD: East Vallejo Fire Protection District
FDAC-FASIS: Fire District Association of California- Fire Agency Self-Insurance System
FEERAM: Fire Engine Equipment Replacement and Maintenance
FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency
FD: Fire District
FF: Firefighter
FPD: Fire Protection District
FRA: Federal Responsibility Area
FTE: Full-Time Equivalent
FY: Fiscal year
GIS: Geographic Information Systems
GM: General Manager
GP: General Plan
ACRONYMS cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 6
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
ISO: Insurance Services Organization
JHA: Jurisdiction having authority
JPA: Joint Powers Authority
LAFCO: Local Agency Formation Commission
LEMSA: Local Emergency Medical Services Agency
LNU: Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit of Cal Fire
LRA: Local Responsibility Area
MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level
MFPD: Montezuma Fire Protection District
mg: Millions of gallons
MSA: Municipal Service Area
MSR: Municipal service review
MTZ: Mutual Threat Zone
NA: Not applicable
NFPA: National Fire Protection Association
NP: Not provided
OASA: Out-of-Area Service Agreement
OES: Office of Emergency Services
OIT: Operator in training
OPR: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
PPP: Public Private Partnership
PSAP: Public Safety Answering Point
RMS: Records Management Systems
SADC: Sheriff’s Average Daily Calls
SEMSC: Solano Emergency Medical Services Cooperative
SDMRA: Special District Risk Management Authority
SFPD: Suisun Fire Protection District
SOI: Sphere of influence
SR: State Route
SRA: State Responsibility Area
USFS: United States Forest Service
VFPD: Vacaville Fire Protection District
Firefighting staff: Staff that respond to service calls
Administrative staff: Staff that do not respond to service calls, such as
administrative assistants, bookkeepers, etc.
Call: Service call or paid call
Call firefighter: Firefighter that is on call at certain times and receives a
minimal stipend for services.
Paid firefighter: A person whose primary employment is as a firefighter for a
municipality or other agency or company and who derives the
majority of their earned income working in the fire service.
ACRONYMS cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 7
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
PREEFACC E
Prepared for thee Solano Loocal Agency Formation Commissioon (LAFCO), this reporrt is a
service sspecific muunicipal servvices revieww—a state-required coomprehensiive study of fire
services within Sollano Countyy. This MSSR focuses oon fire prootection disttricts and oother
municipal service providers in Solano Couunty that prrovide fire ssuppressionn and emerggency
medical services. The intent of this documment is to pprovide a ddetailed desscription off how
fire servvices are offeered in Solaano County.
CONTEXTT
Solanno LAFCO iis required to preparee this MSR by the Corrtese-Knox-HHertzberg LLocal
Governmment Reorgaanization AAct of 2000 (Governmeent Code §556000, et seeq.), which took
effect onn January 1, 2001. The MSR reviews servicees providedd by public agencies wwhose
boundarries and govvernance arre subject to LAFCO. SSpecial disttricts providding fire-related
services are the focuus of this reeview.
CRREDITS
The authors exxtend their appreciation to those individuaals at many agencies that
providedd planning and financcial informaation and ddocuments used in thhis report. The
contribuutors are listted individuually at the eend of this rreport.
Solanno LAFCO Innterim Execcutive Officeer, Elliot Muulberg, provvided projeect directionn and
review. Solano Coounty preppared mapss and provvided GIS aanalysis. TThis report was
preparedd by Policy Consulting AAssociates, LLC, and coo-authored bby Jennifer Stephensonn and
Oxana WWolfson. Oxxana Wolfsoon served ass project maanager. Jennnifer Stephhenson provvided
researchh analysis. Chief Stevee Kovacs, of Professionnal Manageement Associates, provvided
technicaal expertise and input throughouut the revieew process.. Arianna MMenon provvided
researchh assistance.
The llocal agencies have prrovided a suubstantial pportion of the information includeed in
this docuument. Eachh local agency providedd budgets, fiinancial statements, vaarious planss, and
responded to questionnaires. The servicce providers participatted in interrviews coveering
topics suuch as workkload, staffinng, facilities, regional coollaborationn, and service challengees.
PREFACE cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáââÄÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxxá? __V 8
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
1 . E XEEC U TIIVE SSU M MM A RYY
This report is aa Municipal Service Reeview (MSRR) of fire seervices provided in Soolano
County by fire prootection districts preppared for the Solanoo Local Ageency Formaation
Commisssion (LAFCOO). An MSRR is a State-required coomprehensiive study off services wwithin
a designated geograaphic area, iin this case, Solano Couunty. The MMSR requireement is coddified
in the Coortese-Knoxx-Hertzbergg Local Goveernment Reoorganization Act of 20000 (Governmment
Code §556000 et seeq.). After MSR findinngs are adoopted, LAFCCO will beggin updatingg the
spheres of influencee (SOIs) of the agenciess covered inn this reportt.
SSERVICEE PROVIIDERS
Figure 1-1: Firre Protectioon Districts iin Solano Coounty
This report foccuses on sppecial distrricts
Firre and EMMS
under LLAFCO jurisdiction in Solano Couunty
that proovide fire and emerggency meddical Cordeelia Fire Prottection Distriict (CFPD)
services (EMS). Thhese providders were last Dixonn Fire Protecttion District (DFPD)
reviewedd in an MSSR in 2006. As shownn in East VVallejo Fire PProtection Diistrict (EVFPPD)
Figure 11-1, six fire protection districts wwere Monteezuma Fire PProtection Diistrict (MFPDD)
reviewedd as part oof this reviiew. This MMSR Suisun Fire Protecction Districtt (SFPD)
also inclludes informmation on other fire and Vallejo Fire Protecction Districtt (VFPD)
EMS servvice providers, such ass the seven city
fire deppartments iin Solano County, the Californiaa Departmment of Forrestry and Fire
Protectioon (Cal Firre) and Trravis Air Force Base (AFB), to better deppict the service
configurration in Solano Countyy and their rrelation to pproviders inn the Countyy.
SPPHERE OOF INFLUENCE
Figurre 1-2: Existing Booundaries annd Spheres oof Influencee
For a majority of
BBoundary Arrea
the distrricts reviewwed Agency SOI Descriptioon
((square milles)
the sspheres of
influencee were nnot Cordellia FPD 56 TTo be updatedd
appropriately Dixon FPD 312 AAnnexable SOOI
updated to reflect East Vaallejo FPD 1.5 TTo be updatedd
boundarry changes or Montezuma FPD 200 Coterminous SOOI
reorganiizations. TThe Suisunn FPD 140 TTo be updatedd
SOIs arre, therefoore, Vacaviille FPD 135 TTo be updatedd
currentlyy out of daate
and neeed to be uppdated during the upcoming SOI update pprocess to aaccount forr the
overlookked boundaary changess. As showwn in Figuree 1-2, two of the six fire protection
districts in Solano County havve SOIs thaat are curreent and thaat were upddated after each
boundarry change thhat had takeen place. Diixon FPD’s SSOI extendss beyond itss boundary area
to includde territoryy with no esstablished loocal fire proovider in thhe vicinity oof Liberty Issland
Road, annd is defineed as an “aannexable SSOI,” meaniing that LAAFCO anticiipates this area,
which iss within thhe SOI but presently ooutside the agency’s bbounds, willl eventuallly be
EXECUTIVVE SUMMARYY cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáââÄÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxxá? __V 8
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
annexedd into its bounds and wwill be serveed by Dixonn FPD. At prresent, Dixoon FPD provvides
services to the areea outside iits bounds but inside its SOI whhen requestted throughh the
countywwide mutuall aid agreemment. Monttezuma FPDD’s SOI is cooterminous to the Disttrict’s
boundarries.
GROWTH AND SERVICCE DEMAAND
Each fire agencyy considerss its custommer base to be the resiidents, busiinesses, visiitors,
structures, and opeen spaces inn its service area, as weell as the peeople travelling throughh the
area. In 2013, the ddistricts in Solano Couunty responnded to appproximatelyy 2,944 callls for
fire, EMS and otheer emergenncy responsse services.. Among alll the districts, the largest
volume oof calls wass respondedd to by Corddelia FPD. MMontezuma FFPD had thee lowest volume
of calls. AA majority oof the calls tthat the disttricts responnded to werre medical eemergency calls.
Therre are approoximately 4424,233 resiidents in Soolano Countty in 2014. Since 20000, the
number of residennts has groown by 7.55 percent. Projectionss for futuree growth ddiffer
depending on the source (Caalifornia Deepartment oof Finance,, California Departmennt of
Transportation, andd the Association of tthe Bay Arrea Governmments (ABAAG)), and rrange
betweenn 0.7 and 0.99 percent avverage annuual growth over the neext two decaades. Accorrding
to ABAGG, growth wiill be clusteered in threee major cennters, includding Fairfielld, Vacavillee and
Vallejo. TThe City of Rio Vista, hhowever, is anticipatedd to see thee most drammatic populaation
increasee of all the ciities in Solanno County.
PLANNNING ANND MANNAGEMENT
Plannning for fuuture capitaal improvemment needs is considdered a beest managemment
practice,, which is recommended for alll public aggencies regaardless of size. Withh the
exceptioon of Dixonn FPD, whicch is includded as partt of the cityy fire department’s caapital
improveement plan (CIP), nonee of the reviewed distrricts have aadopted a foormal CIP. AAll of
the distrricts, howevver, conductt at least soome short-tterm capital improvemment planninng as
part of tthe annual budgets orr as separaate informal capital neeeds lists. TThree of thhe six
districts,, including Cordelia FFPD, Suisunn FPD and Vacaville FFPD, are reeportedly inn the
process of developinng their respective CIPPs.
CIPs can be tailoored to the needs of thhe agency, bbut should iinclude a lisst of anticippated
replacemment and immprovemennt needs wiith an anticcipated timeeline for coompletion aand a
financiall plan for aachieving thhose goals. It is recommmended tthat a CIP hhave a plannning
horizon of at least fiive years annd be updateed annuallyy to reflect ccurrent condditions.
Withh regard to sstrategic plaanning, nonne of the firee protectionn districts inn Solano Coounty
have a sttrategic plan or conducct formal fuuture growtth planning for their reespective service
areas. Allthough Corrdelia FPD aand Dixon FPPD conductted some strrategic plannning in the past,
their plaans are now outdated.
ACCOUUNTABILLITY
Of thhe six districcts reviewedd, five mainttain websitees or web ppages wheree documentss and
informattion are mmade availabble to the public. Altthough Valllejo FD mmaintains a web
presencee, there is no informaation regardding EVFPDD. It is a reecommendeed practice that
districts maintain a website where all district innformation, including board meeting
EXECUTIVVE SUMMARYY cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáââÄÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxxá? __V 9
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
materialls, district and Boardd policies aand up to date contaact informaation, is reeadily
availablee to constituuents.
Residdents of thee fire proteection distriicts in Solanno County are generallly interesteed in
district aactivities ass demonstrrated by thee low vacanncy rate onn their boarrds of direcctors.
Only Dixxon FPD repported that ggenerally thhere is low ppublic interrest in the ooperations oof the
District, as there haas been no ppublic attenndance at thhe Board’s rregular meeetings in at least
the last ffive years.
Overrall, all disttricts reviewwed demonnstrated acccountabilityy by perfoorming outrreach
activitiess beyond wwhat is legaally requiredd, and mainntaining a ssystem in pplace to adddress
customeers’ complaaints. In addition, a majority of districtss reviewedd demonstrrated
accountaability in theeir cooperation with LAAFCO durinng the MSR pprocess.
Dixonn FPD, East Vallejo FPDD, Suisun FPPD, and Vacaaville FPD hhave adopteed and weree able
to providde the requuired conflicct of interesst codes. Coordelia FPD and Monteezuma FPD wwere
not ablee to providee their coddes, but Corrdelia FPD reportedlyy maintains one. All of the
districts,, with the exxception of Vacaville FPPD, have addopted a sett of policies,, such as bylaws,
that guidde the operrations of ttheir Boards of Directoors. As repoorted by Vaacaville FPDD, its
Board’s efforts are guided by the insurannce guidelinnes. All boaard members of five oof the
districts,, including Cordlia FPD, Dixon FPD, East Vaallejo FPD, Suisun FPDD, and Vacaaville
FPD, haave reporteedly underggone ethicss training iin the lastt two yearrs. MFPD bboard
memberrs do not receive ethicss training annd are not rrequired too do so becaause they doo not
get comppensated orr receive exppense reimbbursementss.
FINNANCINGG
Fire protection districts in Solano Couunty rely onn a variety of revenue sources to fund
fire agenncy operatinng costs—pprimarily prroperty taxxes, special taxes, serviice charges, and
intergovvernmental funds and grants. Thhe largest ffuunding souurce for thee districts iis ad
valorem property taax. Service ccharges in tthe form of reimbursemment from tthe State for use
of strikee teams and other chargges for servvices constittute about 110 percent of total revvenue
sources. The agenccies periodiccally receivee intergovernmental fuunds, grantss and donattions.
Only Corrdelia FPD ssupplementts funding wwith speciall tax revenuue. None of the districcts in
the Couunty levy aa benefit asssessment. Opportunnities for ssustainable supplemenntary
funding sources aree limited.
The ffinancial abbility of eachh of the prooviders is cconstrained by available revenuess and
legal limmitations on revenue inncreases. AA majority oof the agenccies revieweed in this reeport
have expperienced declines in reevenues, duue to a decreease in propperty valuess, in the facee of a
growingg demand ffor servicess. The finnancial conddition of thhe fire disstricts has been
exacerbaated by a nnumber of ssubstantial expenditurre increasess, includingg fuel, apparratus
maintenance, liability insurannce, physicaals, trainingg, and persoonal protecctive equipmment
costs.
INFFRASTRUCTUREE NEEDSS
Fire protection districts seerving Solanno County operate 211 fire stations. Of these, 14
were repported to bee in good orr excellent condition, seeven in fair condition aand none in poor
condition. A majoritty of the staations belonnging to thee fire districcts require rreplacemennts or
EXECUTIVVE SUMMARYY cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáââÄÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxxá? __V 10
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
upgrades of varying degrees. Cordelia FPPD requiress an additioonal stationn. Vacaville FPD
identified a need to replace its Stationn 67. Vacaaville FPD is also in the processs of
construccting Stationn 68.
Withh the exception of East VVallejo FPDD, all the firee protectionn districts inn Solano County,
contractt with Solanno County Sheriff’s Offfice Dispattch Center for dispatch services. East
Vallejo FFPD is dispaatched throuugh the Cityy of Vallejo.. The cities of Benicia, Fairfield, Suuisun
City, Vaacaville, annd Vallejo each have their owwn dispatchh centers. Communicaation
equipmeent is sommetimes not compatibble makingg it difficuult to commmunicate wwhen
coordinaating a mutual aid call.. Many of thhe districts have mutuual aid agreeements withh the
cities. Diispatch beccomes a chaallenge if thhe nearest rresponder iis a city agency or if aa city
requiress assistancee from a district. Offten times it takes mmultiple caalls to diffeerent
departmments to gett assistancee sent. Thhe districts support a consolidateed fire disppatch
center of some formm as was reecommendeed in a feasibility studyy in 2010 tto address tthese
concernss; however,, no movemment towardd dispatch consolidatioon has occuurred sincee that
time.
SERVICEE ADEQUACY
The fire and EMMS adequaccy measurees reviewedd here incluude firefighhter certificaation
rates, response timees, Insurancce Service OOffice (ISO) rratings, andd coverage aadequacy.
Among the fire protectionn districts in Solano CCounty, Corrdelia FPD has the higghest
Firefightter I certificcation rate of 92 perceent. Dixon FFPD staff (City of Dixonn FD staff) hhas a
similarlyy high Firefiighter I certtification raate of 90 percent. The ssituation is similar for EMT
1 certificcation, for wwhich Cordeelia FPD andd Dixon FPDD are leadinng with 1000 percent annd 79
percent certified, reespectively. On the othher side of tthe spectrumm, Montezuuma FPD haas the
lowest certification rates for Firefighter I aand EMT 1 wwith 13 andd 19 percentt, respectiveely.
Monttezuma FPDD is the only district inn Solano Coounty that ddoes not traack its respponse
times for each inciddent and waas not able tto provide tthe requestted data, annd thereforee was
omitted from the ddata analysis. Responsee times aree the primarry indicatorr of an agency’s
ability too provide eemergency sservices, annd as such, eeach of the fire agenciies should mmake
efforts to track ttheir respoonse times and anallyze the rresults to identify wwhere
improveements can be made. According to the data prrovided by the five disstricts—Corrdelia
FPD, Dixxon FPD, East Vallejo FPD, Suisun FPD, and VVacaville FPDD—the fastest respondder is
EVFPD wwith a median responsse time of ffive minutees and 30 seeconds; Dixxon FPD has the
longest mmedian respponse time of 11 minuttes and 30 sseconds.
The ISO classifiies fire serrvice in commmunities from 1 to 10, indicatting the genneral
adequaccy of coveraage.1 The best ISO ratinng of thee belongs to EEast Vallejo FPD. Dixonn FPD
has an ISSO rating off 10 in its ruural areas. MMost of the fire districtts in Solano have a rating of
eight in ttheir rural aand remote areas.
On average eachh fire statioon in Solanoo County coovers approoximately 339 square mmiles.
Dixon FPPD serves thhe most exppansive areaa of 320 squuare miles served per station. Dennsely
1 Communiities with the bbest fire departmment facilities, systems for waater distributioon, fire alarms and communiccations,
and equipmment and personnnel receive a rrating of 1.
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SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
populateed areas tennd to have ssmaller servvice areas. For examplle, the averaage service area
per station for East Vallejo FPDD2 is 8.3 milees per fire sttation.
ISSUESS AND RRECOMMENDATIONS
Therre are severral issues annd challenges faced byy the fire prrotection disstricts in Soolano
County, which werre identifiedd over the course of tthis servicee review. TThe summary of
issues annd the recommmendationns are outlined in Figurre 1-3.
Figure 1--3: Issuess and Recommmendationns
Issues Recoommendatiions
Negativee impact of city annexatioons on district
Counntywide fire pprovider
financinng
County ppolicies limitt developmennt outside off city
boundarries, thus neggatively affeccting district Counntywide fire pprovider
financinng
Volunteeer firefighterr availability is unpredicttable Collabborative voluunteer recruuitment progrram
Respoonse time traacking withinn district zonnes
Districtss struggle witth remote annd hard to reach
and/oor closest avvailable resouurce responsse
areas wiith extended response timmes
system
Devellopmilestonne path and start
Districtss suffer from a severely ddisjointed
impleementing steeps towards aa consolidateed
communnication and dispatch sysstem
dispaatch center.
GGOVERNNANCE STRUCTUURE OPTTIONS
Durinng the course of this MMSR process, it was idenntified that full consoliidation of alll fire
providerrs in Solaano Countty is the preferred governannce structuure alternaative.
Consoliddation prommotes efficieency, professionalism aand public safety. The pprimary bennefits
of consoolidation aree economiees of scale, which is acchieved thrrough poolinng of resouurces,
and regiional fire seervice coorddination annd planningg to the greaatest degreee. Additionnally,
Solano County firee protectioon districts would bee able to mmitigate exxisting finaancial
constraints throughh consolidattion. Howevver, prior too any movemment forwarrd on this oor the
other opptions discuussed in this report, it is essentiial that thee fire agenccies addresss the
dispatchh and commmunication issues throough consollidation into a single dispatch ceenter.
Without significantt improvemments to thhe system, the agenccies will coontinue to face
inefficienncies in ressponse to inncidents, whhich poses a public saafety concerrn, regardleess of
the goveernance andd operationaal structure of the fire pproviders.
Other forms of cconsolidatioon could be used as interim steps ttowards thee long-termm goal
of formaation of a countywidde fire agenncy. Functional conssolidation ooptions forr fire
protectioon districtss in Solanoo County innclude conttractual arrangementss with cityy fire
departmments and a joint powers authorityy (countywide or betwween compaarable agenccies).
A closest unit respoonse systemm is a stronngly preferrred alternattive that woould breakddown
boundarries betweeen the aagencies annd promoote movemment toward countyywide
2 Territory serviced includdes the City of VVallejo.
EXECUTIVVE SUMMARYY cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáââÄÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxxá? __V 12
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
coordination and collaboration. In terms of full consolidation, the reorganization may
occur 1) regionally to include only districts along the I 80 corridor or between districts and
neighboring city fire department, 2) between all districts that serve unincorporated
County, or 3) among all fire service agencies in Solano County, including districts and city
fire departments.
Once again, the disjointed dispatch and communication system must be addressed prior
to any of these options being considered or implemented. Complete consolidation of
dispatch into a single facility offers the most practical and forward thinking solution to the
numerous identified issues with the current system. It is recommended that the fire
agencies become proactive in coordinating dispatch consolidation efforts, to ensure the
highest level of public safety service possible. This report outlines several steps to
generate discussion and momentum towards change. First and foremost, all fire providers
are encouraged to form a dispatch JPA to actively discuss options, determine the ideal
outcome, and address any issues necessary to initiate a solution.
The fire agencies in the County have demonstrated extensive collaboration with one
another in the form of joint studies and grants, which may be indicative of the potential for
consolidation of all providers countywide. The providers appear to be open to
consolidation in some form and have initiated informal discussions among one another. It
is recommended that further detailed study be conducted regarding countywide
consolidation to quantify costs and benefits and stakeholder support.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 13
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
2 . LLA FCCO ANND MM U N I C I PA L
SE RV I CEES R EEV I EWWS
This report is prrepared purrsuant to leegislation ennacted in 20000 that reqquires LAFCCO to
conduct a comprehhensive review of muniicipal servicce delivery and updatee the spherres of
influencee (SOIs) off all agencies under LLAFCO’s jurrisdiction. This chaptter providees an
overvieww of LAFCO’’s history, ppowers and responsibillities. It discusses the oorigins and legal
requiremments for prreparation of the municipal servicces review (MSR). Finaally, the chaapter
reviews the processs for MSR reeview, MSR approval annd SOI updaates.
LAFCOO OVERVVIEW
Afterr World Warr II, Californnia experiennced dramattic growth iin populatioon and econnomic
developmment. Withh this boomm came a deemand for hhousing, jobbs and pubblic servicess. To
accommodate this ddemand, maany new loccal governmment agencies were forrmed, often with
little forrethought ass to the ultimate governance struuctures in aa given region, and exiisting
agenciess often commpeted for expansion areas. The lack of ccoordinationn and adeqquate
planningg led to a muultitude of ooverlappingg, inefficientt jurisdictional and servvice boundaaries,
and the ppremature cconversion of Californiia’s agricultuural and oppen-space laands.
Recognizing this problem, in 1959, GGovernor EEdmund G. Brown, Srr. appointedd the
Commisssion on Metropolitan AArea Probleems. The CCommission's charge wwas to studyy and
make recommendattions on thee "misuse oof land resoources" and the growinng complexiity of
local goovernmentaal jurisdicttions. Thhe Commission's reccommendattions on local
governmmental reorgganization wwere introdduced in thee Legislaturre in 1963, resulting inn the
creation of a Local AAgency Formmation Commmission, orr "LAFCO," ooperating inn every counnty.
LAFCCO was formmed as a couuntywide aggency to disscourage urrban sprawwl and encouurage
the orderly formaation and development of locaal governmment agenciies. LAFCCO is
responsiible for coordinating loogical and ttimely changges in locall governmenntal boundaaries,
including annexatioons and detaachments oof territory, incorporatiions of citiees, formatioons of
special districts, annd consoliddations, meergers and dissolutionns of districts, as weell as
reviewinng ways too reorganize, simplify,, and streaamline goveernmental structure. The
Commisssion's efforrts are focuused on enssuring that services arre providedd efficientlyy and
economiically while agriculturaal and open--space landss are proteccted. To bettter inform itself
and the communityy as it seekss to exercisse its charge, LAFCO conducts serrvice reviewws to
evaluatee the provisiion of municcipal services within thhe County.
LAFCCO regulatees, through approval, denial, connditions annd modificaation, bounndary
changes proposed by public aagencies orr individualls. It also regulates tthe extensioon of
public sservices byy cities andd special ddistricts ouutside theiir boundaries. LAFCCO is
empoweered to inittiate updatees to the SSOIs and prroposals innvolving thee dissolutioon or
consoliddation of sppecial districcts, mergerrs, establishhment of suubsidiary diistricts, andd any
reorganiization inclluding such actions. Otherwise,, LAFCO aactions muust originatte as
petitionss or resolutiions from afffected voteers, landownners, cities oor districts.
LAFCO && MSRS cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáââÄÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxxá? __V 14
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Solanno LAFCO consists of fiive regular members: ttwo membeers from thee Solano Coounty
Board off Supervisorrs, two city council meembers, andd one publicc member wwho is appoiinted
by the oother membbers of thee Commissioon. There iis an alternnate in each category.. All
Commisssioners are appointed to four-yeaar terms. Sppecial distriicts are not representeed on
the Commission.
MUUNICIPAAL SERVICES REEVIEW OORIGINS
The MMSR requirrement was enacted byy the Legisllature montths after thee release off two
studies rrecommendding that LAAFCOs condduct reviewss of local aggencies. The “Little Hooover
Commisssion” focussed on the need for ooversight aand consolidation of sspecial disttricts,
whereass the “Commmission on LLocal Goverrnance for tthe 21st Cenntury” focused on the need
for regioonal planninng to ensurre adequatee and efficieent local govvernmentall services aas the
Californiia populatioon continues to grow.
Little Hooverr Commiission
In Maay 2000, the Little Hooover Commiission releaased a reporrt entitled SSpecial Districts:
Relics off the Past oor Resourcees for the FFuture? Thhis report foocused on governancee and
financiall challengess among inndependentt special diistricts, andd the barriiers to LAFFCO’s
pursuit of district cconsolidatioon and disssolution. Thhe report raaised the cooncern thatt “the
underlyiing patchwwork of sppecial disttrict goverrnments haas becomee unnecesssarily
redundaant, inefficieent and unacccountable.””
In paarticular, thhe report raised conceern about aa lack of viisibility andd accountabbility
among ssome indepeendent speccial districtss. The reporrt indicatedd that many special disttricts
hold exccessive reseerve funds and some receive queestionable property taax revenue.. The
report expressed cooncern about the lack of financiall oversight of the distrricts. It asseerted
that finaancial reporrting by special districtts is inadequate, that ddistricts are not required to
submit ffinancial infformation too local elected officialss, and conclluded that ddistrict finaancial
informattion is “larggely meaninngless as a tool to evaluuate the effeectiveness aand efficienncy of
services provided by districts, or to make compaarisons withh neighborring districtts or
services provided thhrough a citty or countyy.”3
The rreport quesstioned the accountabillity and releevance of ceertain speciial districts with
uncontessted electioons and wiithout adeqquate noticce of publicc meetings.. In additioon to
concernss about thee accountability and visibility oof special ddistricts, the report raaised
concernss about speecial districcts with ouutdated bouundaries annd outdatedd missions.. The
report questioned tthe public beenefit proviided by heaalth care districts that hhave sold, leeased
or closedd their hospitals, and asserted thhat LAFCOs consistenttly fail to exxamine wheether
they shoould be eliminated. The report poinnted to servvice improveements andd cost reductions
associateed with speecial districct consolidaations, but asserted thhat LAFCOss have geneerally
failed to pursue speecial districtt reorganizaations.
The report calleed on the LLegislature to increasee the overssight of speecial districtts by
mandating that LAFFCOs identiffy service duplications and study reorganizattion alternaatives
3 Little Hooover Commission, 2000, page 224.
LAFCO && MSRS cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáââÄÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxxá? __V 15
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
when service duplications are identified, when a district appears insolvent, when district
reserves are excessive, when rate inequities surface, when a district’s mission changes,
when a new city incorporates and when service levels are unsatisfactory. To accomplish
this, the report recommended that the State strengthen the independence and funding of
LAFCOs, require districts to report to their respective LAFCO, and require LAFCOs to study
service duplications.
Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century
The Legislature formed the Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century
(“21st Century Commission”) in 1997 to review statutes on the policies, criteria,
procedures and precedents for city, county and special district boundary changes. After
conducting extensive research and holding 25 days of public hearings throughout the State
at which it heard from over 160 organizations and individuals, the 21st Century
Commission released its final report, Growth Within Bounds: Planning California
Governance for the 21st Century, in January 2000.4 The report examines the way that
government is organized and operates and establishes a vision of how the State will grow
by “making better use of the often invisible LAFCOs in each county.”
The report points to the expectation that California’s population will double over the
first four decades of the 21st Century, and raises concern that our government institutions
were designed when our population was much smaller and our society was less complex.
The report warns that without a strategy open spaces will be swallowed up, expensive
freeway extensions will be needed, job centers will become farther removed from housing,
and this will lead to longer commutes, increased pollution and more stressful lives. Growth
Within Bounds acknowledges that local governments face unprecedented challenges in
their ability to finance service delivery since voters cut property tax revenues in 1978 and
the Legislature shifted property tax revenues from local government to schools in 1993.
The report asserts that these financial strains have created governmental entrepreneurism
in which agencies compete for sales tax revenue and market share.
The 21st Century Commission recommended that effective, efficient and easily
understandable government be encouraged. In accomplishing this, the 21st Century
Commission recommended consolidation of small, inefficient or overlapping providers,
transparency of municipal service delivery to the people, and accountability of municipal
service providers. The sheer number of special districts, the report asserts, “has provoked
controversy, including several legislative attempts to initiate district consolidations,”5 but
cautions LAFCOs that decisions to consolidate districts should focus on the adequacy of
services, not on the number of districts.
Growth Within Bounds stated that LAFCOs cannot achieve their fundamental purposes
without a comprehensive knowledge of the services available within its county, the current
efficiency of providing service within various areas of the county, future needs for each
service, and expansion capacity of each service provider. Comprehensive knowledge of
4 The Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century ceased to exist on July 1, 2000, pursuant to a statutory sunset
provision.
5 Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century, 2000, page 70.
LAFCO & MSRS cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 16
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
water annd sanitary providers, the report argued, woould promoote consoliddations of wwater
and saniitary districcts, reduce wwater costs and promoote a more ccomprehenssive approaach to
the use of water rresources. FFurther, thee report assserted thaat many LAAFCOs lack such
knowleddge and shoould be reqquired to conduct succh a revieww to ensuree that muniicipal
services are logicallly extended to meet Callifornia’s future growthh and development.
MSRss would reqquire LAFCOO to look brroadly at alll agencies wwithin a geeographic reegion
that provvide a partiicular municcipal service and to exaamine conssolidation orr reorganizaation
of servicce providerss. The 21st Century Coommission rrecommendded that thee review incclude
water, wwastewater, and other municipal services thhat LAFCO judges to bbe important to
future ggrowth. Thee Commissiion recommmended thaat the serviice review be followeed by
consoliddation studies and bee performeed in conjunction wiith updates of SOIs. The
recommendation wwas that servvice reviewws be designned to makee nine deterrminations, each
of which was incoorporated verbatim iin the subsequently adopted leegislation. The
legislatuure since connsolidated tthe determinations intoo seven requuired findinngs.
MUNICIPAL SSERVICEES REVIEW LEGGISLATIOON
The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Goovernment Reorganizaation Act off 2000 requires
LAFCO rreview and update SOOIs not less than everyy five yearss and to reeview muniicipal
services before uppdating SOIIs. The reqquirement ffor servicee reviews aarises fromm the
identified need for a more coordinated aand efficiennt public seervice struccture to suppport
Californiia’s anticipaated growthh. The servvice review provides LLAFCO withh a tool to sstudy
existing and futuure public service cconditions comprehennsively annd to evaluate
organizaational optioons for accoommodatingg growth, ppreventing uurban sprawwl, and ensuuring
that critiical servicess are providded efficienttly.
Effecctive Januarry 1, 2008,, Governmeent Code §556430 requuires LAFCO to conduuct a
review of municippal servicess provided in the couunty by reegion, sub-rregion or oother
designatted geograpphic area, ass appropriatte, for the sservice or seervices to bbe reviewedd, and
prepare a written sttatement off determinattion with reespect to eacch of the folllowing topiics:
GGrowth and population projectionss for the affeected area;
TThe location and characcteristics of any disadvaantaged uniincorporateed communiities
wwithin or conntiguous to the SOI (efffective July 1, 2012);
Present and planned caapacity of ppublic faciliities and addequacy of public servvices,
inncluding innfrastructure needs orr deficienccies (includding needs or deficienncies
reelated to seewers, municipal and industrial wwater, and sstructural fiire protectioon in
any disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communitties within oor contiguous to the spphere
of influence);
Financial abiility of agenncies to provvide servicees;
Sttatus of, andd opportuniities for shaared facilitiees;
AAccountabiliity for commmunity servvice needs, including ggovernmental structuree and
operational eefficiencies;; and
AAny other mmatter relatted to effecttive or efficcient servicce delivery, as requireed by
coommission policy.
LAFCO && MSRS cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáââÄÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxxá? __V 17
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
MUUNICIPAL SERVIICES REVIEW PPROCESSS
For local agenciees, the MSR process invvolves the foollowing steeps:
OOutreach: LAAFCO outreach and expplanation off the projectt
DData Discoveery: providee documentts and respoond to LAFCCO questionns
Profile Revieew: internal review andd comment on LAFCO ddraft profilee of the agenncy
Public Revieww Draft MSRR: review aand commennt on LAFCOO draft MSRR
LAFCO Heariing: attend and providde public commments on MSR
MSRss are exemmpt from CCalifornia EEnvironmenntal Qualityy Act (CEQQA) pursuannt to
§15262 (feasibility or planninng studies) or §15306 (informatioon collectioon) of the CCEQA
Guidelinnes. LAFCO’s actions tto adopt MSSR determinations aree not considdered “projects”
subject tto CEQA.
The MMSR processs does not require LAAFCO to inittiate changees of organiization baseed on
service rreview findings, only tthat LAFCO identify pootential government structure opttions.
Howeverr, LAFCO, other locaal agenciess, and the public mmay subsequently usee the
determinnations to analyze prospective cchanges of organizatioon or reorgganization oor to
establishh or amend SOIs. Withhin its legall authorizattion, LAFCOO may act wwith respectt to a
recommended channge of organnization or reorganizattion on its own initiattive (e.g., ceertain
types of consolidations), or in rresponse to a proposal (i.e., initiated by resoluution or pettition
by landoowners or reegistered vooters).
SPHERE OF INNFLUENCCE UPDAATES
The CCommissionn is chargedd with develloping and uupdating thhe Sphere off Influence ((SOI)
for each city and sppecial districct within thhe county.6 SSOIs must bbe updated every five yyears
or as neccessary.
An SOOI is a LAFCCO-approved plan that designates an agency’ss probable ffuture bounndary
and servvice area. Spheres arre planningg tools usedd to providde guidancee for indivvidual
boundarry change prroposals annd are intennded to encoourage efficcient provisiion of organnized
communnity servicees and prevvent dupliccation of seervice delivvery. Terriitory cannoot be
annexedd by LAFCO tto a city or aa district unnless it is wiithin that aggency's spheere.
The purposes oof the SOI include thee following:: to ensuree the efficieent provisioon of
services,, discouragge urban spprawl and ppremature conversionn of agriculltural and open
space lannds, and preevent overlaapping jurissdictions annd duplicatioon of servicces.
LAFCCO cannot rregulate lannd use, dictate internaal operationns or adminnistration off any
local ageency, or set rates. LAFCO is empowered to ennact policiees that indirrectly affectt land
use deciisions. On aa regional llevel, LAFCO promotess logical annd orderly development of
communnities as it considers and decidees individuual proposaals. LAFCOO has a role in
reconciliing differennces between agency plans so tthat the moost efficient urban service
6 The initiaal statutory mandate, in 1971,, imposed no ddeadline for commpleting spherre designations. When most LLAFCOs
failed to actt, 1984 legislatiion required all LAFCOs to estaablish spheres oof influence by 1985.
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arrangemments are created for tthe benefit oof current aand future aarea residennts and propperty
owners.
The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberrg (CKH) AAct requires to developp and deterrmine the SOI of
each locaal governmental agenccy within thhe county annd to revieww and updaate the SOI eevery
five yearrs. LAFCOs are empowwered to addopt, updatee and amend the SOI. They may ddo so
with or without ann applicatioon and anyy interestedd person mmay submitt an applicaation
proposinng an SOI ammendment.
LAFCCO may reccommend ggovernmentt reorganizzations to particular agencies inn the
county, uusing the SOOIs as the baasis for thosse recommeendations.
In deetermining the SOI, LAAFCO is reqquired to coomplete an MSR and aadopt the sseven
determinnations prevviously disccussed.
In addition, in adopting or amendiing an SOI, LAFCO mmust makee the following
determinnations:
Present and planned laand uses in the area, iincluding aggricultural and open-sspace
laands;
Present and probable neeed for public facilities and servicees in the areea;
Present capaacity of pubblic facilitiess and adequuacy of pubblic service that the aggency
provides or iis authorizeed to provide;
Existence off any social or economic commuunities of iinterest in the area if the
Commission determiness these are rrelevant to tthe agency; and
Present and probable nneed for wwater, wasteewater, andd structurall fire protection
faacilities andd services off any disadvvantaged unnincorporatted communnities withinn the
exxisting spheere of influeence.
The CCKH Act stiipulates sevveral proceddural requirrements in updating SSOIs. It requires
that speecial districtts file writtten statemeents on thee class of sservices proovided and that
LAFCO cclearly estaablish the loocation, natture and exxtent of services provvided by sppecial
districts.
By sttatute, LAFFCO must nnotify affectted agenciees 21 days before hollding the ppublic
hearing tto consider the SOI andd may not uupdate the SSOI until afteer that hearring. The LAAFCO
Executivve Officer mmust issue a report including recommmendations on the SSOI amendmments
and updates under cconsideration at least ffive days beefore the pubblic hearingg.
DDISADVAANTAGEDD UNINCCORPORRATED CCOMMUNNITIES
On OOctober 7, 2011, Goveernor Browwn signed SB 244, wwhich makes two prinncipal
changes to the Corttese-Knox-HHertzberg Loocal Governnment Reorrganization Act of 20000. SB
244 reqquires LAFCCOs to: (1) deny any applicationn to annex to a city tterritory thhat is
contiguoous to a ddisadvantagged unincoorporated ccommunityy (DUC) unnless a seecond
applicatiion is submmitted to annnex the disaadvantagedd communitty as well; aand (2) evaluate
disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communities in a munnicipal servvice review (MSR) uponn the
next upddate of a sphhere of influuence after JJune 30, 20112.
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The intent of the statute is to encourage investment in disadvantaged unincorporated
communities that often lack basic infrastructure by mandating cities and LAFCOs to include
them in land use planning.
SB 244 defines disadvantaged unincorporated community as any area with 12 or more
registered voters, or as determined by commission policy, where the median household
income is less than 80 percent of the statewide annual median.
SB 244 also requires LAFCOs to consider disadvantaged unincorporated communities
when developing spheres of influence. Upon the next update of a sphere of influence on or
after July 1, 2012, SB 244 requires LAFCO to include in an MSR (in preparation of a sphere
of influence update): 1) The location and characteristics of any disadvantaged
unincorporated communities within or contiguous to the sphere; and 2) The present and
planned capacity of public facilities, adequacy of public services and infrastructure needs
or deficiencies including needs or deficiencies related to sewers, municipal and industrial
water, and structural fire protection in any disadvantaged unincorporated community
within or contiguous to the sphere of influence.
In determining spheres of influence, SB 244 authorizes LAFCO to assess the feasibility
of a reorganization and consolidation of local agencies to further orderly development and
improve the efficiency and affordability of infrastructure and service delivery. LAFCOs
should revise their local policies to include the requirements imposed by SB 244 to ensure
they fulfill their obligations under this legislation.
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3. INTRODUCTION
Solano County is located about halfway between the cities San Francisco and
Sacramento and is bordered by Napa, Yolo, Sacramento, Sonoma, and Contra Costa
counties. It is officially one of the nine Bay Area counties and one of four North Bay
counties. The County is the easternmost county of the North Bay, and a portion of it
geographically extends into the Sacramento Valley. The county seat is the City of Fairfield
and the largest city is Vallejo. Other cities in the County include Benicia, Dixon, Rio Vista,
Suisun City, and Vacaville.
Solano County was one of the original counties of California, created in the 1850s at the
time of statehood. The County derives its name directly from a Native American chief–Chief
Solano of the Suisun people.
The County encompasses approximately 910 square miles, consisting of 830 square
miles of land and 80 square miles of water. About 128 square miles of the County, or 14
percent of the total land area, lies within seven incorporated cities. Because of Solano
County’s commitment to focusing development within urban areas, about 95 percent of the
County’s population lives in the cities.
The County’s territory is divided into two topographic sections. The western quarter
extends into the foothills of the coastal range. This area is characterized by steep slopes,
which become more gently rolling in the eastern portion. The remainder of the County,
which is part of the Sacramento Valley, is characterized by level topography, with some
isolated areas of low rolling hills. Other significant features include the Suisun Marsh,
which has an area of more than 30 square miles, and the Napa-Sonoma Marsh area, with an
area of more than 60 square miles, some of which is in Solano County.
Solano County is threatened by both, urban and rural fires with the potential to cause
property damage, injury, and loss of life. Wildfires pose the greatest danger in the
unincorporated county area. Topography, weather, and native vegetation provide the
ingredients for destructive fires that can spread rapidly. In California, development
activities within hazard areas have worsened the problem by placing people into hazard
areas, disrupting natural fire processes, and allowing buildup of flammable brush and
vegetation. Such development has also moved the urban-wildland interface (the area
where human development meets undeveloped wildlands) closer to higher-risk wildfire
hazard areas, increasing the number of people and buildings at risk. The rugged rural
terrain found in the western hills of the County makes firefighting more difficult.
Insufficient water pressure and supply also contribute to wildfire danger. Most of the
higher-risk wildfire areas in the County are not served by public water. Fire districts
serving these areas are typically equipped with tank trucks. Properties designated for
residential use in areas without public water service are required to maintain sufficient on-
site water storage and new development must show that it has sufficient water pressure
for firefighting services.
Research conducted at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory indicates that climate change will increase the frequency and size of wildfires in
California. Hotter, drier climates will promote increased accumulation of fire-prone
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vegetatioon, aided byy prolongedd drought annd strongerr winds willl continue too fan the flaames,
spreadinng fires faster and farthher than preeviously expperienced. TThis will exxpand the siize of
the urbaan-wildland interface because morre residential communities will bee within reaach of
wildfire activity. Ann expandedd urban-wilddland interfface will reequire increeased resouurces,
planningg and fundinng to maintaain and defeend.
GRROWTH && POPUULATIONN PROJECTIONS
This section revviews historrical and recent populaation and eeconomic grrowth, projeected
growth, and growthh areas.
Land Use andd Growth Policies
The County hass historically requiredd that deveelopment reequiring wwater and sewer
service be incorpoorated within one of the Countyy’s cities. BBased on thhis policy, most
residenttial, commerrcial and inddustrial devvelopment iin the Countty has been in incorporrated
areas.
In 19980, the Solano Countyy Board of SSupervisors adopted a General Plaan Land Usee and
Circulatiion Elementt that estabblished a development policy of ciity-centeredd growth. UUnder
the 19800 General PPlan, urbann developmeent was to be confineed to patterrns that didd not
conflict wwith essenttial agricultuural lands, wwhile rural and suburbban developpment was tto be
confinedd to non-esssential margginal agricultural landss. The 1980 General Plaan was intended
to providde policy guuidance for shaping groowth and deevelopmentt within the unincorporrated
areas of Solano Couunty, and foor protecting its agricuultural and nnatural resoources, untiil the
year 19995.
Proposition A, an initiative measure paassed by thee voters of SSolano Counnty in June 11984,
reaffirmed the 19880 General Plan’s corrnerstone ppolicies of city-centerred growth and
farmlandd protectionn, and impoosed strict limitations on the Couunty Boardd of Superviisor’s
ability too allow neww residentiaal, commerccial, or industrial devellopment in agricultural and
open-spaace areas. Propositionn A was aa limited-teerm measuure that waas to expirre in
Decembeer 1995.
In 19994, the voters of Solanno County proposed thee Orderly Grrowth Initiaative, in ordder to
extend tthe protectiions of Proposition A until Decemmber 31, 2010. In ressponse to bbroad
public support for that propoosal, the Soolano Countty Board oof Supervisoors adoptedd the
Orderly Growth Inittiative as itss Resolutionn No. 94-1700 on July 266, 1994.
On NNovember 44 2008, Solaano voters passed Meaasure T, whhich was ann amendmeent to
Solano CCounty's 19994 Orderlyy Growth Initiative thhat updatedd certain prrovisions of the
Solano CCounty General Plan related to aggriculture aand open sppace policiees and landd use
designattions, and exxtended thee amended iinitiative unntil December 31, 20288.
By paassing Meassure T, the vvoters requiired that thee County woould:
MMaintain thee current development strategy of city-centereed growth;
RRetain the ooverall funcction of thee Orderly GGrowth Inittiative, whille updatingg and
reefining the iinitiative’s ppolicies andd land use deesignationss;
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Protect and support agriculture as an important component of Solano County’s
economy and quality of life;
Provide an opportunity for farm-based, businesses, such as wineries, to develop
successfully within Solano County;
Encourage the location of new industrial and agricultural processing facilities;
Sustain and enhance Solano County’s natural environment, including its diverse
species, watersheds, natural communities, and wildlife corridors;
Ensure sufficient opportunities for residential, commercial, and industrial
development within areas served by the cities, in order to provide all of Solano
County’s residents with a vibrant economy and affordable housing options;
Protect the health, safety, and welfare of Solano County’s residents by avoiding more
air pollution, water pollution, water shortages, traffic congestion, noise and other
adverse environmental impacts from urban sprawl;
Prevent costly and inefficient extensions of urban services and infrastructure to
rural areas of the County;
Permit Solano County to continue to bear its fair share of regional growth and
provide safe, decent affordable places for people to live in Solano cities;
Prevent piecemeal amendments of the Solano County General Plan that would allow
development on agricultural and open space lands;
Help increase the County’s supply of good jobs by encouraging job development in
the growing agriculturally-based industries; and
Allow the County to update and amend its General Plan periodically as necessary to
comply with State law and changing conditions, while requiring that any such
amendments be consistent with the cornerstone policies of city-centered growth
and protection of farmlands and open space.
About 20 percent of the unincorporated land area in Solano County is some type of
undeveloped natural resource land. This includes marsh and watershed lands in the
southern and western portions of the County comprising 101,307 acres. Over 329,000
acres of land are in agricultural use, which is approximately 70 percent of the
unincorporated land area. Agricultural land is concentrated in the eastern portion of the
County and in smaller areas scattered throughout the County. Watershed lands are also in
agricultural use.
Residential land uses occupy about 6,878 acres developed mostly at rural residential
densities of one dwelling unit per 2.5 or more acres. Rural residential development has
been concentrated in the area north of Vacaville in the English Hills, Allendale and Olive
School areas, along Leisure Town Road east of Vacaville, in the Tolenas area of
unincorporated Suisun City, and the Green Valley area north of Fairfield.
Residential estate use at densities of one unit per ¼ to 1 acre exist in the Green Valley,
Rockville Corners, Willotta Oaks, Old Town Cordelia, Elmira, Birds Landing, and Collinsville
areas. A small amount of the unincorporated county’s residential land is used for urban
density residential single family and multifamily development including apartment
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buildings, duplexes, triplexes and similar housing types located in unincorporated areas in
the Vallejo area.
Industrial land uses account for about 2,125 acres of land area in the unincorporated
county. Most of the existing industrial development in the county is within cities.
Approximately 641 acres are in commercial land use, which includes retail, commercial
services, and service stations. Smaller commercial developments are located in the
unincorporated county areas to serve the needs of local residents and visitors. Highway-
oriented commercial development represents the predominant commercial land use in the
unincorporated area with the majority of such land located along I-80.
Other uses of land in the County include public use (such as schools, cemeteries, and
federal lands), which accounts for about 1,517 acres, park and recreation land (791 acres),
and vacant land, which comprises about 1,011 acres.
The Solano County General Plan includes multiple development policies related to
delivery of fire protection services in the County:
The County requires that structures be built in fire defensible spaces and minimizes
the construction of public facilities in areas of high or very high wildfire risk.
Solano prohibits non-farm-related development and road construction for public
use in areas of extreme wildfire risk.
It requires new developments in areas of high and very high wildfire risk to
incorporate fire-safe building methods and site planning techniques into the
development.
The County attempts to update the Zoning Ordinance to limit development in areas
of extreme, very high, and high wildfire risk. Development within the extreme risk
area is limited to farm-related development served by private roads. Land divisions
within the very high and high risk areas are restricted, unless the availability of
adequate water supply can be demonstrated and guaranteed, more than one access
point for firefighting equipment can be provided, defensible space is permanently
maintained around any buildings, and fire-resistant materials are used in
construction.
Solano County aims to collaborate with fire districts to establish funding
mechanisms, including impact fees to offset fire protection costs for new
developments in areas of high wildfire risk.
The County has a goal of working with fire districts to ensure that new development
is built to support effective firefighting. Solano also attempts to seek fire district
input on new development projects and ensure that such projects incorporate fire-
safe planning and building measures. Such measures may include clustering
housing, buffering properties, creating defensible space around individual units,
using fire-resistant building materials, installing sprinkler systems, and providing
adequate on-site water supplies.
Some areas within Solano County are designated by the General Plan as Municipal
Service Areas (MSAs). A municipal service area (MSA) defines the area of a city’s current
and/or future jurisdictional responsibility. Within the MSA, a city must provide the
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necessary services to support urban land uses specified by the County General Plan policies
and land use designations. MSAs reflect city planned urban growth areas and are based on
County review of city general plans and spheres of influence established by Solano LAFCO.
MSAs are not necessarily the same as the cities’ respective SOIs and may include territory
that is smaller or larger than their SOIs.
Within MSAs, future development of urban land uses is to be facilitated and served
through city annexation. Current land uses within MSAs may continue under County
jurisdiction until the land is annexed to the city for conversion to urban uses. A change in
land use of unincorporated lands within MSAs is permitted only for agricultural uses, which
do not conflict with planned land uses until annexed for urban development. Some
unincorporated lands within the MSAs that are designated as agriculture will continue in
agricultural use until annexed to a city for urban development.
In areas outside MSAs, planned land uses are to be maintained or developed under
county jurisdiction. Services to support current and future development outside MSAs are
provided by the County and special districts. Land uses within MSAs designated by the
County are generally consistent with the planned land uses within each city’s general plan.
Individual city general plans are used to determine specific land use designations and
development policies within MSAs. In establishing MSAs, the County takes into
consideration that local jurisdictions periodically revise and update their general plans.
Based on the revisions to a city general plan, the city and the County review and may
recommend that Solano LAFCO approve revisions to the city’s sphere of influence. As part
of this joint review, the County also reviews the city land use changes and considers
amending the County’s land use designations to revise the MSA and incorporate the new
urban land uses. An MSA is established for each city.
Another policy related to growth in Solano County was adopted by LAFCO. The policy
requires that an agency applying to LAFCO for annexation of a specific territory describe
the effect that the proposed annexation would have on adjacent areas and outside the
agency. It must also describe any social and economic benefits or detriments, which might
be experienced by other agencies. Examples of economic benefits include achieving a
balanced housing supply, the provision of needed commercial areas, the creation of new
employment opportunities, protecting resources, and improving levels of services without
harming other providers.
These benefits could in some cases be argued to offset the negative consequences of a
particular annexation, which may include negative affects of the annexation on special
district budgets or service provision. This policy directly concerns fire districts in the
County when territory is detached from the district and annexed to a city leaving it without
adequate funding to continue providing sufficient levels of service. In these cases where a
special district might be affected in such a negative manner, the annexation applicant
“should work with the Executive Director to identify the affected agencies and work with
those agencies to identify and mitigate the impacts. LAFCO will not normally approve
detachments from special districts or annexations that fail to provide for adequate
mitigation of the adverse impacts on the district. Where the adverse impact is fiscal,
adequate mitigation will normally include a permanent, funding source for lost revenues or
increased costs to the affected special district.”
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Historical Growth
There were 394,542 residents in Solano County in 2000, according to the 2000 Census.
The population in the unincorporated communities was 19,322, composing five percent of
the County’s entire population. Since 2000, the rate of growth in the County has tapered off
to small increments. Between 2000 and 2010, Solano grew by 18,802 or 4.8 percent, which
is significantly less than the 15.9 percent population gain experienced in the previous
decade. The population of the County in 2010 was 413,344. All of the growth during both
decades occurred within the cities, due to the Orderly Growth Initiative discussed earlier.
In fact, the population in the unincorporated portions of the County decreased by 11
percent between 1990 and 2000 and by three percent from 2000 to 2010.
The California Department of Finance’s (DOF) January 1st, 2014 estimate of the
population of Solano County is 424,233. Between 2010 and 2014 the County grew by
10,889 residents or 2.6 percent. The population in the unincorporated communities grew
by two percent during the same time period. From 2013 to 2014, DOF estimates that the
total population of the County, as well as in unincorporated areas, rose by one percent.
Solano County annually averaged 0.5 percent positive population growth from 2000 to
2014.
Among comparable counties, Solano County was in the middle tier of population
growth. Placer and Solano counties experienced 0.6 percent population growth during
2012. Tulare and Stanislaus counties experienced the largest rate of growth—0.9 percent—
among all counties. Marin and San Luis Obispo experienced the lowest rate of growth at 0.2
percent.
Figure 3-1: Population Growth Rates in Solano County and California, DOF 2001-2014
3.0%
2.5%
2.0%
1.5%
1.0%
0.5%
0.0%
-0.5%
-1.0%
-1.5%
-2.0%
-2.5%
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
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etaR
htworG
Year
Unincorporated California Incorporated County
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Popuulation growwth in the CCounty (bothh incorporaated and unnincorporateed) has beeen for
the mostt part beloww the statewwide growthh rate over tthe last 14 yyears as shoown in Figuure 3-
1. Howevver, more recently, in 22012, counttywide popuulation growwth evenedd out with thhat of
the Statee, exceededd the State’ss in 2013, aand becamee equal agaiin with the State’s in 22014.
After thee growth rate of the unnincorporateed communnities skyroccketed abovve the stateewide
growth rrate in 20066, it declined to negativve growth wwhere it remmained throough 2011. AAfter
2011, thhe growth rate in unincorporated Solano bbegan to risse and equualized withh the
statewidde rate during the period from 20012 to 20144. Growth inn the incorpporated areeas of
the Counnty mirroredd that of thee County as a whole.
The DDepartmentt of Transpoortation Solano Countyy Economic Forecast puublished in 22013
explains that the Soolano Countyy population increase ffrom 2007 tto 2012 was due entireely to
the natuural increasee (new birthhs), as the CCounty lost aan average of 1,900 residents perr year
through net migratiion.
Solanno County’ss populationn density iss 466 residdents per square mile,, including both
incorporrated and unnincorporatted areas.
Developmentt
Historicaal Developmment
Figurre 3-2: Neww Residentiaal Building PPermits, U.SS. Census Buureau 2000-2013
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The nnumber of nnew residenntial permitts issued in uunincorporrated Solanoo County peeaked
in 2003 and 2004 aat 57, as shoown in Figure 3-2. Simiilarly, the nnumber of permits issued in
the incorrporated citties of Solanno County experienced a rise in 20004 to 2,2788. Between 2000
and 2014, Solano CCounty cities issued 977 percent off all the building permmits approveed in
the Counnty. The overall number of permiits declinedd in 2006 and 2007, annd went furrther
down in 2008, afterr which it fluuctuated miinimally thrrough 2013..
Population Projectioons
Popuulation projections for the Countyy vary depennding on thhe data source that is uused.
Solano CCounty relies on the Deppartment off Finance foor its populaation projecctions.
The ppopulation of Solano CCounty is prrojected to ggrow to 6344,852 by 20060 accordinng to
the latesst projectionns by the DOOF. The DOF has not uused the 20110 Census bbenchmark in its
long-termm projectioons, howevver. Using tthe 2010 CCensus counnt and the DOF projeected
growth rrate of 54 ppercent, thee populatioon of Solanoo County inn 2060 is annticipated tto be
636,550. Using thee same Census 2010 bbenchmark method, thhe estimated populatioon in
2020 annd 2030 wiill be 446,4412 (eight percent inccrease sincce 2010) annd 491,8799 (19
percent increase since 2010) respectiveely. The DOOF projections adjusteed to the 2010
Census bbenchmark through 2060 are showwn in Figuree 3-3.
Figgure 3-3: Countywidde Adjusted DOF Populaation Projecctions
Anotther souurce of
population projectioons is the
Associattion of BBay Area
Governmments (ABAAG), which
is the regional land use
planningg agency foor the Bay
Area, including thee counties
of Napa,, Sonoma, MMarin, San
Franciscco, San Matteo, Santa
Clara, Allameda, Conntra Costa,
and Solano. ABAG's
projectioons includee a set of
policy aassumptionss that are
based on the region's
principlees for groowth. The
projectioons assume that, over
time, State, regioonal, and
local pollicies and prrograms wiill change inn a way thatt shifts neww growth towward areas near
transit aand existingg downtowwns. These ppolicies andd programss are assummed to havve an
increasinng effect on populationn over the thhirty-year foorecast horiizon.
Accoording to AABAG’s 20009 San Franncisco Bay Area Visioon Project, although oother
countiess will experiience higher absolute ppopulation iincreases, SSolano Counnty will havve the
highest ppercentage increase in populationn of any county in the BBay Area bettween 20000 and
2030. Soolano’s popuulation will increase byy 46 percentt or nearly 1182,000 ressidents, by 22030.
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ABAGG projects ggrowth to bbe clusteredd in three mmajor centeers: Fairfield, Vacavillee and
Vallejo, which willl account for nearlyy three-quaarters of tthe Countyy’s 62,970 new
househoolds. Fairfield will havee the most growth, wwith 16,190 new houseeholds. Vacaaville
will add 15,250 houuseholds, annd Vallejo 144,890. Rio VVista will seee the most ddramatic chhange
of the cities in Solano County. In fact, Rioo Vista is exxpected to hhave the larrgest percenntage
increasee in its popuulation of any city in the entire reegion betwween 2000 aand 2015 off 229
percent.
Elsewwhere in thhe County, Dixon is eexpected too continue to grow. The numbeer of
househoolds in Dixonn is projecteed to more than doublee between 22000 and 2030—one oof the
highest growth rattes in the BBay Area. FFairfield, Suuisun City, Vacaville, aand Vallejoo will
continuee to experieence significcant growthh, while Bennicia’s popuulation and householdss will
grow att a relativeely low rate. There iss a potentiial to deveelop three- and four-sstory
commercial buildinngs along pportions of the I-80 ccorridor annd mixed-usse developmment
around CCapitol Corrridor rail staations. Trannsportationn improvements includee the creation of
two neww Capitol Coorridor stattions, one aadjacent to Travis Air Force Basee and anothher in
Dixon. TThe pattern of developmment preserrves Solanoo County’s sstrong agriccultural induustry
and charracter by foccusing deveelopment within its incorporated ccities. Signifficant houseehold
and empployment ggrowth is eexpected too occur in tthe downtoowns of Vaallejo (incluuding
adjacentt Mare Islannd), Benicia, Fairfield, Suisun City, VVacaville, annd Dixon.
ABAGG’s Jobs Housing Connnection Strattegy 2012 pprojects thaat the popuulation of Soolano
County wwill grow byy 24 percent from 20100 to 2040, amounting too 512,368 inn 2040.
Figgure 3-4: Countywide Adjusted DDOT Populaation Projecctions
The California
Departmment of
Transportation (DDOT) also
makes ppopulation
projectioons for eacch county
in the Sttate. Accordding to the
DOT, tthe popullation in
Solano CCounty wass expected
to groww by 0.4 ppercent in
2013. Annual growwth in the
period frrom 2013 tto 2018 is
forecasteed to aveerage 0.7
percent. Similar to the DOF,
the DOTT has not used the
2010 Ceensus bencchmark in
its proojections; therefore,
estimatees presenteed in this
report arre adjusted based on thhe benchmaark. Based oon adjusted estimates uusing the Ceensus
2010 poopulation coount, the SSolano popuulation is pprojected too be 442,2778 in 20200 and
483,612 in 2030. TThe DOT prrojections adjusted to the 2010 CCensus bencchmark thrrough
2040 aree shown in FFigure 3-4.
INTRODUUCTION cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáââÄÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxxá? __V 29
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Figuree 3-5: Annnualized Groowth Projecctions by Meethod
Meethod 20100-2040
Departtment of FFinance Projections 00.9%
Departtment of TTransportaation Projeections 00.7%
Associaation of Baay Area Goovernmennts Projecttions 00.7%
A commparison of the annuaalized growwth rates thrrough 20400 for each oof the projection
methodss discussed is shown inn Figure 3-5. As showwn, the DOTT and ABAGG projections are
similar aand slightlyy more consservative thhan DOF proojections. OOver the perriod of 30 yyears,
DOF proojected thatt Solano Coounty popullation will ggrow by 333 percent, DDOT projections
showed an increasee of 25 perceent, while AABAG estimaated a rise oof 24 percennt.
Disadvantageed Uninccorporaated Commmunitiies
LAFCCO is requirred to evaluuate disadvvantaged unnincorporatted communnities as paart of
this servvice review,, including tthe locationn and charaacteristics of any such ccommunitiees. A
disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd community is definned as anyy area witth 12 or mmore
registereed voters, oor as determmined by ccommission policy, whhere the meedian houseehold
income iis less than 80 percent of the statewide annuaal median.7
The CCalifornia DDepartment of Water Resources (DDWR) has developed a mapping toool to
assist inn determining which ccommunitiees meet thee disadvanttaged commmunities meedian
househoold income ddefinition.8 According tto DWR, theere are no communitiees that meeet the
definitioon of a disaddvantaged uunincorporaated commuunity in Solaano County.
DWRR is not bouund by the ssame law ass LAFCO to define commmunities wwith a minimmum
thresholld of 12 or mmore registeered voters. Because income information is nnot availablle for
this leveel of analysiss, disadvanttaged uninccorporated ccommunitiees with smaaller populations
that meeet LAFCO’s ddefinition caannot be ideentified at tthis time.
FIRRE AND EMS SEERVICESS
This section proovides an ooverview off fire protecction and emmergency mmedical serrvices
providedd by local aagencies in Solano Couunty. The mmost recent municipall service reeview
(MSR) foor the Solaano fire prootection disstricts was completedd in 2006. For a dettailed
description of each district, pleease refer too the agencyy-specific chhapters of thhis report.
7 Governmeent Code §560333.5.
8 Based on census data, thhe median houseehold income inn the State of California in 20110 was $57,7088, 80 percent off which
is $46,166.
INTRODUUCTION cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáââÄÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxxá? __V 30
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Service Providers
This report focuses on fire and emergency medical service providers located in Solano
County, which are under the jurisdiction of Solano LAFCO. As shown in Figure 3-6, six
special districts were reviewed as part of this Municipal Service Review.
In addition, this review includes limited information on the City of Benicia Fire
Department, City of Dixon Fire Department, City of Fairfield Fire Department, City of Rio
Vista Fire Department, City of Suisun Fire Department, City of Vacaville Fire Department,
City of Vallejo Fire Department, California Department of Forestry (Cal Fire), and Travis Air
Force Base (AFB) to provide a comprehensive description of the structure of fire and
emergency response services in Solano County.
The types of services provided by each agency vary depending on staff expertise,
training and certification, as well as availability of specialized equipment or vehicles, and
other resources. Figure 3-6 details the various services provided by each agency under
LAFCO jurisdiction. The bounds of each of these agencies are shown in Figure 3-7.
Figure 3-6: Fire Service Providers in Solano County
Service
INTRODUCTION cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 31
DPFC DPFD DPFVE DPFM DPFS DPFV
Fire Suppression Services
Structural Fire Protection
Wildland Fire Protection
Vehicle Fire Protection
Ladder Truck Capabilities
Fire Suppression Handcrew
Fire Suppression Dozer
Helicopter Services – Fire Suppression
Boat With Fire Suppression Capabilities
Emergency Medical Services
Basic Life Support Provider
Advanced Life Support - Non Transport Provider
Advanced Life Support Transport Provider
Continuing Education Provider – Medical
Air Ambulance Transport Helicopter Services
Helicopter Landing Facilities On Site
Vehicle Extrication Tools/Equipment
Fire Prevention
Fire Safety Education – Children
Fire Safety Education – Adults/Seniors
Juvenile Firesetter Prevention Program
Fire and Life Safety Business Inspection Program
Fire Protection Planning
New Commercial Construction Plan Reviews
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Public Education Provider (CPR, First Aid, etc.)
Home Fire/Safety Inspections
Fire Origin and Cause Investigations
Fuel Reduction/Weed Abatement Program
Smoke Detector Giveaway/Installation Program
Address Sign Installation Program
Rescue Services
First Responder Swift Water Rescue Program
Water Rescue Program
Ice Rescue Program
Dive Rescue Program
Low angle Rope Rescue Program
Helicopter Short/Long Haul Rescue Capabilities
Response To Boating Accidents
Rescue Dog Services
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous Materials Emergency Response - Basic
Hazardous Materials Response Team
Support Services
Firefighter Incident Support Unit
Mobile Incident Command/Communications Unit
Fill Station for Self Contained Breathing
Apparatus
Mobile Breathing Support Unit
Community Emergency Response Team
Chaplain Services
Training Academy
Emergency Operations Center Capabilities
Miscellaneous
Public Service Assists
Motor Vehicle Accident Response
Welfare Checks
Public Safety Answering Point
Fire/EMS Dispatch
Fundraising Activities
Firefighters Association - Non Profit
Auxiliary Association
Other
College Career Days
Collection Point for Toys for Tots
Confined Space Rescue
Training Tower (15-week academy)
Apprentice Program (3 weeks)
INTRODUCTION cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 32
Fire Protection Districts
Solano County
County Boundaries
City Boundaries
Major Roads
§¨¦
FireStations
505 Yolo
Interstate Dixon County
§¨¦
State Highway Vacaville Fire
Major Roads Protection 80 Dixon Fire
District
FireDistricts Protection
NAME District
Napa
Cordelia Fire Protection DCiosutrnictyt
Department of Forestry
Dixon Fire Protection District
East Vallejo Fire District
Montezuma Fire Protection District §¨¦
Suisun Fire Protection District
80
Travis Air Force Base
Sacramento
Vacaville Fire Protection District Department County
of Forestry
Travis ·|}þ
AFB ·|}þ 84 ·|}þ
·|}þ 113 220
12
Sonoma
Montezuma Fire
County
Protection
District
§¨¦
Suisun Fire
680 Protection
District Rio Vista
B
S
a
a
y
n
P a b lo
E F a ir s e t D V i a s l t l r e ic jo t
C P or r
D
d o
i
t e
s
e l
t
i c
r
a
i
t
c
io F
t S
n ir
u
e
isun
Gri
B
zz
a
l
y
y
J C o
S
o a u
a
q n
n
u t i y n
Bay
§¨¦
Marin
780
County Contra
Costa
County Miles
0 1 2 4 6 8 10
S Fo o r la m n a o t i L o o n c C a o l A m g m e i n s c s y io n Solano County GIS Services Disclaimer: 5
Department of Information Technology This map was made using Solano County GIS files with varying degrees of
7 F 4 a 4 ir f E ie m ld p , i r C e A S 9 t. 4 , 5 S 3 u 3 i te 216 675 Texas Street, Suite 3700 scale, accuracy, precision, currentness, and alignment and therefore cannot
Fairfield, CA 94533 be used for situations requiring survey grade measurement or legal
(707) 439-3897 Phone: 707-784-6340 boundary determination. Solano County disclaims liability for any
www.solanolafco.com Email: GISStaff@SolanoCounty.com loss that may result from the use of this map. User acknowledges
This map is to be used for general information purposes only. Where precise accuracy is PRJ_1093, 08/01/2014 data limitations and accepts responsibility for map based judgments.
required reference should be made to certified maps, surveys, documents and/or by other
official means.
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Cordelia Fire Protection District
Cordelia Fire Protection District (CFPD) provides structural, wildland and vehicle fire
suppression, fire prevention services, hazardous materials assistance, public service
assistance, and emergency medical services in the form of basic and advanced life support.
In addition, the District provides specialized rescue services, such as response to boating
accidents along the shoreline and low angle rope rescue services.
The District provides services to the unincorporated territory in the southwestern
portion of Solano County.
CFPD operates out of two stations; services are provided by four full-time equivalent
personnel and 46 volunteers.
Dixon Fire Protection District
Dixon Fire Protection District (DFPD) provides structural, wildland and vehicle fire
suppression, fire prevention services, hazardous materials assistance, public service
assistance, and emergency medical services in the form of basic and advanced life support.
In addition, the District provides specialized rescue services, such as confined space rescue.
All services are provided by the City of Dixon Fire Department through a contract.
The District operates out of one station. DFPD does not have any staff of its own; all
services are provided by City of Dixon FD personnel. Dixon FD serves the most expansive
area of 320 square miles (312 square miles of the District and eight square miles of city
territory) from its single station.
East Vallejo Fire Protection District
East Vallejo Fire Protection District (EVFPD) provides structural, wildland and vehicle
fire suppression, fire prevention services, hazardous materials assistance, public service
assistance, and emergency medical services in the form of basic and advanced life support.
In addition, the District provides specialized rescue services, such as swift water and low
angle rope rescue services. All services are provided by the City of Vallejo Fire Department
by contract.
The District serves seven non-contiguous unincorporated areas, which are either
entirely surrounded by the City of Vallejo or immediately adjacent to the City’s limits.
EVFPD does not have staff of its own. All staff are provided by Vallejo FD, which has 87
firefighting personnel.9 The District receives services from seven stations; each station
serves a very small area of about 8.3 square miles.
Montezuma Fire Protection District
Montezuma Fire Protection District (MFPD) provides fire response, limited hazardous
materials response, full vehicle extrication, and 24-hour basic life support services. The
District performs fire code plan checks, inspection and enforcement, participates in
9 Firefighting personnel are personnel that respond to incidents. Administrative personnel is staff that do not respond to
service calls, such as administrative assistants, bookkeepers, etc.
INTRODUCTION cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 34
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FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
educational activities to increase community awareness of fire safety and prevention, and
conducts fire investigations within its boundary area.
The District is served by 32 firefighting staff. MFPD serves an extensive territory of 200
square miles of mostly farmland and pasture lands in southeastern Solano County and
operates out of four stations, each of which covers about 50 square miles.
Suisun Fire Protection District
Suisun Fire Protection District (SFPD) provides structural, wildland and vehicle fire
suppression, some fire prevention services, hazardous materials awareness and
operations, public service assistance, and emergency medical services in the form of basic
life support. In addition, the District provides specialized rescue programs, such as water
and boating accident rescue, and low angle rope rescue services.
The District operates out of two fire stations. Services are provided by 39 firefighting
personnel. SFPD is located in the southwestern portion of Solano County and surrounds the
cities of Fairfield and Suisun City almost in their entirety.
Vacaville Fire Protection District
Vacaville Fire Protection District (VFPD) provides 24-hour response for emergencies.
The District responds to all types of incidents, including, but not limited to wildland fires,
structure fires, medical emergencies, vehicle accidents, activated alarms, technical rescues,
hazardous materials, and public service assists. In addition, VFPD provides fire prevention
and public education programs, as well as on-going training for all district staff.
VFPD is located in the northwestern portion of Solano County and surrounds the City of
Vacaville. The District is served by 77 firefighting staff. Although the overall number of
firefighting personnel is the highest in the County among the other fire protection districts,
the District serves a large population, making its firefighting personnel ratio per capita of
seven firefighters per 1,000 residents, the lowest of the fire districts. VFPD operates out of
five fire stations.
Other Service Providers
City of Benicia Fire Department
The Benicia Fire Department functions within three divisions, which consist of Fire and
Life Safety/Administration, Fire and EMS Operations and Fire Training and Emergency
Preparedness. The Department operates out of two fire stations.
The Department is an “all-risk” fire department and provides a variety of emergency
and non-emergency services to the community. For more information on the Benicia Fire
Department, refer to the 2005 City of Benicia Municipal Service Review and the City of
Benicia website.
City of Dixon Fire Department
The Dixon Fire Department is responsible for providing emergency fire, rescue,
medical, and nuisance and graffiti abatement services for the City of Dixon. By contractual
agreement, the City also provides fire protection services to the surrounding Dixon FPD,
INTRODUCTION cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 35
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FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
and the city chief functions as the chief of DFPD. All services are provided out of a single
fire station.
The City of Dixon provides basic life support, as well as advanced life support. The
Dixon FD paramedic engine is staffed with a firefighter/paramedic at all times. For more
information on Dixon FD, refer to the 2005 City of Dixon Municipal Service Review and the
City of Dixon website.
City of Fairfield Fire Department
Fire suppression and paramedic services are provided by the City of Fairfield Fire
Department from five fire stations located throughout the City.
The mission of the Fire Department is to efficiently and effectively maintain the highest
levels of fire and life safety services for the community, and to minimize loss of life and
property damage. The department is comprised of paid10 and volunteer firefighters. The
Department is organized into five service divisions.
The Fire Department participates in a mutual aid system that responds to requests for
aid from throughout the County and State. In return, resources are provided to Fairfield
when needed. The Fire Department also has automatic response agreements with
neighboring fire agencies, and adjacent fire jurisdictions likewise respond simultaneously
to Fairfield calls in close proximity to their fire stations. For more information on Fairfield
FD, refer to the 2012 City of Fairfield Municipal Service Review and the City of Fairfield
website.
City of Rio Vista Fire Department
The Fire Department serves the City of Rio Vista, including the airport, and contracts
with the Delta Fire Protection District to extend fire service coverage to the Delta
communities.
The Fire Department is a full-service organization providing fire response, limited
hazardous materials response, full vehicle extrication, and 24-hour basic and advanced life
support services. The Department performs fire code plan checks, inspection, and
enforcement, participates in educational activities to increase community awareness of fire
safety and prevention, and conducts fire investigations within its jurisdiction. In the event
of a major disaster, the Fire Department is the acting Emergency Operations Command
(EOC).
The Department is broken down into five divisions: Administration, Operations,
Training, Prevention, and Community Outreach. For more information on the Rio Vista FD,
refer to the 2006 City of Rio Vista Municipal Service Review and the City of Rio Vista
website.
10 A person whose primary employment is as a firefighter for a municipality or other agency or company and who derives
the majority of their earned income working in the fire service.
INTRODUCTION cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 36
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
City of Suisun Fire Department
The Suisun Fire Department is a volunteer fire department protecting approximately
four square miles of territory. The Department operates out of one fire station.
The Department provides fire suppression, emergency medical response, fire
prevention, public assist calls, public education programs, and management of a public
nuisance weed abatement program.
Although the Department is staffed mostly by volunteers, they staff a minimum of one
engine 24 hours a day, seven days per week. About 70 percent of the time, two engines or
an engine and a truck are staffed. In addition, volunteers are on-call to respond to
incidents requiring additional equipment and personnel.
For more information on the Suisun FD, refer to the 2005 City of Suisun Municipal
Service Review and the City of Suisun website.
City of Vacaville Fire Department
The City of Vacaville Fire Department provides four different types of services including
fire suppression, emergency medical service, emergency response (including non-medical
rescue, hazardous material spills and public assistance calls), and non-emergency services
including public education, fire prevention programs, code compliance, and permit and
inspection services. Also, unlike other fire agencies in the County, Vacaville FD provides
transport ambulance services within a specific area in the City and surrounding the City.
The Department is currently operating out of four stations. Another station is under
construction. Administrative offices are located at City Hall
The Vacaville Fire Department has a staff of 82 persons providing services 24 hours per
day. A total of 69 emergency response personnel work on three operation shifts, with a
minimum daily shift staffing of 19 emergency response personnel plus one battalion chief.
The Fire Department is currently able to dispatch three engines, one truck, one medic unit
and one battalion chief to reported structure fires.
For more information on the City of Vacaville Fire Department and its operations, refer
to the 2014 City of Vacaville Municipal Service Review and the City of Vacaville website.
City of Vallejo Fire Department
The City of Vallejo Fire Department provides fire suppression, advanced life support
emergency medical services, and responds to any and all calls for emergency service. All of
the stations are staffed with paramedics. The Department responds to about 12,000 calls
per year and is broken down into the Fire Suppression division, Emergency Medical
Services division, Fire Training division, and Fire Prevention division.
The Vallejo Fire Department currently has six fire stations. The stations are located
strategically throughout the city in positions to provide the best coverage for the City as
possible. For more information about the City of Vallejo FD, refer to the 2005 City of Vallejo
Municipal Service Review and to the City of Vallejo website.
INTRODUCTION cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 37
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FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire)
Cal Fire is a state agency responsible for protecting and maintaining privately owned
wildland, providing emergency services and responding to wildland fires throughout
California.
Cal Fire also provides technical support throughout the County in the form of
specialized services such as fire suppression handcrews, dozers, and helicopter services
when necessary.
Solano County is served by the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit (LNU) of Cal Fire. The Unit was
created in 1996 when the Sonoma Ranger Unit and the Lake-Napa Ranger Unit were
merged into one unit. LNU has primary responsibility for more than 2.3 million acres of Cal
Fire direct protection area (DPA) lands,11 more than any other unit. It has the third largest
population living within a Cal Fire DPA, and ranks the third in average number of annual
fires.
The Unit is divided into four divisions and ten field battalions. The boundaries of
Sonoma County define the West Division, which is comprised of four field battalions. Napa
County defines the South Division, and is comprised of three field battalions. Lake County
defines the North Division, and is comprised of two field battalions. The remaining counties
of Yolo, Solano, and Colusa define the East Division, which is comprised of a single
battalion.
Sonoma-Lake Napa Unit’s headquarters, including the Emergency Command Center
(ECC) and the South Division offices are located just north of St. Helena in Napa County.
Division specific offices are located in smaller facilities in Santa Rosa Station for the West
Division, Konocti Camp for the North Division, and Delta Camp for the East Division.
Travis Air Force Base Fire Department
Travis Air Force Base (AFB) is located in the central part of Solano County and is
bordered by the City of Fairfield in the west, SFPD in the west and south, VFPD in the north,
and MFPD in the southeast. Travis AFB occupies approximately 7,100 acres of land, with
two 11,000-foot runways oriented along the northeast-southwest diagonal, away from
existing housing developments. In 1995, the function of the base was expanded by the
addition of air refueling assets from March AFB. The U.S. Department of Defense has been
using the site for military operations since the early 1940s.
Travis AFB Fire Department is a paid12 fire department, which is a part of the federal
government. The Department operates out of four stations and is staffed by 94 paid
firefighters.
11 Cal Fire and federal wildland fire protection agencies, such as U.S.F.S. and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
have entered into agreements to define direct protection areas (DPA). A DPA is a geographic area where one particular
agency is responsible for providing wildland fire protection regardless of land ownership in the area. On a statewide
basis, Cal Fire and the federal agencies attempt to balance the amount of responsible acreage. Solano County local fire
agencies do not have statutory responsibility for wildland fire protection, but they do respond to wild fires and get
reimbursed from the state or federal governments.
12 A person whose primary employment is as a firefighter for a municipality or other agency or company and who derives
the majority of their earned income working in the fire service.
INTRODUCTION cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 38
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Travis’ firefighters are responsible for fighting multiple types of fires because of the size
and nature of the Travis community. The crew must be ready to respond to situations in
airplanes, homes and other facilities. Aircraft firefighting, structure fires, wildland blazes,
petroleum/oil/lubricant situations, hazmat, confined-space rescue and emergency medical
situations are all part of the Travis fire crew’s roster of responsibilities.
Context
There are a wide range of fuels in the Solano County area ranging from agricultural
farmland, annual grasses, oak woodlands intermixed with chemise and coastal chaparral’s
in the western areas of the Vaca mountains to marshland tulles in the east along the
Sacramento river delta. Large areas of Solano County fall within the mutual threat zone
(MTZ) and offer the potential for structure protection issues, if a fire were to start in these
areas. Due to aggressive fire suppression efforts and lack of local wildland fuels
management, both vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels will and have promoted rapid
fire growth. Numerous riparian zones are located throughout the County as well.
The weather is generally warm and dry with a great portion of the valley being marine
influenced keeping areas to the southwest seasonally cooler. Average daytime
temperatures range from 85 to 105 degrees in the summer. Nighttime lows average
between 50 and 60 degrees; marine influence brings a lot of fog that impacts temperature
dramatically. Daily winds, known locally as the Delta breeze, range from five to 15 miles
per hour from the west and act as a cooling effect throughout the southwest increasing fuel
moisture and recoveries. The area is also subject to Foehn North winds, which range in
speed from 25 to 75 miles per hour. These winds cause high rates of spread and control
problems.
There are two topographic features of note within the County—Mt. Vaca and the
Montezuma Hills. There are numerous ridges located within these areas, which influence
the landscape dramatically and can contribute to fire spread. Narrow canyons and valleys
with heavy fuel loading and numerous narrow man-made roads present several control
issues, but do offer points to consider as control lines.
Solano County has a history of large wildland fires. Two fires of note are the 1965
Kaiser Fire, when a fire started in the drought dried seasonal grasses and spread rapidly
from Soscol Ridge off SR 29 to American Canyon, reaching a final acreage of 25,888, and the
1965 Mix Canyon Fire, which reached an approximate 35,000 acres. The fire period of note
was in 1965, which was referred to as black Thursday when the County was under siege
from the east to the west with several fires burning at the same time, with the largest
becoming the above noted Kaiser Fire.
Jurisdictional Responsibilities
Fire services within Solano County are provided by six fire protection districts, which
are the focus of this review, seven city fire departments, Cal Fire, the United States Forest
Service (USFS), and Travis AFB Fire Department. Each of the district’s service areas is equal
to its boundary area. Similarly, each of the cities provides services within its boundaries.
However, all agencies participate in mutual and automatic aid agreements by which they
may provide services outside of their bounds.
INTRODUCTION cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 39
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There are two areas within the County that are located outside of a local fire service
providers’ service area. One such area is situated in western Solano County and is bordered
by CFPD and SFPD in the east and Napa County in the west; the second area is in eastern
Solano County bordered by DFPD in the west (within DFPD’s SOI), MFPD in the east, west
and south, and Yolo County in the north.
Cal Fire provides services in wildland areas within Solano County defined as State
Responsibility Areas (SRA). An SRA is an area of the State where the State of California is
financially responsible for the prevention and suppression of wildfires. An SRA does not
include lands within city boundaries or in federal ownership. Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit is
responsible for 93,820 acres of SRA lands in Solano County. There are 10,751 people and
3,884 houses in the Solano SRA. SRAs in Solano are mostly stretched north-south in the
western portion of Solano County with high fire hazard severity zones located mostly to the
west and less severe zones to the east. SRA land is present within the boundary areas of
VFPD, SFPD and CFPD. Also, as previously mentioned, Cal Fire provides technical support
throughout the County in the form of specialized services including fire suppression
handcrews, dozers and helicopter services as needed.
Similar to Cal Fire, the United States Forest Services (USFS) also provides services in
California, primarily within forests and grasslands. Areas where USFS services are focused
are defined as Federal Responsibility Areas (FRA). There are only a few small areas that are
considered FRA in Solano County, all of which are located in the western portion of VFPD.
The rest of the territory in Solano County is designated as Local Responsibility Area
(LRA), which consists of high (in the west) and moderate (central Solano) fire hazard
severity zones, as well as unzoned lands (the rest of the LRA).
Travis AFB Fire Department serves territory within the air force base and responds to
incidents related to AFB aircraft when they occur in other parts of Solano County.
Boundaries and SOIs
All of the fire protection districts in Solano County have undergone multiple boundary
changes since their respective formation dates, including annexations, detachments and
consolidations. Refer to the individual district chapters in this report for details regarding
each agency’s annexations and detachments. Note that information regarding boundary
changes was derived from available LAFCO records and may not be complete, excluding
records that were not found or readily available.
There have been three consolidations among the fire protection districts of Solano
County, including the consolidation of Cordelia FPD with Benicia FPD in 1978, Vacaville
FPD with Elmira FPD in 1986, and Montezuma FPD with Ryer Island FPD in 2006.
While multiple district reorganizations modified the boundary areas of the respective
districts, the spheres of influence of the majority of the districts were not adjusted after
multiple reorganizations and boundary changes had occurred. With the exception of DFPD
and MFPD, for which the SOIs are currently up to date, the rest of the districts’ spheres of
influence have to be updated to reflect boundary changes. MFPD’s SOI is currently
coterminous with its boundaries, while DFPD’s SOI is larger than its boundary area and
includes territory where there is no established local fire provider.
INTRODUCTION cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 40
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Dispatch and Communications
There are six dispatch centers in Solano County, which include the Benicia Dispatch
Center, Fairfield Dispatch Center, Suisun City Dispatch Center, Vacaville Dispatch Center,
Vallejo Dispatch Center and the Solano County Dispatch Center. Each of the six dispatch
centers dispatches for multiple agencies.
With the exception of East Vallejo FPD all the fire protection districts in Solano County
contract with Solano County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center for dispatch services. East
Vallejo FPD is dispatched through the City of Vallejo. The cities of Benicia, Fairfield, Suisun
City, Vacaville, and Vallejo dispatch through their own dispatch centers.
The Solano County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center also provides dispatch services to
the Sheriff's Office, Isleton Police and Fire, Dixon Police and Fire, California Medical Facility,
Rio Vista/Delta Fire Districts, and Solano Community College Police on a 24-hour basis. The
Sheriff's Dispatch Center also handles coordination of air ambulance for scene calls to all
areas of the County (city or county), coordination of all mutual aid for the County, and out
of county requests.
The County dispatch center operates with at least two people on duty at all times. The
center operators answer and transmit on three primary radio channels, seven secondary
channels and a number of other law and fire radios for other agencies. The dispatch center
also answers 12 business lines, four Nextels, six 911 lines, numerous alarm panels, fax
requests, and mobile data computer messages.
The Benicia Communications Center is part of the Services Division of the City of
Benicia Police Department. The Communication Center is the primary public safety
answering point for wireline, wireless and VoIP 911 calls originating in the City of Benicia,
and it handles business lines for the police department. The Center provides dispatch
services for the Benicia Police Department and the Benicia Fire Department. It also
answers dispatches for assistance from CHP on I-780 and I-680 and Contra Costa Fire
Department regarding fire or medical incidents occurring on the Benicia Bridge. The
dispatch center places individual calls to the on-call police administration and detectives
and dispatches for “after hours” Public Works and Parks Department call-out personnel.
The Fairfield Dispatch Center is the primary public safety answering point for the City
of Fairfield. The center dispatches for Fairfield Police Department and the Fairfield Fire
Department. After hours and during lunch it dispatches for Fairfield Public Works. The
center is the primary public safety answering point for wireline, wireless and VoIP 911
calls for the City. The dispatch center answers all incoming administrative telephone calls
for the Fairfield Police Department. The dispatch center is equipped with seven positions,
which can answer incoming telephone calls and dispatch the fire and police departments.
The Suisun City Dispatch Center handles all 911 calls, wireless 911 calls, and fire and
police dispatch. In addition, there are several other duties performed by the dispatcher,
which include all records duties, collecting fees, vehicle releases, and lobby windows. The
Center also monitors all cameras upon request.
The Vacaville Dispatch Center dispatches for fire/EMS and police services, answers all
911 calls, wireless 911 calls, and administration calls for the Police Department, and
answers after hours calls for Humane Animal Services, Public Works, Utilities, and Building
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Maintenance. The Center monitors all city radio systems through emergency situations,
schools, wastewater, and City Coach.
The Vallejo Dispatch Center is part of the support service staff of the Vallejo Police
Department. The Dispatch Center handles all fire/ EMS and police dispatch for the City of
Vallejo, EVFPD and all administrative calls for the Police Department. The Center calls
Medic Ambulance for transport services. In addition, the Center calls public works and
animal control after-hour services using pagers.
Currently, most of the six centers operate different computer aided dispatch (CAD)
systems, which limit the ability to share information between each of the centers. In most
cases the existing CAD was chosen based on the needs and available budget of each
dispatch center. The City of Vacaville, Suisun City and Solano County Dispatch, all use
VisionAir, Benicia uses Sungard, Fairfield uses MotoCAD, and Vallejo uses Motorola
PrintTrack. In addition, the centers are using different records management systems
(RMS). The City of Vacaville uses Northrop Grumman, Suisun City and Solano County
Dispatch both use VisionAir, Benicia uses Sungard, Fairfield uses Tiburon, and Vallejo uses
Motorola NetRMS.
In most cases the fire and EMS agencies are using different RMS systems than the police
departments. In addition, most fire and EMS RMS systems are not compatible with the
dispatch center CAD, which often requires manually entering information from one system
into another. The fire departments are operating 15 different RMS systems, one for each of
the fire agencies. While some are using the same vendor, they are not interconnected and a
very small number are receiving any type of automatic updates from the CAD. Most
agencies are manually entering times and other data from the CAD into the RMS system.
Each individual fire department maintains its own local records. These systems are not
interfaced with the CAD system.
Fire agencies are on multiple frequency bands (800 MHz, VHF, and UHF T-Band), which
makes it difficult to coordinate response in large incidents. Agencies need the ability to
hear 800 MHz callouts and be able to monitor the 800 MHz fire dispatch channels.
Volunteers can only monitor VHF frequencies through their issued pager, which does not
allow them to anticipate requests for mutual aid, causing some delays in the district’s
ability to reduce response times.
The different frequency bands (800 MHz, UHF and VHF) for fire and police also make
interoperability a problem between these units. The city dispatch centers cannot
communicate directly with the Sheriff and use a scanner to monitor those channels.
Advance Life Support and Ambulance Services
Solano Emergency Medical Services Cooperative (SEMSC), as the Local Emergency
Medical Services Agency (LEMSA) for Solano County, coordinates agencies providing EMS
services through planning, policies and procedures, promulgation of standards, and the
monitoring of operational and medical performance.
Medic Ambulance, Inc. holds the exclusive ambulance agreement for all advanced life
support (ALS) transport in Solano County, except for the City of Vacaville and Zone “C”
where the Vacaville Fire Department is charged with providing 911 response. Medic also
provides ambulance service for portions of Sacramento County, including the City of
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Isleton, River Delta Fire Protection Districts, as well as Gordon Valley Fire Protection
District in Napa.
Medic Ambulance Service, Inc. was awarded the exclusive ambulance contract in Solano
County in May 2010. Medic Ambulance has a response time requirement of 12 minutes in
the four Public Private Partnership (PPP) Cities of Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, and Vallejo and
a nine minute response time requirement in Rio Vista and Suisun. Rural calls are allowed a
15-minute response time and remote calls have a 90-minute response time.
Fire departments in the cities of Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, and Vallejo are part of the PPP
and each provides ALS first responder support to area residents. The City of Rio Vista and
CFPD provide first responder ALS service, but are not part of the Public Private Partnership
and do not get reimbursed for support of Medic Ambulance’s services. Suisun City provides
only basic life support (BLS) for its residents.
The PPP Agreement between Medic Ambulance and the Cities of Benicia, Dixon,
Fairfield, and Vallejo allow the fire departments in these cities to operate under a high
performance contract with Medic Ambulance and the SEMSC, which is substantially similar
to the contract SEMSC entered with Medic Ambulance. This agreement allows Medic
Ambulance crews an additional three minutes to arrive on scene, as the fire departments
provide “first response” service to their communities.
In the Medic service area, the response time guideline is seven minutes 90 percent of
the time for a Code 3 response to a 911 priority calls for all PPP cities. There is no response
time standard for Code 2 responses.13 Compliance with these requirements is determined
on a monthly basis. If a city providing ALS services fails to comply with these response
time standards, it is fined by the Medic.
As specified in the State EMS Authority approved EMS Plan, Vacaville Fire Department
provides 911 response to the City of Vacaville and “Zone C,” which includes the territory of
VFPD and a portion of DFPD. The Vacaville Fire Department has been providing emergency
ALS First Response and transport since the mid 1970’s. The City of Vacaville operates
under the guidance of Solano County Department of Emergency Medical Services as a part
of SEMSC. Response times in the City of Vacaville are measured at seven minutes for urban
calls within the city limits and 15 minutes for rural calls. All calls outside the city limits
regardless of distance are considered “rural” and measured at the 15-minute standard. This
designation is based on historical precedent.
Solano County is served by three air ambulance providers, including CALSTAR
(California Shock/Trauma Air Rescue) with a base station in Solano County at the Nut Tree
Airport as well as Buchanan Field, and Sacramento, REACH Air Medical Services with bases
in Concord, Lakeport, and Santa Rosa and the California Highway Patrol (CHP), which has a
helicopter capable of transporting injured persons stationed at the Napa Airport.
13 Code 2: non-life-threatening emergency response. Code 3: Life-threat response.
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4.. CORRD ELL I A FFI R E PROT ECTT I O N
D ISST R ICCT
Corddelia Fire Prrotection Diistrict (CFPD) provides structurall, wildland and vehiclee fire
suppresssion, fire pprevention services, hhazardous materials assistance, public service
assistancce, and emeergency meddical services in the form of basicc and advanced life suppport.
In additiion, the Disstrict providdes specialized rescue services, suuch as respponse to boating
accidentts along thee shoreline and low anngle rope reescue serviices. The DDistrict provvides
services to the unincorporated territory inn the southwwestern porrtion of Solaano County.
AGENCYY OVERVVIEW
Backgground
CFPDD was formmed in 19118 as an inndependentt special ddistrict for the purposse of
providinng fire proteection to thee unincorpoorated areass of Solano County locaated outside the
city limitts of the Cityy of Fairfield and the City of Beniccia.
The pprincipal acct that goveerns the District is the Fire Protecction Districct Law of 19987.14
The prinncipal act eempowers ffire districtts to providde fire prottection, resscue, emerggency
medical, hazardouss material rresponse, ammbulance, aand any othher servicess relating too the
protectioon of lives and propeerty.15 Districts must aapply and obtain LAFFCO approvval to
exercise services aauthorized bby the prinncipal act bbut not alrready proviided (i.e., laatent
powers) by the district at the end of 2000..16
CFPDD surroundss the City off Fairfield annd the City oof Benicia inn the southwwestern portion
of Solanoo County. TThe District borders Suisun FPD inn the east annd is adjaceent to the Ciity of
Vallejo aand East Valllejo FPD in the southwwest.
Bounddaries
CFPDD is entirelyy within Solano Countyy. The present boundss encompass approximmately
56 square miles off unincorporated territtory in Solaano Countyy. The District’s bounddaries
include tthe commuunities of Grreen Valley,, Rockville, Cordelia, and Lower SSuisun Valleey, as
shown in Figure 4-2. While the District surrounds the City oof Fairfield and the Ciity of
Benicia, it does not serve the incorporated city territtory, as botth cities havve their ownn fire
departmments.
The DDistrict has undertakenn two annexxations, eighht detachments, and onne consolidaation
with Bennicia FPD ssince its forrmation. Thhe most reccent changee took placee in 1994 wwhen
14 Health annd Safety Code §§13800-13970.
15 Health annd Safety Code §§13862.
16 Governmment Code §568224.10.
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1,110 acres of land protected by CFPD were detached from the District and annexed to East
Vallejo FPD. The District’s boundary changes are shown in Figure 4-1.
Figure 4-1: CFPD List of LAFCO-Approved Boundary Changes
Project Name Type of Action Year Recording Agency
Cordelia Fire Protection District Formation 1918 County
Lewis Mangels Annexation 1975 LAFCO
UPS property Detachment 1976 LAFCO
Moore and Strahan properties Detachment 1976 LAFCO
Smith property Detachment 1977 LAFCO
Mangels property Annexation 1977 LAFCO
Red Top Detachment 1978 LAFCO
Frisk and Dittmer properties Detachment 1978 LAFCO
Benicia FPD and Cordelia FPD Consolidation 1978 LAFCO
Gateway Plaza Detachment 1990 LAFCO
Stonedene Detachment 1992 LAFCO
Trailer City Park, Lands of Detachment 1994 LAFCO
Bordoni, Lake Herman Quarry,
Lands of Minahen, Lands of
Brown, Lands of Azevedo
Sphere of Influence
The sphere of influence (SOI) for the District was originally adopted in 1983 as
coterminous with its boundaries as they existed at that time. In 1994, the SOI was
amended to reflect past reorganizations. Since then, there have been no updates. The
District’s SOI should be updated to Comply with LAFCO’s policy and CKH.
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Cordelia Fire Protection District
Solano County
Fairfield
§¨¦
Suisun ·|}þ
County Boundaries C N o a u p n a ty 80 City 12
City Boundaries
Major Roads
FireStations
Sonoma
Interstate
County
State Highway
Major Roads
FireDistricts
NAME
Cordelia Fire Protection District
Cordelia Fire
Protection
District
Grizzly
Bay
§¨¦
P a S a n Vallejo §¨¦ 680
b
B
a y
lo
80
Suisun
Bay
§¨¦ Honker
Bay
Marin 780
County Contra
Costa
County Benicia Miles
0 0.5 1 2 3 4 5
S Fo o r la m n a o t i L o o n c C a o l A m g m e i n s c s y io n Solano County GIS Services Disclaimer: 5
Department of Information Technology This map was made using Solano County GIS files with varying degrees of
7 F 4 a 4 ir f E ie m ld p , i r C e A S 9 t. 4 , 5 S 3 u 3 i te 216 675 Texas Street, Suite 3700 scale, accuracy, precision, currentness, and alignment and therefore cannot
Fairfield, CA 94533 be used for situations requiring survey grade measurement or legal
(707) 439-3897 Phone: 707-784-6340 boundary determination. Solano County disclaims liability for any
www.solanolafco.com Email: GISStaff@SolanoCounty.com loss that may result from the use of this map. User acknowledges
This map is to be used for general information purposes only. Where precise accuracy is PRJ_1093, 08/01/2014 data limitations and accepts responsibility for map based judgments.
required reference should be made to certified maps, surveys, documents and/or by other
official means.
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Type and Extent of Services
Services Provided
Figure 4-3 details the services provided by CFPD. If a service is not provided by CFPD,
but is offered by another agency, it is indicated in the figure. Resources from Cal Fire
provided outside the SRA are provided on a mutual aid basis. Availability is dependent
upon fire activity, time of year, and other factors.
Figure 4-3: CFPD Services
Service Agency
Fire Suppression Services
Structural Fire Protection Yes
Wildland Fire Protection Yes
Vehicle Fire Protection Yes
Ladder Truck Capabilities Fairfield FD
Fire Suppression Handcrew No
Fire Suppression Dozer No
Helicopter Services – Fire Suppression No
Boat With Fire Suppression Capabilities No
Emergency Medical Services
Basic Life Support Provider Yes
Advanced Life Support - Non Transport Provider Yes
Advanced Life Support Transport Provider Medic Ambulance
Continuing Education Provider – Medical Yes
Air Ambulance Transport Helicopter Services No
Helicopter Landing Facilities On Site No
Vehicle Extrication Tools/Equipment Yes
Fire Prevention
Fire Safety Education – Children Yes
Yes (open house and fire
Fire Safety Education – Adults/Seniors extinguisher training)
Juvenile Firesetter Prevention Program No
Fire and Life Safety Business Inspection Program Yes
Fire Protection Planning No
New Commercial Construction Plan Reviews Yes
Public Education Provider (CPR, First Aid, etc.) Yes
Home Fire/Safety Inspections Yes
Fire Origin and Cause Investigations Yes
Fuel Reduction/Weed Abatement Program Yes
Smoke Detector Giveaway/Installation Program Installation program only
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Address Sign Installation Program No
Rescue Services
First Responder Swift Water Rescue Program No
Water Rescue Program No
Ice Rescue Program No
Dive Rescue Program No
Low angle Rope Rescue Program Yes
Helicopter Short/Long Haul Rescue Capabilities No
Response To Boating Accidents Yes – Shoreside only
Rescue Dog Services No
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous Materials Emergency Response - Basic Yes
Hazardous Materials Response Team No
Support Services
Firefighter Incident Support Unit No
Mobile Incident Command/Communications Unit No
Fill Station for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Yes
Mobile Breathing Support Unit Yes
Community Emergency Response Team Yes
Chaplain Services Yes
Training Academy No
Emergency Operations Center Capabilities No
Miscellaneous
Public Service Assists Yes
Motor Vehicle Accident Response Yes
Welfare Checks Yes
Public Safety Answering Point Sheriff
Fire/EMS Dispatch Sheriff
Fundraising Activities Yes
Firefighters Association - Non Profit Yes
Auxiliary Association No
Other
College Career Days Yes
Collection Point for Toys for Tots Yes
Service Area
CFPD provides services outside of its boundary area through an automatic aid
agreement with the City of Fairfield FD. In addition, the District maintains a master mutual
aid agreement with Solano County fire providers, and on occasion may respond to areas
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within aanother ageency’s bounnds.17 CFPD participatees in strike teams commprised of oother
county aagencies, whhich may onn occasion reespond arouund the Statte.
The District waas in the process of developingg and negotiating ann automaticc aid
agreemeent with Nappa County FFire Departmment as of thhe drafting of this repoort, for the SSR 12
(Jamisonn Canyon) corridor.
Additionally, to the northwwest of CFPDD is an areaa that does nnot have a designated local
fire provvider, whichh is designated as beingg within Caal Fire’s jurisdiction, whhere the Disstrict
providess fire servicees when neccessary andd provides ppermit serviices.
The DDistrict repported that there weree no unserved areas wwithin its bounds. There are
reporteddly no signifficant obstacles that challenge respponse to callls for service.
Services to Other Aggencies
The DDistrict does not providde contract services to other agenccies.
Contractts for Servicces
Simillar to all otther fire prootection disstricts in thhe County ((with the exxception off East
Vallejo FFPD), CFPD contracts with the Coounty Sheriiff’s Office ffor dispatchh services. The
structure of these services iss discussed in more ddetail in thhe Facilities section off this
chapter.
Overlappping Servicee Providers
The CCalifornia DDepartment of Forestryy and Fire PProtection ((Cal Fire) prrovides services
throughoout the Statte. Generallly, Cal Fire services aree focused inn wildland aareas defineed as
State Reesponsibilityy Areas (SRRA). Similarrly, the United States Forest Servvice (USFS) also
providess services inn California, primarily within foreests and graasslands. Arreas where USFS
services are provided are definned as Fedeeral Responnsibility Areeas (FRA). AA majority oof the
territoryy within CFPPD is considdered high aand moderaate fire hazaard SRA terrritory wherre Cal
Fire hass responsibbility for wwildland firres. Cal FFire also pprovides tecchnical suppport
throughoout the Coounty in thhe form off specializedd services such as ffiire suppresssion
handcrewws, dozers, and helicoppter services when necessary.
GOVERNNMENT SSTRUCTTURE ANND ACCOOUNTABIILITY
Accountability oof a governiing body is signified by a combinnation of sevveral indicaators.
The inddicators choosen here are limitedd to 1) agency effortts to engagge and eduucate
constituents througgh outreachh activities, in additionn to legally required activities succh as
agenda pposting andd public meeetings, 2) a defined commplaint proocess designned to handdle all
issues too resolution, and 3) trannsparency oof the agenccy as indicatted by coopperation witth the
MSR proocess and information ddisclosure.
17 Cordelia FPD is part of aa master mutuall aid agreementt, which dates ffrrom 1996, withh several Solanoo and Yolo Counnty fire
agencies, inncluding the Citty of Benicia, thee City of Fairfield, the City of RRio Vista, the Citty of Suisun, thee City of Vacaville, the
City of Dixoon, the County oof Solano, the American Canyon FPD, the Califfornia Medical FFacility FD, Deltta FPD, Exxon BBenicia
Refinery FDD, Gordon Valleyy FD, Montezumma FPD, Suisun FPD, Vacaville FPD, Cal Fire, aand Travis Air FForce Base.
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The principal act requires that the board of directors of a fire protection district must
have an odd number of members, with a minimum of three and a maximum of 11 members.
Directors may be appointed or elected.18 CFPD is governed by a five-member Board of
Directors elected to four-year terms. The District reported that the Board Chair had
resigned in 2013, and the position remained vacant as of the drafting of this report.
The Board of Directors meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the
Cordelia Fire Station located at 2155 Cordelia Road in Fairfield. Agendas are posted at the
fire station and minutes are available upon request and are located on the Clerk’s desk in
the office after approval. Information about Board meetings is showin in Figure 4-4.
Figure 4-4: Cordelia Fire Protection District Governing Body
Cordelia Fire Protection District
Governing Body and Board Meetings
Manner of Selection Election
Length of Term 4 years
Every second
Fire Station Hall
Meetings Tuesday of the
2155 Cordelia Road, Fairfield CA 94534
month at 6:30 p.m.
Agenda Distribution Front of the fire station
Minutes Distribution Available upon request
Contact
Contact Chief, Jay Huyssoon
Mailing Address 2155 Cordelia Road, Fairfield CA 94534
Phone 707.864.0468
Fax 707.864.8607
Email/Website http://www.cordeliafire.com/
Board directors do not receive any monthly compensation. Government Code §53235
requires that if a district provides compensation or reimbursement of expenses to its board
members, the board members must receive two hours of training in ethics at least once
every two years and the district must establish a written policy on reimbursements. The
District was not aware if there were adopted policies on expense reimbursements. The
Board of Directors reportedly last received ethics training in 2013.
In addition to the required agendas and minutes, the District tries to reach its
constituents by participating in various community events, including the Christmas Tree
Lot and College Career Days. Additionally, CFPD collaborates with various nonprofits,
including Toys for Tots during Christmas, partners with community service clubs (i.e.,
Lions), and holds fundraising events on its own throughout the year. The District has a
website and a Facebook page where information is made available to the public.
18 Health and Safety Code §13842.
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If a customer is dissatisfied with the District’s services, complaints may be submitted in
person at the board meetings. District customers are also given the opportunity to rate
satisfaction with the services received from CFPD on a simple survey. The District’s chief is
responsible for handling complaints to resolution. The District reported that it received one
complaint in 2013. The complaint was received on the customer satisfaction survey, and
was regarding confusion of the caller’s address. This complaint has since been addressed.
CFPD tracks complaints by including them in filed board packets.
The Board of Directors maintains policies and procedures to guide its efforts. The
policies were not provided to LAFCO and it is unclear if the District maintains policies
regarding code of ethics, public records requests, and/or Brown Act compliance.
The Political Reform Act (Government Code §81000, et seq.) requires State and local
government agencies to adopt and promulgate conflict of interest codes. The Fair Political
Practices Commission has adopted a regulation (California Code of Regulations §18730),
which contains the terms of a standard conflict of interest code, which can be incorporated
by reference in an agency’s code. The District reportedly maintains a conflict of interest
code, which is signed each year by the Board of Directors.
Government Code §87203 requires persons who hold office to disclose their
investments, interests in real property and incomes by filing appropriate forms with the
determined filing agency (i.e., the County or Fair Political Practices Commission) each year.
Pursuant to the District’s conflict of interest code, all five board members file a copy of their
individual Form 700 with the County’s Registrar of Voters. All five members filed timely
for the 2012 reporting period. The 2013 filing deadline had not yet occurred as of the
drafting of this report.
During the course of this MSR process, CFPD demonstrated full accountability in its
disclosure of information and cooperation with Solano LAFCO. The District responded to
questionnaires and cooperated with interview and document requests.
Determinations
The District generally demonstrated accountability and transparency with regard to
governance by cooperating with the MSR process, adopting an annual budget prior
to the start of the fiscal year, publishing agendas for public meetings as legally
required, maintaining a website, and filing of Form 700 Statements of Economic
Interest
Improvements could be made to the District’s operations in order to enhance
accountability and transparency. District policies and procedures should be made
readily available to the public on its website. Additionally, the District should make
improvements to its financial controls as recommended by its auditor.
Governance structure options for CFPD are limited to reorganization with another
agency—consolidation with a neighboring district or multiple agencies in the
County.
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GROOWTH AND POPPULATIOON PROJECTIONS
This section disccusses the ffactors affeccting servicee demand, ssuch as landd uses, histoorical
and anticipated poppulation groowth, and reelevant growwth strategiies.
Land Use
Landd uses withhin the Disstrict consiist of resoource conseervation, ruural residential,
residenttial traditionnal communnities, agriccultural, andd exclusive agriculturaal. The Disttrict’s
bounds eencompass approximattely 56 squaare miles.
Population
Therre are approoximately 22,597 resideents within the Districct, based onn GIS analyssis of
2010 Census populaation informmation.19 Hoowever, the District repported that as of the lasst tax
roll there were approximately 1,550 residdential strucctures withiin its bounddaries. Baseed on
Solano CCounty’s avverage houssehold size of 2.87 peersons, the District esstimates thaat its
population is closerr to 4,449. TThe populattion densityy within thee District is between 466 and
79 peoplle per squarre mile.
Projeccted Groowth annd Devellopmentt
CFPDD reported tthat there hhad been grrowth in population ovver the last five years aand a
slight deecrease in sservice demmand, reporttedly due too fire preveention meassures. While the
District no longer conducts foormal growwth and serrvice demannd forecastts, it anticippates
minimal growth in ppopulation and an incrrease in servvice demannd within itss territory inn the
next 10 yyears.
Therre are propoosed develoopments in GGreen Valleey and in Roockville Corrners, withinn the
District’ss boundaries. Build-ouut of thesee projects wwould yieldd approximmately 433 new
residenttial dwellingg units andd would sligghtly increaase demandd for the District’s servvices.
Conversely, the Disttrict anticippates that itss boundariees will contiinue to shrink as the Ciity of
Fairfieldd conducts further annnexations, which willl reduce itts service aarea as weell as
propertyy tax revenuues.
The SState Deparrtment of Finance (DOF) projects that the poopulation oof Solano Coounty
will groww by eight ppercent fromm 2010 to 2020. Thus, the averagee annual population growth
in the Coounty is annticipated too be approxximately 0.88 percent. BBased on thhese projecttions,
the Distrrict’s populaation wouldd increase frrom betweeen 2,597 andd 4,449 in 22010 to betwween
approximmately 2,805 and 4,8055 in 2020. Itt is anticipatted that demmand for seervice within the
District wwill increasse minimallyy, based onn the DOF population ggrowth projjections thrrough
2020.
19 This poppulation figure mmay be slightlyy inflated basedd on comparisoon of known poopulations in otther areas withh those
generated tthrough the GISS analysis.
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Growth Strategies
The District is not a land use authority, and does not hold primary responsibility for
implementing growth strategies. The land use authority for unincorporated areas is the
County.
The lands within the District are designated in the County’s General Plan as rural
residential, traditional community residential, park and recreation, watershed, agriculture
and marsh resource conservation. Because the majority of the land in CFPD is designated as
watershed, agriculture and marsh resource preservation, it is anticipated that there will be
minimal development or population growth within the District. The County has historically
required that development requiring water and sewer service be incorporated within one
of the County’s cities. Based on this policy, most residential, commercial, and industrial
development in the County has been in incorporated areas.
Portions of the District are within the sphere of influence of the City of Fairfield, the City
of Vallejo, and the City of Benicia. It is anticipated that these areas will eventually be
annexed by the cities. As such, the cities have planned for land uses within the areas, and
the County coordinates with the cities on any proposed developments in the areas.20 Future
development of urban land uses is to be facilitated and served through city annexation.
Current land uses in these areas may continue under County jurisdiction until the land is
annexed to the city for conversion to urban uses. The City of Fairfield’s General Plan land
use map designates the lands within the District and in the City’s SOI as mixed use, very low
residential, and park and recreation. The City of Vallejo’s General Plan land use map
designates the lands within the District and in the City’s SOI as agriculture, residential, and
community parks. The City of Benicia’s General Plan land use map designates the lands
within the District and in the City’s SOI as general open space.
The District is participating in a study with other fire protection districts to establish a
development impact fee throughout the unincorporated territories of the County. In 2013,
several fire protection districts (Cordelia, Dixon, Suisun, and Vacaville FPDs) in the County
hired a consulting firm to conduct a nexus study to assess and make recommendations
regarding a uniform development impact fee for each of the districts. Such a fee would be
designed to ensure a certain level of continued service among the fire districts should
development occur within their bounds.
Determinations
Cordelia Fire Protection District (CFPD) currently has an estimated population of
2,597 based on GIS calculations; however, the District estimates its population is
closer to 4,449.
CFPD has experienced a slight decrease in service demand over the last five years,
possibly due to fire prevention measures.
20 The areas are designated as being part of the City’s municipal service area by the County. MSAs reflect city planned
urban growth areas and are based on County review of city general plans and spheres of influence established by the
Solano LAFCO.
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TThe Districtt anticipates minimal growth in populationn and simillarly a nomminal
inncrease in sservice demmand within its territoryy in the nexxt 10 years. While therre are
soome propoosed develoopments wwithin the District’s bboundaries,, annexatioon of
district territtory by neigghboring citties is anticcipated to offfset any grrowth as a rresult
of those deveelopments.
BBased on Deepartment oof Finance population forecasts, tthe Districtt’s population is
projected too increase from betwween 2,597 and 4,4449 in 20110 to betwween
approximateely 2,805 annd 4,805 inn 2020. It iss anticipateed that demmand for service
wwithin CFPDD will increease minimmally, as anny growth in demandd generated by
population ggrowth will llikely be balanced by city annexattions of distrrict territorry.
DDISADVAANTAGEDD UNINCCORPORRATED CCOMMUNNITIES
LAFCCO is requirred to evaluuate disadvvantaged unnincorporatted communnities as paart of
this servvice review,, including tthe locationn and charaacteristics of any such ccommunitiees. A
disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd community is definned as anyy area witth 12 or mmore
registereed voters, oor as determmined by ccommission policy, whhere the meedian houseehold
income iis less than 80 percent of the statewide annuaal median.21
The CCalifornia DDepartment of Water Resources (DDWR) has developed a mapping toool to
assist inn determining which ccommunitiees meet thee disadvanttaged commmunities meedian
househoold income ddefinition.22 According to DWR, thhere are no communitiees that meeet the
definitioon of a disaddvantaged uunincorporaated commuunity in Sollano Countyy. As such, tthere
are no ddisadvantagged unincorrporated communities within or aadjacent to CFPD’s bounds
and spheere of influeence.
Determinatioons
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to CCFPD’s bounnds and sphhere of influeence.
FINAANCIAL AABILITYY TO PRROVIDE SSERVICEES
The financial abbility of ageencies to prrovide servvices is affeccted by avaailable finanncing
sources and financiing constraiints. This ssection disccusses the mmajor financing constrraints
faced byy the Districtt and identifies the revenue sourcees currentlyy available tto the Distriict.
The District reeported thaat financial levels weere generallly inadequuate to proovide
services. Primary cchallenges tto financingg levels incclude high eemployee benefit costss and
the impeending highher costs asssociated witth the upcomming replaccement of thhe retiring cchief.
Additionnally, the Diistrict has ffaced historrical challennges associaated with aareas mistakkenly
21 Governmment Code §560333.5.
22 Based onn census data, thhe median houssehold income iin the State of CCalifornia in 20110 was $57,7088, 80 percent off which
is $46,166.
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included in CFPD’s property tax rate area and later removed, which resulted in a distinct
reduction in the District’s property tax revenues in 2002.
Revenues and Expenses
The District’s revenue in FY 12-13 was $915,728, of which 39 percent was from special
tax revenue, 25 percent was from property taxes, 23 percent from intergovernmental
sources (capital and operating grants), seven percent from charges for services, four
percent from fire impact fees, one percent from interest, and one percent from
contributions and donations.
In 2002, the District introduced Measure I to district voters to collect a special tax on
properties within the District to supplement revenue sources. District voters approved the
special tax. The amount of the tax is dependent upon land use—residential parcels are
assessed $300 and commercial parcels are assessed $400 annually. Parcels with public
uses are not assessed. The tax does not adjust according to inflation.
The District charges fees for services including fees for reports and permits, plan
review, operating permits, field inspections, etc.23
The District’s expenditures amounted to $835,304 in FY 12-13—50 percent was spent
on salaries and benefits, 49 percent was spent on services and supplies, and one percent on
capital outlays.
Capital Improvements
The District conducts capital planning through an informal wish list, which includes
estimated costs. The District’s current wish list dates from 2005, but is updated as items
are purchased or replaced. In FY 12-13, the District spent $8,995 on capital improvements.
In FY 13-14, the District has allocated $33,000 for capital improvements, a majority of
which is designated for capital reserves.
Outstanding Debt
The District had no long-term debt at the end of FY 12-13.
Reserves
The District does not have a formal policy on the amount of reserves to be maintained
for contingency purposes, but has an informal goal to maintain one year in expenditures in
its reserve fund. At the end of FY 12-13, the District maintained a fund balance of
$426,672, of which $308,048 is committed for capital uses.
Determinations
The District reported that financial levels were generally inadequate to provide
services. Primary challenges to financing levels include high employee benefit costs
23 CFPD Ordinance 2008-01.
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and the impending high
reetiring chieff.
TThe Districtt has faced
inncluded in CFPD’s pro
distinct reduuction in the
DDuring the DDistrict’s FY
wwhich were deemed to
wwere not deeemed mater
thhese issues to ensure a
Inn order to iimprove its
various equiipment, imp
sttarted usingg credit car
mmakes CalPEERS paymen
accumulatedd.
WWhile the Diistrict main
FY 13, approoximately 7
reeplacementt.
PRESEN
The DDistrict repported that
present service areea through
growth in demandd would req
impact ffees, to ensuure adequat
level of sservices.
Existiing Demmand
CFPDD reportedd
800
that struucture firess
700
did not occur withh
the samee frequencyy 600
as vegettation firess.
500
The District’s peakk
demand times forr 400
vegetatioon firess
300
occurs in thee
200
afternooon from twoo
to eleveen. Servicee 100
calls aree higher inn
0
volume during thee
months of Julyy
through Octoberr.
CFPD
sllaC
ecivreS
fo
rebmuN
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FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
her costs asssociated wwith the upccoming repplacement oof the
d historicall challengees associateed with arreas mistakkenly
perty tax rate area annd later remmoved, which resultedd in a
e District’s pproperty taxx revenues iin 2002.
Y 12-13 audiit, the audittor found thhree significcant deficienncies
o be materiial weaknessses, two ssignificant ddeficiencies that
rial weaknesses. It is rrecommended that the District adddress
ccountabilitty and transsparency inn its financiaal control.
operationaal efficiencyy and reducce costs, CFFPD has upddated
proved empployee scheeduling by making it aavailable onnline,
rds for all ppayments too streamlinee accountinng, and reguularly
nts at the beeginning of the year too ensure thaat interest is not
ntained a suubstantial fuund balancee of $426,6772 at the ennd of
72 percent oof these funnds are plannned to be used for veehicle
NT AND PPLANNEED CAPAACITY
it had sufficcient capaciity to proviide adequatte services tto its
mutual aiid agreemeents. The District repported thatt any
quire addittional fundss, likely in the form of developmment
te capacity and resourcces to contiinue to provvide the currrent
Figure 4-55: CFPD Number oof Calls by YYear, 2007-22013
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20113
Year
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Vehicle accidents peak during commuting hours and on Friday and Saturday nights.
CFPD reported that it had observed a decrease in service demand in the last few years.
As shown in Figure 4-5, service demand has experienced an overall decrease between 2008
and 2013, with the lowest call volume in 2010 and 2011. In 2013, CFPD received a total of
649 calls. The largest portion of calls were for emergency medical service (31 percent),
while false alarms constituted 28 percent of calls. The remainder was for fires and
hazardous materials (18 percent), motor vehicle accidents (14 percent), miscellaneous
emergencies (five percent), and miscellaneous non-emergency calls (four percent).24 Of the
total calls reported, 10 percent were mutual aid calls. The District averaged 254 service
calls per 1,000 residents.25
Staffing
The District has 52 firefighting personnel—one paid26 chief, one paid battalion chief,
two volunteer battalion chiefs, two paid engineers, and 46 volunteer firefighters. While
termed volunteer firefighters for the purposes of this report, these personnel are
considered “residential firefighters” by the District and are asked to staff one of the
District’s fire stations for a 24-hour period once a week and receive $20 per 24-hour shift,
paid on a quarterly basis. The median age of the District’s firefighters is 28.5, with a range
from 19 to 66.
CFPD reported that its staffing level had not changed in the last few years. While the
District has had annual staff turnover rates of between 40 and 62 percent over the last
three years, all positions have been immediately filled. This high turnover rate is mostly
attributable to CFPD’s program of hiring trained firefighters immediately after academy as
residential firefighters who then move on to full-time paid positions with other agencies.
The District identifies this as a challenge that is acceptable given the heightened level of
service that the full-time station staffing allows at minimal cost.
The District recruits volunteers amongst graduates from the California State Fire
Marshal Academy and the Contra-Costa County Academy. CFPD reported that recruitment
was also conducted by employees through word of mouth. When employees transfer to
different departments, they are encouraged to let people know about the District’s
programs and vacant positions. As of the drafting of this report, the District had a waiting
list of about 15 volunteers.
Currently, there are three certifications in the California firefighter series; Volunteer
Firefighter, Firefighter I, and Firefighter II. While the Volunteer Firefighter focuses on skills
and tasks necessary to assure safety on the fire ground, Firefighter I & II prepares the
firefighter to perform essential and advanced fire ground tasks, as well as allowing entry
into all tracks of the certification system. The level of certification required for each
firefighter is determined by the individual fire department. However, according to the
24 Non-Emergencies calls include emergency standby, public service assist, agency assist.
26 A person whose primary employment is as a firefighter for a municipality or other agency or company and who derives
the majority of his earned income working in the fire service.
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California State Fire Marshal, there are plans to phase out the Volunteer Firefighter
certification level and the most basic level of certification will eventually be Firefighter I.
Firefighter I certification requires completion of the 259-hour Firefighter I course, which
includes training on various fire ground tasks, rescue operations, fire prevention and
investigation techniques, and inspection and maintenance of equipment. In addition to this
course, Firefighter I certification also requires that the applicant have a minimum of six
months of experience in a California fire department as a firefighter performing
suppression duties.27 In addition to the general firefighter certification, there are also
several emergency medical and specialized certifications that firefighting personnel may
attain. Refer to the Overview Chapter in this document for a description of each of these
certifications. The number of CFPD personnel certified in each category is shown in Figure
4-6. Each firefighter, including volunteers, is able to hold multiple certifications, including
strike team certifications.
Figure 4-6: CFPD Certified Personnel
Certification Level Number of % of Total
Firefighting Staff Firefighting Staff
Volunteer Firefighter 46 87%
Firefighter I 49 92%
Firefighter II 15 28%
First Responder EMS 0 0%
Emergency Medical Technician 1 52 100%
Paramedic 15 28%
Apparatus Engineer 9 17%
Company Officer 3 6%
Chief Officer 3 6%
Haz Mat FRO 45 85%
CICCS FFT 2 14 26%
CICCS FFT 1 32 60%
CICCS Engine Boss 4 7%
CICCS Strike Team Leader 2 4%
CFPD conducts a majority of its training in house. Training hours are from 10:00 a.m. to
12:00 p.m. every day of the year. Those with Firefighter I certification and
drivers/operators are required to train an additional three hours per day for 250 days a
year. Live fire training lasts two weeks every year. Paid firefighters train between eight to
10 hours per month, but hours can be as high as 18 to 20 hours monthly, when
unscheduled training is necessary.
New paid firefighters are required to have served four years as resident staff and
passed the District’s Engineer testing procedure to hold the rank of Engineer. In order to
be considered for an entry level paid position, the new applicant must possess a valid Class
C driver’s license and clean driving record, a National Registry EMT license, a CPAT
Physical Ability Certificate that is less than 365 day old, and a completion certificate from
an approved California Firefighter I academy.
27 State Fire Marshal, Course Information and Required Materials, 2007, p. 44
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Volunteers are required to complete California State Fire Marshal Firefighter I training,
Driver/Operator 1a and 1b, and Company Officer Curricula as the training minimum
standards.
Facilities
CFPD operates two fire stations. The District owns Station 31 and rents Station 29 from
the Fairfield-Suisun School District. The lease agreement is for 15 years, with an option of
renewal for another 20 years on a month-to-month basis. The function and condition of
each fire facility is described in detail in Figure 4-7.
Figure 4-7: Cordelia FPD Fire Stations
Station #31 Station #29
Cordelia Fire Protection Fairfield Suisun School
Property owner
District District
2155 Cordelia Road, Fairfield, 1624 Rockville Rd,
Address
CA 94534 Fairfield, CA 94534
Purpose Fire Station Fire Station
Additional uses or other
Hall Rental Polling Facility
entities using the facility
24 hours/day, 7 days a
Hours station is staffed 24 hours/day, 7 days a week
week
Date acquired or built 1939 1974
Condition of facility28 Fair Fair
Roof repair, mold removal,
aging support beams, and Possibly near an
Infrastructure needs
possibly near an earthquake earthquake fault line.
fault line.
1-Type 1 Engine
1 – Type 1 Engine,
1- Type 2 Engine
Number and type of vehicles 1 – Type 3 Engine,
1 - Tactical Water Tender
at facility 1 – 1-ton utility vehicle
1 - Type 3 Engine
1 - mobile air unit
5 –Staff Vehicles
1 Paid Chief,
Number and classification of 1 Paid Battalion Chief
0
paid staff staffing facility 2 Paid Engineers/Company
Officers
28 Facility condition definitions: Excellent—relatively new (less than 10 years old) and requires minimal maintenance.
Good—provides reliable operation in accordance with design parameters and requires only routine maintenance. Fair—
operating at or near design levels; however, non-routine renovation, upgrading and repairs are needed to ensure
continued reliable operation. Poor—cannot be operated within design parameters; major renovations are required to
restore the facility and ensure reliable operation.
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Number and classification of
another agency’s paid staff 0 0
staffing the facility
Number of volunteers
3 to 5 per day 3 to 4 per day
staffing facility
Number of volunteers/on 3 to 5 per day in the station,
call staff available to respond total is 28 to 30. Call back 3 to 4 per day in station,
to an incident utilizing a varies from 6 to 8 for large total 16 to 18
vehicle from this station incidents.
For water supplies, the District uses its own tactical water tender. The District did not
indicate the presence of other water reserves available for firefighting purposes.
It appears that currently there is marginal capacity to provide adequate services to the
existing service area based on the condition of the District’s facilities and CFPD’s response
times. Both of the District’s stations are in fair condition, which constitutes a capacity
constraint. CFPD meets the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) response time
guidelines for a volunteer or combination fire department, but it does not yet meet the
guidelines for a fire department with paid staff as outlined in NFPA 1710. The District’s
response to medical emergencies meets the Solano Emergency Medical Service Cooperative
standard for rural areas. The District’s two stations cover 56 square miles of territory and
response times to areas at the periphery of the District can be lengthy.
Dispatch and communications
With the exception of East Vallejo FPD, all fire protection districts in Solano County,
including CFPD, contract with Solano County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center for dispatch
services.29 The District reimburses the Sheriff’s Office based on CFPD’s ratio of calls
compared to total calls for fire services handled by the dispatch center. Generally,
reimbursement for these services reportedly averages about $25 per call.
The Solano County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center also provides dispatch services to
the Sheriff's Office, Isleton Police and Fire, Dixon Police and Fire, California Medical Facility,
Rio Vista/Delta Fire Districts, and Solano Community College Police on a 24 hour basis. The
Sheriff's Dispatch Center also handles coordination of air ambulance for scene calls to all
areas of the County (city or county), coordination of all mutual aid for the County and out-
of-county requests.
The Dispatch Center operates with at least two people on duty at all times. The center
operators answer and transmit on three primary radio channels, seven secondary
channels, and a number of other law and fire radios for other agencies. The dispatch center
also answers 12 business lines, four Nextels, six 911 lines, numerous alarm panels, fax
requests, and mobile data computer messages.
Communication equipment is sometimes not compatible making it difficult to
communicate when coordinating a mutual aid call. Many of the districts have mutual aid
agreements with the cities. Dispatch becomes a challenge if the nearest responder is a city
29 East Vallejo is dispatched through the City of Vallejo. The cities of Benicia, Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville, and Vallejo
each have their own dispatch centers.
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agency or if a city requires assistance from a district. Often times it takes multiple calls to
different departments to get assistance sent.
The District reported that the use of multiple frequency bands (800 MHz, VHF, and UHF
T-Band) made it difficult to coordinate the fire agencies’ response during large incidents.
The District indicated that because there is an excess of data sent to multiple incident
commanders, vital information sometimes goes unnoticed resulting in potentially
dangerous situations. Additionally, CFPD reported that it was generally difficult to
communicate with a subordinate or a superior, because radios often malfunctioned, or all
radios were carried by engine captains.
In order to improve the current dispatch services, the District suggested the following
strategies:
Have all fire agencies on the same frequency;
Centralize fire dispatch separately from law enforcement dispatch;
Have dispatchers specialized in fire incidents;
Use available technology for up-to-date dispatching capabilities;
Make use of willing support from the various fire agencies;
Make improvements to the current system as soon as possible to minimize liability
related to potential serious miscommunications in the field; and
Keep the solution simple and easy to understand—an example of which is Contra
Costa Fire Dispatch. (Refer to the Overview chapter in this document for a detailed
description of the Contra Costa Fire Dispatch configuration.)
Infrastructure Needs
CFPD identified the need for a new facility in the southern part of the District, along
Lake Herman Road near the City of Benicia or along Highway 680 on the corridor south of
Marshview Road and north of Lake Herman Road. However, due to financial constraints, a
schedule for construction has not yet been determined.
The District’s current stations were identified as being in fair condition. Station 31
reportedly has the most significant needs, as it is in need of a roof repair and mold removal
from the living and sleeping quarters. Additionally, the station has aging timber support
beams. The roof repairs and mold removal would cost approximately $220,000. Different
long-term solutions are being considered, including the building of new living quarters on
the north side of the property ($200,000) or the replacement of the entire facility with a
new steel frame building ($2,500,000). The cost to purchase and replace Station 29 is
approximately $5,400,000, but the District does not anticipate this project to be developed
in the near future.
CFPD reported that the upgrades could possibly be financed with a United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan. The District’s development impact fee proceeds
may help to repay the loan.
With regard to vehicles and equipment, the District reported to have an adequate
equipment/apparatus replacement schedule to ensure proper operating condition. An
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Environmmental Prootection Ageency regulaation requires that alll tier 0 dieesel enginees be
replacedd or upgradeed by 2016. Based on tthis regulatiion, the District needs to replace tthree
vehicles——a new TType 1 enggine, a Type 1 tacticaal water teender, and a new Tyype 2
apparatuus—which would cosst an estimmated $1.7 million. However, CFPD doess not
presently have suffiicient funds to replace tthese vehiclles.
Challeenges
Therre are certain areas aloong the perriphery of thhe District where therre can be loonger
responsee times deppending on ttraffic—thee southern eend of the DDistrict at thhe northernn end
of Sky Vaalley Road ccan take 25 minutes, it may also taake 25 minuutes or longger to responnd to
vehicle aaccidents onn Lake Hermman Road, nnorth boundd I-680 norrth of Lake Herman, orr east
bound I--80, east off American Canyon Oveerpass, andd there are areas of maarsh land too the
east of I--680 that arre time conssuming to acccess for eitther medicaal or vegetattion fires.
The pprimary chaallenges to CCFPD offerinng adequatee services innclude the ffollowing:
MMaintaining an adequate level of paramedicss to cover both stations for all sseven
daily shifts hhad been a pparticular chhallenge;
MMaintaining apparatus iin an optimmum state off repair andd the equipmment up-to-date
wwith currentt technologyy with a limiited revenuue stream; and
Limited reveenue resourrces, that are anticipatted to becoome furtherr constraineed as
neighboring cities annexx additionall territory.
SERVICEE ADEQUACY
While there are several benchmarks tthat may deefine the levvel of fire sservice provvided
by an aggency, indicators of serrvice adequuacy discusssed here incclude ISO raatings, respponse
times, annd level of staffing and station resoources for thhe service aarea.
Fire services in the commuunities are cclassified byy the Insuraance Servicee Office (ISOO), an
advisoryy organization. This claassification indicates thhe general aadequacy oof coverage, with
classes rranking fromm 1 to 10. CCommunitiees with the bbest fire deppartment faacilities, sysstems
for wateer distributtion, fire alarms and ccommunicaations, and equipmentt and persoonnel
receive aa rating of 1. CFPD has an ISO raating of fivee in urban aareas and 88b in rural aareas
throughoout its serviice area. CFPPD was lastt evaluated iin 2011.
The NNational Firre Protectioon Associatioon (NFPA) hhas issued rresponse timme performmance
standardds dependinng on the service structture of the aagency. The response tiime is meassured
from thee completionn of the disppatch notification to thhe arrival timme of the firrst-respondder at
the scenne. Thoughh not a leggal mandatee, these staandards provide a useful benchmmark
against wwhich to meeasure fire ddepartmentt performannce. For ageencies with paid staff, NNFPA
1710 ideentifies the response tiime guideline of six mminutes at leeast 90 perccent of the time.
For voluunteer andd combinatiion fire deepartments,, NFPA 17720 recommmends thatt the
responsee times forr structure fire be ninne minutes in urban demand zoones at leasst 90
percent of the timee, 10 minutees in suburbban zones aat least 80 ppercent of tthe time annd 14
minutes in rural zonnes at leastt 80 percentt of the timee. Responsee times in reemote zonees are
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directly dependent on travel distances.30 The District reported that it aimed to meet the
1710 guidelines and arrive on scene within six minutes of dispatch calls 90 percent of the
time.
Emergency response time standards vary by level of urbanization of an area: the more
urban an area, the faster a response should be. Solano Emergency Medical Services
Cooperative (SEMSC) has designated an exclusive operating area (EOA) in Solano County
for EMS and ambulance services provided by Medic Ambulance Services. The EOA includes
all territory in Solano County with the exception of the City of Vacaville, Travis Air Force
Base, and the territory designated as Zone C.31 SEMSC has responsibility for assuring that
all incorporated and unincorporated areas of the County have a safe, dependable and
responsive pre hospital Emergency Medical Care system. In the EOA, the response time
guideline is seven minutes 90 percent of the time for a Code 3 response to a 911 priority
call. There is no response time standard for Code 2 responses. Compliance with these
requirements are determined on a monthly basis. If a city providing ALS services fails to
comply with these response time standards, it is fined. The amount payable by Medic to the
participating member cities reflects the estimated cost savings to Medic under the SEMSC
agreement due to the first response of the participating member cities. Medic on the other
hand is required to respond within nine to 12 minutes in areas identified as urban areas, 15
minutes in areas designated as rural and 90 minutes in remote areas. The Medic response
standard for rural areas indicates what is considered appropriate response times for
medical emergencies for the District. CFPD responds to all calls with a median response
time of five minutes and 53 seconds. CFPD responds to 80 percent of calls within nine
minutes 17 seconds or less and 90 percent of calls within 10 minutes 49 seconds or less,
which exceeds the NFPA 1710 response guidelines and meets the SEMSC EMS response
time standards. As mentioned in the Challenges section of this chapter, there are certain
areas along the periphery of the District where there can be longer response times
depending on traffic.
The service area size for each fire station varies between the fire districts. The median
fire station in Solano County serves approximately 39.8 square miles. Dixon FD serves the
most expansive area of 320 square miles at its single station. Suisun FPD stations serve
approximately 82.5 square miles per station on average. The service area for each of
CFPD’s fire stations is 28 square miles.
The number of firefighters serving within a particular jurisdiction is another indicator
of level of service; however, it is approximate. The providers that rely on volunteer or call
firefighters may have differing staff availability and reliability. An agency with more
firefighters could have fewer resources, if availability is limited due to work and personal
obligations. Staffing levels in Solano County vary from 0.68 firefighters per 1,000 residents
in EVFPD to 29 in MFPD. By comparison, CFPD has on average approximately 20
firefighters per 1,000 residents.
30 Urban demand zone has population density of more than 1,000 people per square mile; suburban zone—between 500
and 1,000 people per square mile, rural zone—less than 500 people per square mile, and remote zone is identified by
eight or more miles of travel distance to an incident.
31 Solano Emergency Medical Services Cooperative Ambulance Service Agreement, April 10, 2010.
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Operating expenditures per capita is often reflective of the level of service offered by a
fire provider as determined by financing constraints. The least amount of money per capita
was spent by Dixon FPD ($79). Montezuma FPD expended the most per capita ($499), as it
serves a relatively expansive area with very low population density. To compare, CFPD
spent $318 per capita in FY 12-13.
Determinations
The District reported that it had sufficient capacity to provide adequate services to
its present service area through mutual aid agreements. Any growth in demand
would require additional funds, likely in the form of development impact fees, to
ensure adequate capacity and resources to continue to provide the current level of
services.
It appears there is marginal capacity to provide adequate services to the existing
service area based on the condition of the District’s facilities and CFPD’s response
times.
Both of the District’s stations are in fair condition, which constitutes a capacity
constraint. Station 31 reportedly has the most significant needs, as it is in need of a
roof repair and mold removal from the living and sleeping quarters. Different long-
term solutions are being considered to address these needs; however, financing
constraints limit the extent of any capital improvements or replacements.
CFPD identified the need for a new facility in the southern part of the District;
however, due to financial constraints, a schedule for construction has not yet been
determined.
With regard to vehicles and equipment, An Environmental Protection Agency
regulation requires that all tier 0 diesel engines be replaced or upgraded by 2016.
However, CFPD does not presently have sufficient funds to replace the affected
vehicles.
CFPD services appear to be adequate. The District has minimally adequate response
times and an ISO rating which is comparable to other providers in the County. CFPD
response times slightly exceed the NFPA 1710 response guidelines and meet the
SEMSC EMS response time standards. There are certain areas along the periphery
of the District where there can be longer response times depending on traffic.
District management methods appear to generally meet accepted best management
practices. The District prepares a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year,
conducts annual financial audits, maintains current transparent financial records,
tracks employee and district workload, and has an established process to address
complaints. CFPD could improve its management practices by conducting more
formalized long-term capital planning and updating its 10-year goals and objectives.
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STAATUS ANND OPPOORTUNITIES FOOR SHARRED FACCILITIESS
Shared Faciliities andd Regional Cooperation
Shared FFacilities
CFPDD practices facility shaaring by reenting the hall at Staation 31 to local nonpprofit
organizaations and communityy service clubs. The DDistrict does not practtice any veehicle
sharing.
CFPDD did not ideentify any oopportunitiees for futuree facility andd vehicle shharing.
Collaborration
As ppreviously mmentioned in the Typpe and Exteent of Servvices sectionn, CFPD haas an
automattic aid agreeement with the City of FFairfield annd a master mutual aid agreement with
Solano CCounty fire pproviders. AAdditionallyy, CFPD is aa participannt in the Statte of Califorrnia’s
Master MMutual Aid PPlan.
CFPDD and otherr county firee districts aare represeented by onne member on the Board of
the Solano Emergenncy Medicaal Services CCooperativee (SEMSC). SEMSC functions as a joint
powers aauthority (JPA).
The DDistrict provvides quarterly training for fire suuppression jjointly with Napa FD.
CFPDD has participated in regional pllanning effoorts, includding the joint developmment
impact ffee study thhat is in progress withh several otther fire disstricts, the recent disppatch
study, and the Mullti-Hazard MMitigation PPlan conduucted by thee County. AAdditionallyy, the
District participatedd in the Futture Public Land Plannning Study rregarding the Lower GGreen
Valley Prroject.
CFPDD is a membber of several collaboraative organiizations, inccluding the County Training
Officers Associationn, the Counnty Chiefs Associationn, the Operrations Section Chiefss, the
Terrorist Liaisons, aand the California Special Districtss Association.
Regaarding futurre collaboraations, the District reeported thaat it had coonsidered eevery
opportunnity to secuure more reevenues andd improve service effiiciency. CFPD indicateed an
interest in the possibility of forrming a joinnt powers aauthority (JPPA) among the fire disttricts
to oversee the operrations and administraation of all oof the distrricts in the CCounty. Ideeally,
such a JPPA would ddevelop a coonsistent traaining proggram and inncrease the buying leveerage
of each agency byy buying inn bulk quantities. Thhe JPA couuld also offfer a meanns to
consoliddate prevenntion functiions and ppromote coonsistency in operatioons amongg the
agenciess.
Managgement Efficienncies
While public secctor manageement standdards vary ddepending oon the size aand scope oof the
organizaation, theree are minnimum standards. WWell-manageed organizaations evaluate
employeees annuallyy, track employee and agency prooductivity, periodicallyy review aggency
performance, prepaare a budgeet before thhe beginninng of the fisscal year, cconduct perriodic
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financial audits to safeguard the public trust, maintain relatively current financial records,
conduct advanced planning for future service needs, and plan and budget for capital needs.
CFPD employs four full-time equivalent (FTE) personnel, including one chief, one
battalion chief, and two engineers. The remainder of the personnel consists of 48
volunteers, including two battalion chiefs, one fire marshal, and one personal protective
equipment (PPE) coordinator. The Chief reports to the Board of Directors and oversees
three assistant chiefs.
The battalion chief in charge of administration and prevention oversees the fire
marshal and the Special Projects Division. The battalion chief in charge of operations and
communications oversees the captains at Station 29 and Station 31, and the PPE program
coordinator. The battalion chief in charge of support services and EMS is responsible for
the Paramedic Program and training. Captains supervise engineers and firefighters.
Employee evaluations are conducted annually. The chief evaluates the battalion chiefs, and
the battalion chiefs evaluate the remainder of the personnel.
Overall agency performance evaluations are performed during the chief’s annual report
to the Board and during the budget process. In order to evaluate its performance specific to
the operations and services provided, CFPD does not benchmark with other fire agencies,
but measures its response times and its firefighters’ completion of probation and medical
evaluations according to standards and goals. The District compiled an annual report for
2013. Additionally, the District evaluates the engine company’s completion of various tasks
within a certain established time. The District tracks the workload of staff through sign-in
sheets, training logs, and task logs, and monitors the productivity of the agency as a whole
by tracking calls for service.
In order to improve its operational efficiency, CFPD reported that in the last three years
various equipment had been updated, including the engine, the computers, the phone line,
and the internet connection. The District has also improved employee scheduling by
making it available online. CFPD makes CalPERS payments at the beginning of the year to
ensure that interest is not accumulated. Additionally, CFPD reported that it had started
using credit cards for every payment, resulting in streamlined accounting and bookkeeping.
To guide the efforts of the District, CFPD maintains a mission statement, which outlines
a vision and general goals. In addition, CFPD’s goals and objectives are discussed and
written every two years at board meetings. In the past, the District compiled a 10-year
plan, which outlined goals and objectives for the next 10-year period; however, the plan
has now become outdated. Future planning strategies will be determined by the incoming
chief.
The District’s financial planning efforts include an annually adopted budget and
annually audited financial statements. The District does not adopt a plan specific to capital
improvement needs, but has an informal list. The District has also conducted a
development impact fee study in the past, and is in the process of conducting another study
in conjunction with other fire districts in the County.
During the District’s FY 12-13 audit, the auditor found three significant deficiencies
which were deemed to be material weaknesses, including the need to inform the auditor of
required adjusting entries, the need to make periodic budget reviews and adjust the budget
when conditions change, and the need to review strike team reimbursements to ensure
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they are in compliaance with reequirementss. Additionnally, the auuditor foundd two signifficant
deficienccies that weere not deeemed materrial weakneesses—a lacck of segreggation of duuties,
which caan increase the risk off potential eerrors or irrregularitiess, and the nneed to consider
training staff in ppreparing GGAAP finanncial statemments or hhire an extternal qualified
accountaant to prepaare the stateements.
Determinatioons
CFPD practicces facility sharing by renting thee hall at Sttation 31 too local nonpprofit
organizationns and commmunity service clubs.
AAn opportunnity for furrther facilityy sharing aand collabooration mayy be centraalized
dispatch cennter for all fire providerrs.
LAFCO POLICIIES AFFECTING SERVICCE DELIVERY
Solanno LAFCO has adopteed a policyy that direectly affectss service ddelivery byy fire
protectioon districtss in the Couunty. Standard 11 in tthe LAFCO Standards and Proceddures
manual requires thhat a city appplying to LLAFCO for aannexation of a speciffic territoryy that
belongs in this casee to a fire pprotection ddistrict musst offset thee negative cconsequencces of
that annnexation, wwhich may include neggative effectts on the ddistrict’s buudget or service
provision. The anneexing city iss required tto work witth the affeccted districtt to identifyy and
mitigate the impaccts. Adequatte mitigatioon to adverrse fiscal immpact normmally includdes a
funding source forr lost revennues or inccreased cossts to the aaffected sppecial distriict. A
commonn practice inn Solano Couunty is to neegotiate a pproperty taxx neutrality agreement for a
specific period of time betweeen the annexing cityy and the nnegatively affected sppecial
district.
Determinatioons
Sttandard 111 of the LAAFCO Standdards and PProcedures manual reequires thee city
annexing terrritory fromm a special district to mitigate thhe negative impact onn that
district. Commmon mitigaation practiice of adverrse fiscal immpact includdes a negottiated
property taxx neutrality aagreement.
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CORDELIAA FIRE PPROTECTTION DIISTRICTT
SUMMARY OF DETERMMINATIOONS
Growtth and PPopulatiion Projjectionss
Cordelia Firee Protectionn District (CFPD) currrently has aan estimateed populatioon of
2,597 based on GIS callculations; hhowever, thhe District estimates its population is
clloser to 4,4449.
CFPD has exxperienced aa slight deccrease in service demaand over thee last five yyears,
possibly duee to fire prevvention meaasures.
TThe Districtt anticipates minimal growth in populationn and simillarly a nomminal
inncrease in sservice demmand within its territoryy in the nexxt 10 years. While therre are
soome propoosed develoopments wwithin the District’s bboundaries,, annexatioon of
district territtory by neigghboring citties is anticcipated to offfset any grrowth as a rresult
of those deveelopments.
BBased on Deepartment oof Finance population forecasts, tthe Districtt’s population is
projected too increase from betwween 2,597 and 4,4449 in 20110 to betwween
approximateely 2,805 annd 4,805 inn 2020. It iss anticipateed that demmand for service
wwithin CFPDD will increease minimmally, as anny growth in demandd generated by
population ggrowth will llikely be balanced by city annexattions of distrrict territorry.
The Location and Chharacterristics oof Disadvantageed
Unincorporatted Commmunitiees Within or Coontiguous to thhe
Agenccy’s SOI
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to CCFPD’s bounnds and sphhere of influeence.
Present and PPlannedd Capaciity of Puublic Faacilities and
Adequuacy of Public SServicess, Includding Inffrastruccture
Needss and Deeficiencies
TThe District reported thhat it had suufficient cappacity to prrovide adeqquate servicces to
itts present sservice areaa through mmutual aid agreementts. Any groowth in demmand
wwould require additionnal funds, likely in the form of deevelopmentt impact feees, to
ensure adequate capaciity and resoources to coontinue to pprovide the current levvel of
seervices.
Itt appears thhere is marrginal capaccity to provvide adequaate servicess to the exiisting
seervice area based on tthe conditioon of the Diistrict’s faciilities and CCFPD’s respponse
tiimes.
BBoth of the District’s sstations aree in fair condition, whhich constittutes a cappacity
coonstraint. Station 31 reeportedly hhas the mostt significantt needs, as it is in needd of a
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roof repair and mold removal from the living and sleeping quarters. Different long-
term solutions are being considered to address these needs; however, financing
constraints limit the extent of any capital improvements or replacements.
CFPD identified the need for a new facility in the southern part of the District;
however, due to financial constraints, a schedule for construction has not yet been
determined.
With regard to vehicles and equipment, An Environmental Protection Agency
regulation requires that all tier 0 diesel engines be replaced or upgraded by 2016.
However, CFPD does not presently have sufficient funds to replace the affected
vehicles.
CFPD services appear to be adequate. The District has minimally adequate response
times and an ISO rating which is comparable to other providers in the County. CFPD
response times slightly exceed the NFPA 1710 response guidelines and meet the
SEMSC EMS response time standards. There are certain areas along the periphery
of the District where there can be longer response times depending on traffic.
District management methods appear to generally meet accepted best management
practices. The District prepares a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year,
conducts annual financial audits, maintains current transparent financial records,
tracks employee and district workload, and has an established process to address
complaints. CFPD could improve its management practices by conducting more
formalized long-term capital planning and updating its 10-year goals and objectives.
Financial Ability of Agencies to Provide Services
The District reported that financial levels were generally inadequate to provide
services. Primary challenges to financing levels include high employee benefit costs
and the impending higher costs associated with the upcoming replacement of the
retiring chief.
The District has faced historical challenges associated with areas mistakenly
included in CFPD’s property tax rate area and later removed, which resulted in a
distinct reduction in the District’s property tax revenues in 2002.
During the District’s FY 12-13 audit, the auditor found three significant deficiencies
which were deemed to be material weaknesses, two significant deficiencies that
were not deemed material weaknesses. It is recommended that the District address
these issues to ensure accountability and transparency in its financial control.
In order to improve its operational efficiency and reduce costs, CFPD has updated
various equipment, improved employee scheduling by making it available online,
started using credit cards for all payments to streamline accounting, and regularly
makes CalPERS payments at the beginning of the year to ensure that interest is not
accumulated.
While the District maintained a substantial fund balance of $426,672 at the end of
FY 13, approximately 72 percent of these funds are planned to be used for vehicle
replacement.
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Status of, and Opportunities for, Shared Facilities
CFPD practices facility sharing by renting the hall at Station 31 to local nonprofit
organizations and community service clubs.
An opportunity for further facility sharing and collaboration may be centralized
dispatch center for all fire providers.
Accountability for Community Service Needs, Including
Governmental Structure and Operational Efficiencies
The District generally demonstrated accountability and transparency with regard to
governance by cooperating with the MSR process, adopting an annual budget prior
to the start of the fiscal year, publishing agendas for public meetings as legally
required, maintaining a website, and filing of Form 700 Statements of Economic
Interest
Improvements could be made to the District’s operations in order to enhance
accountability and transparency. District policies and procedures should be made
readily available to the public on its website. Additionally, the District should make
improvements to its financial controls as recommended by its auditor.
Governance structure options for CFPD are limited to reorganization with another
agency—consolidation with a neighboring district or multiple agencies in the
County.
LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery
Standard 11 of the LAFCO Standards and Procedures manual requires the city
annexing territory from a special district to mitigate the negative impact on that
district. Common mitigation practice of adverse fiscal impact includes a negotiated
property tax neutrality agreement.
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5 . DDI XONN FIRRE PRROT EECT IOO N
D ISST R ICCT
Dixonn Fire Proteection Distrrict (DFPD) contracts aall services from the Ciity of Dixonn Fire
Departmment and recceives strucctural, wildlland and veehicle fire suuppression,, fire prevenntion
services,, hazardouss materials aassistance, ppublic serviice assistannce, and emeergency meedical
services in the formm of basic aand advanced life suppport. In adddition, the DDistrict receives
specializzed rescue sservices, succh as confinned space reescue. All seervices are provided by the
City of DDixon Fire Departmennt through aa contract. The focus of this repoort is to reeview
services provided wwithin the DDistrict to thhe extent poossible, rathher than thee performannce of
the City’s Fire Department as a whole.
The DDistrict servves an expannsive unincorporated aarea surrouunding the CCity of Dixonn.
AGENCYY OVERVVIEW
Backgground
DFPDD was oriiginally forrmed in 11926 to provide firee-related sservices to the
unincorpporated area surroundiing the Cityy of Dixon.
The pprincipal acct that goveerns the District is the Fire Protecction Districct Law of 19987.32
The prinncipal act eempowers ffire districtts to providde fire prottection, resscue, emerggency
medical, hazardouss material rresponse, ammbulance, aand any othher servicess relating too the
protectioon of lives and propeerty.33 Districts must aapply and obtain LAFFCO approvval to
exercise services aauthorized bby the prinncipal act bbut not alrready proviided (i.e., laatent
powers) by the district at the end of 2000..34
The DDistrict is loocated in thee northeast corner of SSolano Counnty. As showwn in Figuree 5-2,
it abuts Vacaville FFPD to the wwest and soouthwest, tthe City of VVacaville too the south,, and
Montezuuma FPD to the south. There is a small area to the souttheast of thee District thhat is
within thhe County bbut lacks a ddesignated local fire proovider. To tthe north off DFPD are WWest
Plainfield FPD, Winnters FPD, thhe City of DDavis FD, thhe Universitty of Califorrnia at Daviis FD
and to thhe east are EEast Davis FFPD and Noo Mans Landd FPD (bothh contract wwith City of DDavis
FD), all oof which aree in Yolo Couunty.
Bounddaries
DFPDD is entirelyy within Sollano Countyy. The present boundss encompass approximmately
312 square miles and include territory exxtending froom the Solaano–Yolo coounty line inn the
32 Health annd Safety Code §§13800-13970.
33 Health annd Safety Code §§13862.
34 Governmment Code §568224.10.
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north to Hastings Island Road in the south, and from the Solano-Yolo county line in the east
to the Timm Road in the west.
Since formation there have been six detachments of territory from DFPD. The detached
territories were subsequently annexed into the Cities of Dixon or Vacaville. The list of
boundary changes in Figure 5-1 is derived from available LAFCO records and may not be
complete, excluding records that were not found or readily available.
Figure 5-1: DFPD List of LAFCO Approved Border Changes
Project Name Type of Action Year Recording Agency
City of Dixon Subdivision Lands Detachment 1974 LAFCO
Dixon Sewer Plant Detachment 1976 LAFCO
Delta Development Corp. Detachment 1976 LAFCO
Hall Park Detachment 1978 LAFCO
Quinn Road Property Detachment 2002 LAFCO
Brookfield Property, School Detachment 2005 LAFCO
Property and Pond C Property
West Parkway Infill Detachment 2010 LAFCO
Parkway West Detachment 2013 LAFCO
Sphere of Influence
The sphere of influence for DFPD was originally adopted in 1983.35 Subsequent to the
adoption of the District’s SOI, two detachments were processed, during which time the
District’s SOI was appropriately amended to be the same as its boundaries pursuant to the
detachments.
The existing SOI is generally coterminous with the District’s boundaries, except in the
vicinity of Liberty Island Road where the SOI extends outside of the District’s bounds to
include territory with no established local fire provider. The current bounds and SOI of the
District are shown in Figure 5-2.
35 LAFCO Resolution 1983-07.
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Dixon Fire Protection District
Solano County
Yolo
County
County Boundaries
City Boundaries
Major Roads §¨¦
FireStations
505
Interstate Dixon
State Highway
Major Roads
FireDistricts
NAME
Dixon Fire Protection District
§¨¦
80
Dixon Fire
Protection
District
Vacaville
Napa
County
·|}þ Sacramento
·|}þ 84 County
113
Miles
0 0.5 1 2 3 4 5
S Fo o r la m n a o t i L o o n c C a o l A m g m e i n s c s y io n Solano County GIS Services Disclaimer: 5
Department of Information Technology This map was made using Solano County GIS files with varying degrees of
7 F 4 a 4 ir f E ie m ld p , i r C e A S 9 t. 4 , 5 S 3 u 3 i te 216 675 Texas Street, Suite 3700 scale, accuracy, precision, currentness, and alignment and therefore cannot
Fairfield, CA 94533 be used for situations requiring survey grade measurement or legal
(707) 439-3897 Phone: 707-784-6340 boundary determination. Solano County disclaims liability for any
www.solanolafco.com Email: GISStaff@SolanoCounty.com loss that may result from the use of this map. User acknowledges
This map is to be used for general information purposes only. Where precise accuracy is PRJ_1093, 08/01/2014 data limitations and accepts responsibility for map based judgments.
required reference should be made to certified maps, surveys, documents and/or by other
official means.
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Type and Extent of Services
Services Provided
Figure 5-3 itemizes the services provided by Dixon FD and made available to DFPD
through its contract. If a service is not provided by Dixon FD, but is offered and available
via another agency, it is indicated in the figure. Resources from Cal Fire provided outside
the SRA are provided on a mutual aid basis. Availability is dependent upon fire activity,
time of year, and other factors.
Figure 5-3: DFPD Services
Service Agency
Fire Suppression Services
Structural Fire Protection Yes
Wildland Fire Protection Yes
Vehicle Fire Protection Yes
Ladder Truck Capabilities Yes
Fire Suppression Handcrew Cal Fire
Fire Suppression Dozer Cal Fire
Helicopter Services – Fire Suppression Cal Fire
Vallejo FD, Suisun FPD, and West
Boat With Fire Suppression Capabilities Sacramento
Emergency Medical Services
Basic Life Support Provider Yes
Advanced Life Support - Non Transport Provider Yes
Advanced Life Support Transport Provider Medic Ambulance, Vacaville FD
Continuing Education Provider - Medical Yes
Air Ambulance Transport Helicopter Services Multiple providers
Helicopter Landing Facilities On Site Yes
Vehicle Extrication Tools/Equipment Yes
Fire Prevention
Yes, but no schools in DFPD
Fire Safety Education – Children bounds
Fire Safety Education – Adults/Seniors Yes
Juvenile Firesetter Prevention Program Yes
Fire and Life Safety Business Inspection Program Yes
Fire Protection Planning Yes
New Commercial Construction Plan Reviews Yes
Public Education Provider (CPR, First Aid, etc.) Yes
Home Fire/Safety Inspections Yes, exterior only
Fire Origin and Cause Investigations Yes
Fuel Reduction/Weed Abatement Program Yes
Smoke Detector Giveaway/Installation Program Yes
Address Sign Installation Program No
Rescue Services
First Responder Swift Water Rescue Program City of Vacaville
Water Rescue Program City of Vacaville
Ice Rescue Program No
Dive Rescue Program VacavilleFPD/Sheriff’s Office
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Low angle Rope Rescue Program Yes
Helicopter Short/Long Haul Rescue Capabilities CHP, Cal Fire, Sac Metro
Response To Boating Accidents Sheriff’s Office, Coast Guard
Rescue Dog Services Solano OES/Sheriff
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous Materials Emergency Response -Basic Yes
Hazardous Materials Response Team Solano County Hazmat Team
Support Services
Firefighter Incident Support Unit Yes
County Office of Emergency
Mobile Incident Command/Communications Unit Services
Fill Station for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Yes
Cordelia FPD, Davis FD, Vacaville
Mobile Breathing Support Unit FD
Community Emergency Response Team No
Chaplain Services Yes
Training Academy Yes –for new volunteers
Emergency Operations Center Capabilities Yes
Miscellaneous
Public Service Assists Yes
Motor Vehicle Accident Response Yes
Welfare Checks Yes
Public Safety Answering Point Sheriff’s Office (by contract)
Fire/EMS Dispatch Sheriff’s Office (no EMD)
Fundraising Activities Firefighters Association
Firefighters Association - Non Profit Yes
Auxiliary Association No
Other
Confined Space Rescue Yes
Service Area
In addition to services within its boundaries, DFPD maintains an agreement dating from
1977 with Winters FPD to provide mutual aid to one another when requested.
DFPD’s contract provider (the City of Dixon Fire Department) provides services to the
City of Dixon, as well as fire management and administration contract services to City of
Winters. The City maintains several automatic and mutual aid agreements, through which
it provides services outside of DFPD and the City of Dixon to Winters FPD, Vacaville FPD
(auto aid), City of Vacaville (auto aid), the Cities of Davis, West Sacramento and Woodland
(auto aid), the University of California at Davis (auto aid), and countywide to Solano County
fire providers.36 At present, Dixon FPD provides services to the area outside its bounds but
inside its SOI when requested through the countywide mutual aid agreement.
36 The City of Dixon FD is part of a master mutual aid agreement, which dates from 1996, with several Solano and Yolo
County fire agencies, including the City of Benicia, the City of Fairfield, the City of Rio Vista, the City of Suisun, the City of
Vacaville, the City of Vallejo, the County of Solano, the American Canyon FPD, the California Medical Facility FD, Delta FPD,
Cordelia FPD, Exxon Benicia Refinery FD, Gordon Valley FD, Montezuma FPD, Suisun FPD, Vacaville FPD, Cal Fire, and
Travis Air Force Base.
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The District reported that there were no unserved areas within its bounds. There are
reportedly no significant obstacles that challenge response to calls for service. While there
are some remote areas with longer response times, there are few calls for service in those
areas. There are also longer response times in the community of Allendale, which is more
developed; however, the City of Vacaville Fire Department will provide support there when
necessary.
Services to Other Agencies
DFPD does not provide contract services to other agencies; however, as previously
mentioned, the City of Dixon FD provides fire management and administration services via
contract to the City of Winters FD. Winters FPD receives these services because of the
nature of its contract with the City of Winters—Winters FD provides services to the area
within Winters FPD. The administrative services contract is between the two cities. This
contract will expire in November 2014.
The City of Dixon Fire Department also has a contract with the Solano Emergency
Medical Services Cooperative (SEMSC) to provide ALS non-transport services to the area
within the City’s boundaries. Dixon FD is not obligated to provide ALS services within
DFPD’s bounds; however, by coincidence the District does receive paramedic engine based
service.37 This agreement was initiated in 2011 and is set to expire in 2015. The agreement
identifies a minimum level of services that must be maintained by the City, including
service area, minimum staffing levels, training and license requirements of staff, and
response time standards.
In addition to the agreement with SEMSC, the City of Dixon, in conjunction with the
cities of Benicia, Fairfield and Vallejo, formed a public private partnership with the private
ambulance provider (Medic Ambulance Services, Inc.) to continue to provide ALS first
response emergency services within their respective bounds as support to Medic
Ambulance. Participating member cities are reimbursed by Medic Ambulance for these
support services.
Contracts for Services
DFPD contracts with the City of Dixon for all fire-related services. A seven-year
contract was most recently entered into in 2011. Services to be provided by the City Fire
Department to the District include administration, fire protection, emergency medical
service, rescue service, review of building plans, fire code enforcement inspections,
investigation of causes of fire, and limited inspections of the rural water systems. At the
time the contract was initiated, the City assumed full tactical control of the firefighting
resources of the District. Reimbursement to the City for these services is defined in full in
the contract.
Similar to all other fire protection districts in the County (with the exception of East
Vallejo FPD38), DFPD—by way of the City of Dixon—contracts with the County Sheriff’s
37 On occasion, the Dixon FD engine that responds to the District is staffed only by BLS personnel. A significant portion of
Dixon FPD receives ALS service from the City of Vacaville FD.
38 While all calls in the unincorporated areas of the County are directed to the Sheriff’s office first, the calls within East
Vallejo FPD are then transferred to the City of Vallejo for fire dispatch.
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Office for dispatch services. The structure of these services is discussed in more detail in
the Facilities section of this chapter.
Overlapping Service Providers
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) provides services
throughout the State. Generally, services are focused in wildland areas defined as State
Responsibility Areas (SRA); within DFPD there is minimal territory along Timm Road that
is identified as SRA territory. In spite of that, Cal Fire provides technical support/mutual
aid throughout the County in the form of specialized services such as fire suppression
handcrews, dozers, and helicopter services when necessary.
Additionally, the City of Vacaville Fire Department provides primary ALS non-transport
services to certain areas within DFPD, as defined in its agreement with SEMSC.
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GOVERNNMENT SSTRUCTTURE ANND ACCOOUNTABIILITY
Accountability oof a governiing body is signified by a combinnation of sevveral indicaators.
The inddicators choosen here are limitedd to 1) agency effortts to engagge and eduucate
constituents througgh outreachh activities, in additionn to legally required activities succh as
agenda pposting andd public meeetings, 2) a defined commplaint proocess designned to handdle all
issues too resolution, and 3) trannsparency oof the agenccy as indicatted by coopperation witth the
MSR proocess and information ddisclosure.
The principal acct orders thhat the boaard of direcctors of a fire protectioon district must
have an odd numbeer of membeers, with a mminimum off three and aa maximumm of 11 memmbers.
Directorrs may be aappointed oor elected.399 DFPD is ggoverned bby a five-meember Boarrd of
Directorrs appointedd by the County Boarrd of Superrvisors to sstaggered ffour-year teerms.
Board mmembers muust be resideents of the DDistrict.
Reguular meetinggs of the Disstrict’s Boarrd are held qquarterly att the City’s ffire station. The
date andd time of tthe meetinggs are deteermined baased on thee availabilitty of the bboard
memberrs. Informattion about BBoard meetiings is showwn in Figuree 5-4.
Figure 5--4: Dixonn Fire Protecction Districct Governingg Body
Dixonn Fire Prrotectioon Distrrict
Governiing Body annd Board MMeetings
Mannerr of Selection Appointedd by County BBoard of Suppervisors
Length of Term 4 years
Quarterly – date
and time bbased
Meetinggs Citty of Dixon Fiire Station
on directoor
availabilitty
Agendaa Distributionn Posted at City fire station
Minutess Distributionn Available upon requesst
Contact
Contactt Dixon FD Fire Chief, AAaron McAlisster
Mailingg Address 205 Ford WWay, Dixon CCA 95620
Phone (707) 678 – 7060
Email/WWebsite http://wwww.ci.dixon.ca.us/index.aaspx?NID=3228 (DFPD sitee hosted by CCity)
DFPDD board meembers receive no commpensationn. Government Code §§53235 requires
that if aa district pprovides coompensation or reimbbursement of expensees to its bboard
memberrs, the board memberss must receeive two hoours of trainning in ethiics at least once
every twwo years andd the districct must estaablish a wriitten policy for reimbursements. WWhile
DFPD haas not adoptted a policyy on expensee reimburseements, thee District repportedly haas not
issued aany reimburrsements too the Boardd members in at least the last sixx years. Disstrict
board mmembers aree invited to attend regular city traaining. Thee City last cconducted eethics
39 Health annd Safety Code §§13842.
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training in January 2013; however, there are no records of which DFPD board members
attended.
Agendas of the Board’s meetings are posted at the City’s fire station. Minutes of all
meetings are made available by request. In addition to the required agendas and minutes,
the District does not conduct outreach to constituents. In the District’s stead, the City
conducts fire prevention planning, educational classes, participation in various community
events, smoke detector installation, and sends out informational mailers as needed. There
is a page dedicated to information on DFPD on the City of Dixon’s website. Generally, there
is low public interest in the operations of the District, as there has been no public
attendance at the Board’s regular meetings in at least the last five years. DFPD reported
that it would evaluate means by which to encourage public participation at board meetings.
If a customer is dissatisfied with the District’s services, complaints may be submitted to
the Chief in any manner (written, email, or phone call) or submitted online on the feedback
section of the City’s website. There is a process to track personnel investigations, but not
service complaints as they are infrequent. The Fire Chief is responsible for handling
complaints to completion. In 2012, there were inquiries that were escalated to the Chief to
be addressed; however, there were reportedly no service-related complaints during that
year.
DFPD maintains policies and procedures to guide district activities and efforts. DFPD
reportedly has by-laws related to public requests for information, code of ethics, and
compliance with the Brown Act. In addition, the by-laws also state that the District will
follow City of Dixon and Dixon Fire Department policies when there is not specific direction
on a subject.
The Political Reform Act (Government Code §81000, et seq.) requires state and local
government agencies to adopt and promulgate conflict of interest codes. The Fair Political
Practices Commission has adopted a regulation (California Code of Regulations §18730),
which contains the terms of a standard conflict of interest code, which can be incorporated
by reference in an agency’s code. The District maintains a conflict of interest code as
required.
Government Code §87203 requires persons who hold office to disclose their
investments, interests in real property and incomes by filing appropriate forms with the
identified filing agency (i.e., the County or the Fair Political Practices Commission) each
year. All DFPD directors have reportedly submitted the required Forms 700 for 2013.40
Pursuant to the District’s conflict of interest code, the District’s chief files a copy of his
individual Form 700 with the County’s Registrar of Voters. Board members are not
required to submit copies of their Forms 700 to the County per the District’s code.
During the course of this MSR process, DFPD demonstrated accountability in its
disclosure of information and cooperation with Solano LAFCO. The District responded to
the questionnaires and cooperated with interview and document requests.
40 Interview with Aaron McAlister, City of Dixon Fire Chief, December 4, 2013.
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Determinatioons
TThe District generally demonstrateed accountaability and trransparency with regaard to
governance bby cooperatting with thhe MSR process, adoptting an annuual budget pprior
too the start of the fisccal year, puublishing aggendas for public meeetings as leegally
reequired, maaintaining aa website, and filing of Form 7000 Statemeent of Econnomic
Innterest
Several impprovements could be made to tthe Districtt’s operatioons in ordeer to
enhance accoountability and transpparency. In order to ennhance constituent intterest
and particippation, thee District ccould makke use of advertisemments in ppublic
newspapers and mail innformation tto residentss regarding the Board of Directorss and
district serviices. Districct policies aand proceduures shouldd be made rreadily avaiilable
too the publicc on its webbsite. Addittionally, thee District shhould ensure and documment
thhat all boardd members have complleted ethicss training.
DDue to finanncial constrraints, goveernance alteernatives foor DFPD arre limited. The
DDistrict doess not have tthe financiaal resourcess to providee services directly. Options
are limited tto reorganizzation withh another aggency. Duee to the sizee of the Disstrict,
reeorganizatioon with thee City of Diixon as a suubsidiary ddistrict is noot feasible. The
reemaining opption is connsolidation wwith a neighhboring disttrict or mulltiple districcts in
thhe County.
GROOWTH AND POPPULATIOON PROJECTIONS
This section disscusses thee factors affffecting servvice demannd, such as land uses,, and
historicaal and anticiipated popuulation growwth.
Land Use
Landd uses within the District are priimarily agriicultural wwith parcels ranging inn size
from 400 to 80 acres. Minimaal commercial and ressidential uses are concentrated aalong
Interstatte 80, just to the east of the Ciity of Dixonn. The Disstrict’s bouunds encommpass
approximmately 312 square milees.
Population
Therre are approoximately 66,057 resideents within the Districct, based onn GIS analyssis of
2010 Ceensus population inforrmation.41 TThe populattion densityy within thhe District iis 19
people pper square mmile.
Projeccted Groowth annd Devellopmentt
Recent historicaal growth wwithin the DDistrict has been minimmal with appproximatelly 12
new residences perr year scatttered throuughout the DDistrict’s teerritory. Duuring that ssame
time, theere has been some losss of territorry, due to annexations into the neeighboring ccities
41 This poppulation figure mmay be slightlyy inflated basedd on comparisoon of known poopulations in otther areas withh those
generated tthrough the GISS analysis.
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and detachment of the territory from DFPD. Minimal growth combined with this loss of
territory has created relatively static demand for services. The District reportedly has
capacity to provide services and continue to provide services in the future to the current
and anticipated demand for service.
The District anticipates minimal growth in the near future, given the County’s policy of
minimal development outside of city boundaries. At present, there are reportedly no
planned or proposed developments.
The State Department of Finance (DOF) projects that the population of Solano County
will grow by eight percent from 2010 to 2020. Thus, the average annual population growth
in the County is anticipated to be approximately 0.8 percent. Based on these projections,
the District’s population would increase from 6,057 in 2010 to approximately 6,542 in
2020. It is anticipated that demand for service within the District will increase minimally,
based on the DOF population growth projections through 2020.
Growth Strategies
The District is not a land use authority, and does not hold primary responsibility for
implementing growth strategies. The land use authority for unincorporated areas is the
County.
However, there are areas surrounding the City of Dixon that are within the City of
Dixon’s sphere of influence, and land use within those areas are planned for by the City, as
it is anticipated these areas will eventually be annexed into the City. The County
coordinates with the City on any proposed developments in the area.42 Future development
of urban land uses is to be facilitated and served through city annexation. Current land uses
in these areas may continue under County jurisdiction until the land is annexed to the City
for conversion to urban uses. The City’s General Plan land use map designates the lands
within its SOI that are also within the District as highway commercial, agricultural, planned
business/industrial, and future residential.
The lands within the District are designated in the County’s General Plan as agriculture
and agricultural reserve. The County has historically required that development requiring
water and sewer service be incorporated within one of the County’s cities. Based on this
policy, most residential, commercial, and industrial development in the County has been in
incorporated areas.
The District is participating in a study with other fire protection districts to establish a
development impact fee throughout the unincorporated territories of the County. In 2013,
several fire protection districts (Cordelia, Dixon, Suisun, and Vacaville FPDs) in the County
hired a consulting firm to conduct a nexus study to assess and make recommendations
regarding a uniform development impact fee for each of the districts. Such a fee would be
designed to ensure a certain level of continued service among the fire districts should
development occur within their bounds.
42 The areas are designated as being part of the City’s municipal service area by the County. MSAs reflect city planned
urban growth areas and are based on County review of city general plans and spheres of influence established by the
Solano LAFCO.
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Determinatioons
DDixon Fire PProtection District (DFPD) curreently has an estimatedd populatioon of
6,057.
RRecent histoorical growtth within thhe District hhas been mminimal withh approximmately
12 new scatttered resideences per year. Duringg that samee time, theree has been ssome
looss of territoory, due to aannexationss into the neeighboring cities.
DDFPD anticippates minimmal growth in the neaar future, giiven the Coounty’s policy of
mminimal development outside of citty boundariies.
BBased on Deepartment oof Finance population forecasts, tthe Districtt’s population is
projected too increase ffrom 6,057 in 2010 too approximmately 6,542 in 2020. It is
anticipated tthat demandd for service within thee DFPD willl increase mminimally, ass any
growth in deemand geneerated by ppopulation ggrowth willl likely be bbalanced byy city
annexations of District tterritory.
DDISADVAANTAGEDD UNINCCORPORRATED CCOMMUNNITIES
LAFCCO is requirred to evaluuate disadvvantaged unnincorporatted communnities as paart of
this servvice review,, including tthe locationn and charaacteristics of any such ccommunitiees. A
disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd community is definned as anyy area witth 12 or mmore
registereed voters, oor as determmined by ccommission policy, whhere the meedian houseehold
income iis less than 80 percent of the statewide annuaal median.43
The CCalifornia DDepartment of Water Resources (DDWR) has developed a mapping toool to
assist inn determining which ccommunitiees meet thee disadvanttaged commmunities meedian
househoold income ddefinition.44 Accordingg to DWR, thhere are no communities that meeet the
definitioon of disadvvantaged unnincorporatted communnity in Solaano County. As such, tthere
are no ddisadvantagged unincorrporated communities within or aadjacent to DFPD’s boounds
and spheere of influeence.
Determinatioons
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to DDFPD’s bounnds and sphhere of influence.
43 Governmment Code §560333.5.
44 Based onn census data, thhe median houssehold income iin the State of CCalifornia in 20110 was $57,7088, 80 percent off which
is $46,166.
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FINAANCIAL AABILITYY TO PRROVIDE SSERVICEES
The financial abbility of ageencies to prrovide servvices is affeccted by avaailable finanncing
sources and financiing constraiints. This ssection disccusses the mmajor financing constrraints
faced byy the Districtt and identifies the revenue sourcees currentlyy available tto the Distriict.
The DDistrict reported that ppresent finaancing levells were not adequate. As the Disttrict’s
contractt with the Ciity of Dixon is currentlyy set up, DFFPD pays a lump sum too the City, wwhich
is not eaarmarked foor specific puurposes. Thhe District oowns some specializedd equipmentt that
is used bby the City. At existing financing leevels, DFPDD will likely fface challennges in replaacing
the speccialized equuipment in aa few yearss; consequenntly, the Diistrict is pursuing alterrnate
financingg sources, such as a developmeent impact fee. The City is also searchingg for
additionnal financingg sources too supplemeent fire deppartment seervices, suchh as EMS billing
options iin light of thhe Affordable Care Act.
As paart of the Department’ss Long-Rangge Strategicc Plan (20077) it was identified thaat the
District’ss tax revenuue was not aadequate too support ennough addittional firefigghters to maake a
“real and noticeablle differencce” in the sservices provided insiide the Disstrict’s bounnds.45
Since thaat time, the recent econnomic recesssion has reesulted in loower properrty tax reveenues
for DFPDD. Similarlly, the City has experiienced reduuced revenues and waas motivateed to
renegotiiate labor coontracts forr city staff, iincluding thhe Fire Depaartment. WWhile the Disstrict
did not directly paarticipate inn the contrract negotiaations, it beenefits fromm the imprroved
efficienccies derivedd from the new contraacts. The DDistrict has not conduucted directt cost
reducingg efforts; all efforts are on the partt of the City as the contrract servicees provider.
The District hass several chhallenges too raising mmore revenuue to signifficantly incrrease
service levels or too afford firre protectioon on its own. Theree are approoximately 33,500
parcels iin the Distrrict and thee vast majoority of thesse are permmanently inn agriculturral or
open spaace uses. TThus, even iff the Districct were to oobtain apprroval of a sppecial parceel tax,
the relattively few number of reesidential parcels woulld likely payy a majorityy of the neww tax.
The additional reveenue source would likely not be abble to financce a two-firrefighter perr day
minimumm staffing inn a new disttrict-area sttation.46
Withh regard to additional rrevenue souurces, the CCity of Dixoon FD has been particuularly
successfful at pursuuing and reeceiving graant funds. Grants funnded in thee last five yyears
include: FEMA AFG-breathing apparatus, FEMA AFG cardiac moonitors, FEMMA SAFER tthree
full-timee positions funded ffor 24 months, FEMA SAFER Volunteer Retention and
Recruitmment Prograam, FEMA AAFG radio hhardware acquisition ddual band rradios, 20122 Cal
Fire VFAA 50/50 Willdland Fireffighting PPEE, and 2013 Cal Fire VFFA 50/50 WWildland Fighhting
PPE. The District haas indirectlyy benefittedd from the CCity’s pursuiit of these fuunds.
45 City of Diixon Fire Deparrtment, Developpment of a Longg-Range Strateggic Plan, 2007, ppg 1.
46 Ibid, pg. 663.
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Revenues and Expenses
The District’s revenue in FY 12-13 totaled $508,594, which is almost entirely from
property taxes. The District receives a minimal amount of income from interest earned on
investments.
The District’s expenditures amounted to $497,735 in FY 12-13—96 percent of which is
attributable to public safety services offered by the City47 and four percent was attributable
to capital outlays. Depreciation of capital assets in that year totaled $46,686.
Capital Improvements
The City outlines an anticipated schedule of vehicle replacement on behalf of DFPD in
the Fire Department’s annual report. The District owns only three vehicles and informally
plans for replacement of these vehicles by putting aside any extra funds for when it
becomes necessary to purchase new vehicles.
Outstanding Debt
The District had no outstanding debt as of the end of FY 12-13.
Reserves
The District does not have a policy or a goal regarding a target amount of reserves it
would like to maintain for contingency purposes. At the end of FY 13 the District
maintained an undesignated fund balance of $606,710; however, approximately 70 percent
of these funds are planned to be used for vehicle replacement.
Determinations
The recent economic recession has resulted in lower property tax revenues for
DFPD. It will likely face challenges in replacing specialized equipment in a few
years; consequently, the District is pursuing alternate financing sources, such as a
development impact fee.
The District faces several challenges to raising more revenue to significantly
increase service levels or to afford fire protection on its own. A vast majority of the
parcels in the District are permanently in agricultural or open space uses, limiting
revenue potential from a new special tax.
All cost reduction strategies, such as employee contract negotiations, have been
implemented by the City on behalf of the District.
While the District maintained a substantial fund balance of $606,710 at the end of
FY 13, approximately 70 percent of these funds are planned to be used for vehicle
replacement.
47 The District entered into a joint exercise of powers agreement with the City of Dixon under which the City will provide
fire services to the entire territory of the District and will provide accounting services for a fee of 92.5 percent of the
District’s property tax revenues.
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PRESEN
DFPDD reported that it pre
existing amount of demand w
amount of anticipatted future g
capacityy to continuue the exist
station mmay be neceessary to ad
Existiing Demmand
The daily peak demand pe
early eveening hourss when peo
late spring and summmer month
The Disttrict 8
reportedd that it had
7
observedd liittle
variationn in servvice 6
demand in the last few 5
years. AAs shown in
4
Figure 5-6, the nummber
of calls declined 3
through 2011, and 2
began inncreasing aggain
1
in 2012.
In 20013, Dixon FD
responded to 2,0053
calls, witthin DFPD and
the City of Dixon, of which 628
were foor emergenncy medical
comprised 23 perccent of all
accidentts comprised 10 percen
averagedd 84 servicce calls per
residentts within thee District’s b
Staffing
DFPDD does not hhave staff o
42 firefighting perssonnel—thr
Volunteeers are commpensated $
48 Ratio of calls per 1,000 residents inc
population in both areas bbased on 2010 C
49 A person whose primaryy employment i
the majoritty of their earneed income work
DFPD
sllaC
ecivreS
fo
rebmuN
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
NT AND PPLANNEED CAPAACITY
esently hadd capacity to provide adequate services too the
within the DDistrict’s bounds. Addditionally, giiven the limmited
growth in tthe District,, it is expeccted that thhere is suffiicient
ting level oof service in the futurre; however, an addittional
dress futuree growth inn demand.
eriod for thhe Departmment is gennerally durinng daylightt and
ple are mosst active. CCalls for servvice tend too rise during the
hs, with inciddents peakiing in July.
Figuree 5-5: DFPPD Number oof Calls by YYear, 2007-22013
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
2007 2008 22009 20100 2011 2012 20113
Yearr
8 were withhin the Disttrict’s bounds. A largee portion off calls
l services (52 percennt). Misceellaneous nnon-emergenncies
calls, while fires/hazzardous maaterials andd motor veehicle
nt and 12 ppercent of aall calls, resppectively. TThe Departmment
r 1,000 ressidents in tthat year.48 Ratio of calls per 11,000
boundary arrea alone wwas 104.
of its own. AAll staff aree provided bby the Dixon FD, whichh has
ree chiefs, 220 frontlinee paid49 perrsonnel, andd 19 voluntteers.
50 for a 24-hour shift, which is fuunded by a ffederal grannt for
cludes all callss for service wwithin the City and within DFFPD as a ratio to the
Census data.
is as a firefighteer for a municippality or other aagency or comppany and who dderives
king in the fire sservice.
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the next four years. DFD firefighting personnel range in age from 22 to 65, with a median
age of 34. Dixon FD has experienced an overall increase of six firefighting staff positions
since 2011, which was primarily attributable to a change in the number of volunteers. In
2011, the Department maintained 38 firefighting staff (including volunteers); the number
of firefighting staff dipped to 35 in 2012, and finally rose to 42 in 2013.
Dixon FD recruits heavily from the regional fire academies, and this has reportedly been
a successful strategy. DFD maintains recruitment brochures and is in the process of
developing a recruitment video to support recruitment efforts.
Currently, there are three certifications in the California firefighter series; Volunteer
Firefighter, Firefighter I, and Firefighter II. While the Volunteer Firefighter focuses on skills
and tasks necessary to assure safety on the fire ground, Firefighter I & II prepares the
firefighter to perform essential and advanced fire ground tasks, as well as allowing entry
into all tracks of the certification system. The level of certification required for each
firefighter is determined by the individual fire department. However, according to the
California State Fire Marshal, there are plans to phase out the Volunteer Firefighter
certification level and the most basic level of certification will eventually be Firefighter I.
Firefighter I certification requires completion of the 259-hour Firefighter I course, which
includes training on various fireground tasks, rescue operations, fire prevention and
investigation techniques, and inspection and maintenance of equipment. In addition to this
course, Firefighter I certification also requires that the applicant have a minimum of six
months of volunteer or call experience in a California fire department as a firefighter
performing suppression duties.50 The number of DFD personnel certified in each category is
shown in Figure 5-6. Each firefighter, including volunteers, is able to hold multiple
certifications, including strike team certifications. DFD reported that certification ratios
among the daily paid staff are higher than shown in Figure 5-6.
Figure 5-6: DFD Certified Personnel
Certification Level Number of % of Total
Firefighting Staff Firefighting Staff
Volunteer Firefighter 0 0%
Firefighter I 38 90%
Firefighter II 18 43%
First Responder EMS 0 0%
Emergency Medical Technician 1 33 79%
Paramedic 10 24%
Apparatus Engineer 10 24%
Company Officer 18 43%
Chief Officer 4 10%
Haz Mat FRO 23 55%
CICCS FFT 2 23 55%
CICCS FFT 1 23 55%
CICCS Engine Boss 18 43%
CICCS Strike Team Leader 4 10%
50 State Fire Marshal, Course Information and Required Materials, 2007, p. 44
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Newly hired paid staff, as well as volunteers, are required to be fire academy graduates
and have Firefighter I certification prior to employment or being placed on the roster. Paid
firefighters take part in between eight and 40 hours of training a month depending on what
specialty training is offered in that month. Volunteers are required to attend a minimum of
six hours of training each month. While on duty at the station, volunteers are offered
between four and six hours per month in training. Regularly scheduled volunteer training
is two nights per month. Additional specialty training is offered as determined by the
training officers.
Facilities
DFPD does not own or maintain fire facilities of its own, but owns three vehicles that
are used by Dixon Fire Department. The City of Dixon owns and maintains a single fire
station within the City, which is also used to serve DPFD’s territory. Station 81 houses all of
DFD’s operations, as well as administration and training areas. The station was built in
1997 and is considered to be in excellent condition. The station is described in more detail
in Figure 5-7.
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Figure 5-7: DFPD Fire Stations
Station 81
Property owner City of Dixon
205 Ford Way
Address
Dixon, CA 95620
Houses emergency response vehicles & staff.
Purpose Administrative personnel and serves as FD training
Center. City of Dixon EOC.
Solano Community College Fire Academy, Solano
Additional uses or other entities
County Registrar of Voters (elections), and misc. City
using the facility
uses (HR testing, etc.)
Hours station is staffed 24 hours a day/7 days a week
Date acquired or built Built 1997, occupied 1998
Condition of facility51 Good/Excellent
Long range plans call for expanded administrative
Infrastructure Needs staff space as well as training center expansion at the
existing station.
City owned:
3 Engine/pumpers
1 Ladder Truck
1 Brush pumper
1 Rescue vehicle
1 Pickup Truck
Number and type of vehicles at
3 SUV’s
facility
1 ATV
1 Utility Trailer
1 Utility Rescue Trailer
District owned:
2 Water Tenders/Tankers
1 Brush Rig
All Fire Department employees:
1 Fire Chief
2 Fire Division Chiefs
Number and classification of 3 Fire Captains
paid staff staffing facility 6 Fire Engineers
2 Firefighters
9 Firefighter/Medics
1 Admin Manager
51 Facility condition definitions: Excellent—relatively new (less than 10 years old) and requires minimal maintenance.
Good—provides reliable operation in accordance with design parameters and requires only routine maintenance. Fair—
operating at or near design levels; however, non-routine renovation, upgrading and repairs are needed to ensure
continued reliable operation. Poor—cannot be operated within design parameters; major renovations are required to
restore the facility and ensure reliable operation.
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Station 81
Number and classification of
another agency’s paid staff None
staffing the facility
Number of volunteers staffing
19
facility
Number of volunteers/on call
staff available to respond to an 2 typically on duty.
incident utilizing a vehicle from More available upon recall.
this station
DFPD has no water reserves within the District’s boundaries. All water needs for fire
protection purposes are supplied via vehicle storage—type 1 engines carry 750 gallons
each, type 3 (brush) pumpers carry 400 gallons, and water tenders carry 2,000 gallons of
water each. There are miscellaneous agricultural wells and some limited storage
throughout the District available for emergency use. The water reserves in DFPD’s
boundaries are not satisfactory, but are considered the norm in a rural setting.
Generally, the existing facilities, vehicles, and staffing levels appear to have sufficient
capacity to provide adequate services within DFPD’s bounds. Capacity constraints include
declining volunteer availability and the limited fiscal capacity of a small city and special
district. It is anticipated that future growth will be limited within the District and therefore
not greatly impact demand for services; however, there are plans to build an additional
station in the southwestern portion of the City of Dixon once demand warrants, which will
ensure timely response to the southwestern section of the City as well as areas within
DFPD.
Dispatch and Communications
With the exception of East Vallejo FPD, all fire protection districts in Solano County,
including DFPD, contract with Solano County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center for dispatch
services.52 DFPD contracts with the Sherriff’s Office via Dixon FD. The current contract for
dispatch services was signed in 2001 and amended in 2011. The contract will continue
indefinitely until terminated as provided for in the terms of the agreement. For dispatch
services rendered to Dixon FD, the City pays a proportionate amount of the Sheriff’s
dispatch budget based on the ratio of Dixon’s average daily calls compared to the Sheriff’s
total average daily calls during the previous calendar year.
The Solano County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center also provides dispatch services to
the Sheriff's Office, Isleton Police and Fire, Dixon Police and Fire, California Medical Facility,
Rio Vista/Delta Fire Districts, and Solano Community College Police on a 24 hour basis. The
Sheriff's Dispatch Center also handles coordination of air ambulance for scene calls to all
areas of the County (city or county), coordination of all mutual aid for the County and out-
of-county requests.
52 East Vallejo is dispatched through the City of Vallejo. The cities of Benicia, Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville, and Vallejo
each have their own dispatch centers.
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The Dispatch Center operates with at least two people on duty at all times. The center
operators answer and transmit on three primary radio channels, seven secondary
channels, and a number of other law and fire radios for other agencies. The dispatch center
also answers 12 business lines, four Nextels, six 911 lines, numerous alarm panels, fax
requests, and mobile data computer messages.
Communication equipment is sometimes not compatible making it difficult to
communicate when coordinating a mutual aid call. Many of the districts have mutual aid
agreements with the cities. Dispatch becomes a challenge if the nearest responder is a city
agency or if a city requires assistance from a district. Often times it takes multiple calls to
different departments to get assistance sent. The lack of a consolidated fire dispatch center
increases the amount of time required to activate fire resources to emergencies.
In order to improve the current dispatch services, to ensure timely response and safety
for firefighters and citizens, Dixon FD suggested the following options:
1) Consolidate the fire dispatch functions from the seven dispatch centers in the
County into a single central dispatch center. There are several existing facilities
within Solano County that have either been recently built or remodeled that can
accommodate the fire dispatching functions of the entire County.
2) If getting to one center is not achievable, consolidate the fire dispatch functions
of select centers into two of the existing centers.
3) If two is not achievable, consolidate the fire dispatch functions into three of the
existing centers; North, South and Central.
4) Link the seven dispatch centers electronically, if consolidation is not feasible.
5) Increase interoperable communications to ensure each agency can communicate
with another.
Infrastructure Needs
There are no imminent infrastructure needs at DFD’s existing fire station; however,
long range plans call for expanded administrative staff space as well as expansion of the
City of Dixon Fire Training Center.
Once demand warrants, a fire station will be needed to respond to the southwest
section of the City of Dixon, as well as DFPD, in a timelier manner. Plans for the new station
were being developed prior to the recent recession; however, budget constraints stalled
the process. Once development resumes in the designated area, it is anticipated that the
planning process will commence again. It is anticipated that development will occur
sometime in the next five years. The new station will cost approximately $3.5 million,
which will be partially funded by City of Dixon development impact fees. The Dixon Fire
District does not currently have the ability to participate financially in the construction of
the fire station from which it will benefit.
With regard to vehicles and equipment, the Department reported that there were no
pressing replacement needs. The Department will reportedly need a new engine in five
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years annd a new laadder truck in six yearrs. One of tthe districtt-owned waater tenderss will
need to bbe replacedd in the nextt five years.
Challeenges
DFPDD anticipates that it will continnue to expeerience funnding challenges untill the
economyy rebounds..
Additionally, thee Departmeent anticipattes that the volunteer//reserve pool from which it
draws wwill become circumscribbed as otherr agencies bbegin hiringg for full-timme paid positions
again.
SERVICEE ADEQUACY
While there are several benchmarks tthat may deefine the levvel of fire sservice provvided
by an aggency, indicators of serrvice adequuacy discusssed here incclude ISO raatings, respponse
times, annd level of staffing and station resoources for thhe service aarea.
Fire services in the commuunities are cclassified byy the Insuraance Servicee Office (ISOO), an
advisoryy organization. This claassification indicates thhe general aadequacy oof coverage, with
classes rranking fromm 1 to 10. CCommunitiees with the bbest fire deppartment faacilities, sysstems
for wateer distributtion, fire alarms and ccommunicaations, and equipmentt and persoonnel
receive aa rating of 1. Dixon FDD has an ISOO rating of five in urbaan areas annd 9/10 in rural
areas thhroughout iits service area. DFPD is considdered rurall and is therefore enttirely
designatted as an ISOO 9/10 ratinng. Dixon FDD was last eevaluated inn 2012.
The NNational Firre Protectioon Associatioon (NFPA) hhas issued rresponse timme performmance
standardds dependinng on the service structture of the aagency. The response tiime is meassured
from thee completionn of the disppatch notification to thhe arrival timme of the firrst-respondder at
the scenne. Thoughh not a leggal mandatee, these staandards provide a useful benchmmark
against wwhich to meeasure fire ddepartmentt performannce. For ageencies with paid staff, NNFPA
1710 ideentifies the response tiime guideline of six mminutes at leeast 90 perccent of the time.
For voluunteer andd combinatiion fire deepartments,, NFPA 17720 recommmends thatt the
responsee times forr structure fire be ninne minutes in urban demand zoones at leasst 90
percent of the timee, 10 minutees in suburbban zones aat least 80 ppercent of tthe time annd 14
minutes in rural zonnes at leastt 80 percentt of the timee. Responsee times in reemote zonees are
directly dependent on travel ddistances.53 Dixon FD iis a combinnation fire ddepartmentt that
relies onn both, vollunteer andd paid firefighters. Thhe District is subject to NFPA 1720
guideline, but strivees to achievee response ttimes set byy NFPA 17110.
Emerrgency respponse time sstandards vvary by leveel of urbanizzation of ann area: the mmore
urban aan area, thee faster a response sshould be. Solano Emmergency MMedical Services
Cooperaative (SEMSC) has designated an eexclusive opperating arrea (EOA) inn Solano Coounty
for EMS and ambulaance servicees providedd by Medic AAmbulance Services. Thhe EOA inclludes
53 Urban deemand zone hass population deensity of more tthan 1,000 peopple per square mile; suburbann zone—betweeen 500
and 1,000 people per squuare mile, rurall zone—less thaan 500 people per square mile, and remote zone is identiffied by
eight or moore miles of travvel distance to aan incident.
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all territory in Solano County with the exception of the City of Vacaville, Travis Air Force
Base, and the territory designated as Zone C.54 In the EOA, the response time guideline is
seven minutes 90 percent of the time for a Code 3 response to a 911 priority call. There is
no response time standard for Code 2 responses. Compliance with these requirements is
determined on a monthly basis. If an agency providing ALS services fails to comply with
these response time standards then they are fined. The response times in DFPD are long,
reflective of rural service provision. Within DFPD’s boundaries DFD responded to all calls
in 2013 (less those calls cancelled en route) with a median response time of 11 minutes 30
seconds. The Fire Department responded to 80 percent of all calls in DFPD within 14
minutes 13 seconds, and 90 percent of all calls for service within 15 minutes 33 seconds.
These response times marginally exceed the NFPA 1720 guidelines for a rural area;
however, some areas within the District could be considered remote. Of note is that Dixon
FD was able to provide response time information in a timely manner and in a format that
was easily used for analysis purposes. The agency also makes use of its response time info
in its annual reports, which are made available on its website.
The service area size for each fire station varies between the fire districts. The median
fire station in Solano County serves approximately 39.8 square miles. Dixon FD serves the
most expansive area of 320 square miles (312 square miles of the District and eight square
miles of the City territory) for its single station. Densely populated areas tend to have
smaller service areas. For example, each City of Vallejo fire station serving East Vallejo FPD
serves approximately 8.3 square miles.
The number of firefighters serving within a particular jurisdiction is another indicator
of level of service; however, it is approximate. The providers that rely on volunteer or call
firefighters may have differing staff availability and reliability. An agency with more
firefighters could have fewer resources, if availability is limited due to work and personal
obligations. Staffing levels in Solano County vary from 0.68 firefighters per 1,000 residents
in EVFPD to 29 in MFPD. By comparison, DFPD has on average approximately 1.72
firefighters per 1,000 residents.55
Operating expenditures per capita is often reflective of the level of service offered by a
fire provider as determined by financing constraints. In FY 12-13, the least amount of
money per capita was spent by Dixon FPD ($79). During the same fiscal year, Montezuma
FPD expended the most per capita ($499), as it serves a relatively expansive area with very
low population density.
Determinations
The District’s existing facilities (made available through its contract with Dixon Fire
Department) have the capacity to adequately serve current demand and short term
future growth. The existing station is in good/excellent condition. Once demand
54 Solano Emergency Medical Services Cooperative Ambulance Service Agreement, April 10, 2010.
55 Based on the total population served in DFPD and the City of Dixon by Dixon Fire Department.
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wwarrants, a fire station will be needed to resspond to thhe southwesst section oof the
City of Dixonn, as well as DFPD, in a ttimelier maanner.
DDFPD did noot identify anny short-terrm infrastruucture needds. Long rannge plans caall for
exxpanded addministrativve staff spaace as welll as traininng center exxpansion at the
exxisting statiion.
DDFPD servicces appear to be adeqquate for aa rural servvice area. TThe Districtt has
adequate response timmes the exppansive terrritory servved. An addditional staation
wwould servee to reducee response times in thhe remote areas of thhe District.. The
DDistrict’s ISOO rating is low comparred to otherr fire districcts in the Coounty and ccould
be improvedd upon.
DDistrict management methods appear to geneerally meet accepted beest managemment
practices. Thhe District prepares a budget beefore the beeginning off the fiscal year,
coonducts bieennial finanncial audits, maintains current traansparent fiinancial records,
trracks emplooyee and diistrict workkload, and hhas an established proocess to adddress
coomplaints.
STAATUS ANND OPPOORTUNITIES FOOR SHARRED FACCILITIESS
Shared Faciliities andd Regional Cooperation
Shared FFacilities
DFPDD practices facility shaaring by maaking use oof Dixon FDD’s servicess and statioon by
contractt.
Dixonn FD also alllows Solanoo Community College FFirefighter AAcademy to make use oof the
Departmment’s trainiing site as thhe institutioon’s sole traaining site. In return, sstudents proovide
assistancce in mainttenance of ffacilities andd equipmennt and the ccollege reimmburses thee City
for use with lease fees as outtlined in a lease agreeement. Thhis arrangemment allowss the
Departmment to maxximize use of its moddern traininng facility wwhile expossing studennts to
experiennces at a woorking fire sttation.
No fuurther oppoortunities for facility sharing were identified.
Collaborration
As prreviously mmentioned inn the Type aand Extent oof Services ssection, DFPPD maintainns an
agreemeent with Wiinters FPD to provide mutual aidd to one anoother whenn requestedd. All
other coollaborative efforts are conducted through Diixon FD on behalf of DDFPD. Dixoon FD
providess contract services too Winters FPD and mmaintains aautomatic aand mutual aid
agreemeents with Vaacaville FPDD, City of Vaacaville, thee Cities of DDavis, West Sacramentoo and
Woodlannd, the Univversity of CCalifornia att Davis, andd countywidde with Sollano Countyy fire
providerrs.
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Dixon FD formed jointly with the cities of Benicia, Fairfield and Vallejo, a public private
partnership with the private ambulance provider (Medic Ambulance Serivces, Inc.) to
provide ALS first response emergency services within their respective bounds.
Dixon FD occasionally conducts training with Vacaville FD where the two agencies swap
engines for a day for multi company drills, equipment and area familiarization. This same
swapping of equipment for a half day has taken place with the City of Fairfield, UC Davis
and the Davis FD. Dixon FD also participates in some countywide exercises, such as the
countywide rescue team and countywide hazmat team. In addition, Dixon FD takes part in
the training officers group as part of the Solano Fire Chiefs Association.
Dixon FD has also participated in regional planning efforts, including the County’s
Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. Additionally, Dixon FD is a member of several collaborative
organizations, including the Solano Fire Chiefs Association, the Incident Management
Support Team, the Hazardous Materials Response Group, the Fire District Association
(FDAC), and the California Fire Chiefs Association.
Management Efficiencies
While public sector management standards vary depending on the size and the scope of
the organization, there are minimum standards. Well-managed organizations evaluate
employees annually, track employee and agency productivity, periodically review agency
performance, prepare a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year, conduct periodic
financial audits to safeguard the public trust, maintain relatively current financial records,
conduct advanced planning for future service needs, and plan and budget for capital needs.
DFPD does not have staff of its own. All staff are provided by the Dixon FD, which
employs 43 personnel—one chief, two division chiefs, an administrative manager, 20
frontline paid personnel, and 19 volunteers. As part of the contractual agreement, the
Department’s chief also functions as the chief of the District, whose duties include
preparing agendas, developing budgets, developing staff reports, and representing the
District on official matters. The administrative manager also serves as clerk of the board
for DFPD.
The division chiefs oversee the daily operations of the two divisions that comprise the
Department. Both division chiefs report to the fire chief who also oversees the
administrative manager. The chief reports to the DFPD Board at the regular meetings.
Dixon Fire Department is broken down into two divisions—Prevention/Fleet/Facilities
and Operations/Training. The Prevention/Fleet/Facilities division manages fire
inspections and plan review, conducts public education and emergency planning, manages
fleet and facilities, and oversees city and district mapping. The Operations/Training
division is responsible for daily operations, fire suppression, investigation, and emergency
medical services, as well as managing policies and procedures, conducting training, and
coordinating dispatch services.
Dixon FD conducts evaluations of employee performance annually. Probationary staff
are evaluated every three months. Evaluations are conducted by the employee’s
immediate supervisor. The chief, as a City employee, is reviewed by the city manager and
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the DFPD Board has the ability to provide input to the Chief directly or through the city
manager. There is a subcommittee of two DFPD Board members and two City Council
members who meet annually to review Fire Department performance and affairs.
Volunteers are also required to complete probationary task books as a means of
monitoring progress.
Overall agency performance evaluations are conducted in Dixon FD’s annual report,
which evaluates response times, value of property saved and loss during responses,
extrication times, use of various EMS skills, and whether the Department remained within
budget. Each of these indicators is evaluated based on standards as set forth in contracts,
nationally recognized standards, or internally determined standards. The annual report
also tracks agency-wide workload. The workload of staff is tracked via the previously
mentioned volunteer task books, maintenance logs, calls for service reporting system,
training records, and timesheets.
With regard to planning efforts, DFPD does not have any plans specific to services
within its bounds. Dixon FD has developed a mission statement, long-term and short-term
strategic plans, and standards of coverage to guide its efforts. Additionally, the Department
annually outlines specific goals for the year. For FY 14, the Dixon FD aims to 1) fully equip
a new fire engine and put it into service (completed as of drafting of report), 2) begin
training of new volunteers on Dixon Fire Standard Operating Procedures, 3) continue to
host State certified courses for fire departments, 4) continue to apply for grant funding
when opportunities arise, and 5) begin project of developing pre-plans for specified
facilities within the City and District boundaries.
DFPD does conduct financial planning efforts, which include an annual budget and
biennial financial audits. Additionally, Dixon FD supplements these plans with a capital
improvement plan. Also, the District itself is the owner of three pieces of apparatus which
have been assigned a lifespan and replacement schedule identified in the annual report
presented to the Board and City Council.
The District takes part in joint financing through its service structure—contracting for
services from the City of Dixon Fire Department—which allows both agencies to share in
the costs of providing services.
Determinations
DFPD practices facility sharing by making use of Dixon FD’s services and station by
contract. Dixon FD also allows Solano Community College Firefighter Academy to
make use of the Department’s training site as the institution’s sole training site.
An opportunity for further facility sharing and collaboration may be centralized
dispatch center for all fire providers.
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LAFCO POLICIIES AFFECTING SERVICCE DELIVERY
Solanno LAFCO has adopteed a policyy that direectly affectss service ddelivery byy fire
protectioon districtss in the Couunty. Standard 11 in tthe LAFCO Standards and Proceddures
manual requires thhat a city appplying to LLAFCO for aannexation of a speciffic territoryy that
belongs in this casee to a fire pprotection ddistrict musst offset thee negative cconsequencces of
that annnexation, wwhich may include neggative effectts on the ddistrict’s buudget or service
provision. The anneexing city iss required tto work witth the affeccted districtt to identifyy and
mitigate the impaccts. Adequatte mitigatioon to adverrse fiscal immpact normmally includdes a
funding source forr lost revennues or inccreased cossts to the aaffected sppecial distriict. A
commonn practice inn Solano Couunty is to neegotiate a pproperty taxx neutrality agreement for a
specific period of time betweeen the annexing cityy and the nnegatively affected sppecial
district.
Determinatioons
Sttandard 111 of the LAAFCO Standdards and PProcedures manual reequires thee city
annexing terrritory fromm a special district to mitigate thhe negative impact onn that
district. Commmon mitigaation practiice of adverrse fiscal immpact includdes a negottiated
property taxx neutrality aagreement.
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DDIXON FFIRE PROTECTION DISTTRICT
SUMMARY OF DETERMMINATIOONS
Growtth and PPopulatiion Projjectionss
DDixon Fire PProtection District (DFPD) curreently has an estimatedd populatioon of
6,057.
RRecent histoorical growtth within thhe District hhas been mminimal withh approximmately
12 new scatttered resideences per year. Duringg that samee time, theree has been ssome
looss of territoory, due to aannexationss into the neeighboring cities.
DDFPD anticippates minimmal growth in the neaar future, giiven the Coounty’s policy of
mminimal development outside of citty boundariies.
BBased on Deepartment oof Finance population forecasts, tthe Districtt’s population is
projected too increase ffrom 6,057 in 2010 too approximmately 6,542 in 2020. It is
anticipated tthat demandd for service within thee DFPD willl increase mminimally, ass any
growth in deemand geneerated by ppopulation ggrowth willl likely be bbalanced byy city
annexations of District tterritory.
The Location and Chharacterristics oof Disadvantageed
Unincorporatted Commmunitiees Within or Coontiguous to thhe
Agenccy’s SOI
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to DDFPD’s bounnds and sphhere of influence.
Present and PPlannedd Capaciity of Puublic Faacilities and
Adequuacy of Public SServicess, Includding Inffrastruccture
Needss and Deeficiencies
TThe District’s existing faacilities (maade availablle through iits contract with Dixonn Fire
DDepartment)) have the ccapacity to aadequately serve curreent demandd and short term
fuuture growtth. The exissting station is in goood/excellentt condition.. Once demmand
wwarrants, a fire station will be needed to resspond to thhe southwesst section oof the
City of Dixonn, as well as DFPD, in a ttimelier maanner.
DDFPD did noot identify anny short-terrm infrastruucture needds. Long rannge plans caall for
exxpanded addministrativve staff spaace as welll as traininng center exxpansion at the
exxisting statiion.
DDFPD servicces appear to be adeqquate for aa rural servvice area. TThe Districtt has
adequate response timmes the exppansive terrritory servved. An addditional staation
wwould servee to reducee response times in thhe remote areas of thhe District.. The
DDistrict’s ISOO rating is low comparred to otherr fire districcts in the Coounty and ccould
be improvedd upon.
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District management methods appear to generally meet accepted best management
practices. The District prepares a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year,
conducts biennial financial audits, maintains current transparent financial records,
tracks employee and district workload, and has an established process to address
complaints.
Financial Ability of Agencies to Provide Services
The recent economic recession has resulted in lower property tax revenues for
DFPD. It will likely face challenges in replacing specialized equipment in a few
years; consequently, the District is pursuing alternate financing sources, such as a
development impact fee.
The District faces several challenges to raising more revenue to significantly
increase service levels or to afford fire protection on its own. A vast majority of the
parcels in the District are permanently in agricultural or open space uses, limiting
revenue potential from a new special tax.
All cost reduction strategies, such as employee contract negotiations, have been
implemented by the City on behalf of the District.
While the District maintained a substantial fund balance of $606,710 at the end of
FY 13, approximately 70 percent of these funds are planned to be used for vehicle
replacement.
Status of, and Opportunities for, Shared Facilities
DFPD practices facility sharing by making use of Dixon FD’s services and station by
contract. Dixon FD also allows Solano Community College Firefighter Academy to
make use of the Department’s training site as the institution’s sole training site.
An opportunity for further facility sharing and collaboration may be centralized
dispatch center for all fire providers.
Accountability for Community Service Needs, Including
Governmental Structure and Operational Efficiencies
The District generally demonstrated accountability and transparency with regard to
governance by cooperating with the MSR process, adopting an annual budget prior
to the start of the fiscal year, publishing agendas for public meetings as legally
required, maintaining a website, and filing of Form 700 Statement of Economic
Interest
Several improvements could be made to the District’s operations in order to
enhance accountability and transparency. In order to enhance constituent interest
and participation, the District could make use of advertisements in public
newspapers and mail information to residents regarding the Board of Directors and
district services. District policies and procedures should be made readily available
to the public on its website. Additionally, the District should ensure and document
that all board members have completed ethics training.
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Due to financial constraints, governance alternatives for DFPD are limited. The
District does not have the financial resources to provide services directly. Options
are limited to reorganization with another agency. Due to the size of the District,
reorganization with the City of Dixon as a subsidiary district is not feasible. The
remaining option is consolidation with a neighboring district or multiple districts in
the County.
LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery
Standard 11 of the LAFCO Standards and Procedures manual requires the city
annexing territory from a special district to mitigate the negative impact on that
district. Common mitigation practice of adverse fiscal impact includes a negotiated
property tax neutrality agreement.
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66. E AST VVAAL L EE JO FF I R E
PROTEECT IO N DDI ST RR I CT
East Vallejo Firee Protectionn District (EEVFPD) proovides strucctural, wildlland and veehicle
fire supppression, fire preventiion servicess, hazardouus materialss assistancee, public service
assistancce, and emeergency meddical services in the form of basicc and advanced life suppport.
In additiion, the Disstrict providdes specializzed rescue services, suuch as swifftt water andd low
angle rope rescue services. Alll services arre provided by the Cityy of Vallejo FFire Departmment
by contrract. In thiis case, servvice in the District is the focus oof this repoort to the exxtent
possible, rather thaan the City’ss Fire Depaartment. Thhe District wwas last revviewed in 22006,
along wiith all otherfire districtts in the Couunty.
The District seerves sevenn non-contiiguous uninncorporatedd areas, wwhich are eeither
entirely surroundedd by the Cityy of Vallejo or immediaately adjacennt to the Citty’s limits.
AGENCYY OVERVVIEW
Backgground
EVFPPD was forrmed in 19939 for the purpose of providiing fire prrotection too the
unincorpporated areeas of Easttern Vallejoo. EVFPD fuunctioned aas an indeppendent sppecial
district wwith a separrate Board oof Directorss, until the DDistrict was reorganizeed in 1994, wwhen
EVFPD bbecame a ddependent fire district of the Coounty with the Boardd of Supervvisors
serving aas the Distriict’s Board oof Directorss.
The pprincipal acct that goveerns the District is the Fire Protecction Districct Law of 19987.56
The prinncipal act eempowers ffire districtts to providde fire prottection, resscue, emerggency
medical, hazardouss material rresponse, ammbulance, aand any othher servicess relating too the
protectioon of lives and propeerty.57 Districts must aapply and obtain LAFFCO approvval to
exercise services aauthorized bby the prinncipal act bbut not alrready proviided (i.e., laatent
powers) by the district at the end of 2000..58
EVFPPD’s seven non-contiguous areas are almosst entirely ssurroundedd by the City of
Vallejo inn the southwestern poortion of Sollano Countyy. The District borders Cordelia FPPD in
the east and is adjaccent to City of Benicia in the southheast.
56 Health annd Safety Code §§13800-13970.
57 Health annd Safety Code §§13862.
58 Governmment Code §568224.10.
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Boundaries
EVFPD is entirely within Solano County. As shown in Figure 6-2, the present bounds
encompass approximately 1.5 square miles and include the following seven non-contiguous
areas:
A small pocket area off Springs Road;
The sandy beach area to the south of the City;
An area northwest of the City and west of SR 37;
An area northeast of the City of Vallejo, between Hiddenbrook Parkway and
Highway 80;
An area located at the east end of Vallejo, which borders Cordelia FPD and
encompasses Lake Herman Road;
Territory located southeast of Vallejo, which encompasses portions of both
Interstate 780 and Interstate 80; and
Land northwest of Vallejo, which includes a portion of SR 37 and borders Napa
River.
The District has undertaken two detachments, an annexation, and a reorganization
since its formation. The most recent changes took place in 1994 when EVFPD added about
1,109.83 acres of adjacent land previously protected by the Cordelia FPD. During the same
year, the District detached areas consisting of approximately 63.5 acres, which were then
annexed by the City of Vallejo. The District’s boundary changes are shown in Figure 6-1.
Figure 6-1: EVFPD List of LAFCO Approved Border Changes
Project Name Type of Action Year Recording Agency
East Vallejo Fire Protection Formation 1939 County
District
Glen Cove Area Detachment 1979 LAFCO
EVFPD Reorganization 1994 LAFCO
Trailer City Park, Lands of Annexation 1994 LAFCO
Bordoni, Lake Herman Quarry,
Lands of Minahen, Lands of
Brown, Lands of Azevedo
City of Vallejo Annexation Detachment 1994 LAFCO
District No. 157
Bordoni Ranch Annexation to Detachment 2006 LAFCO
City of Vallejo
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Sphere of Influence
The sphere of influence (SOI) for the District was originally adopted in 1983 as
coterminous with its boundaries as they existed at that time. In 1994, the SOI was
amended to reflect past reorganizations. Since then, there have been no updates. The
District’s SOI should be updated to comply with LAFCO’s policy and CKH.
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§¨¦
80
East Vallejo Fire Protection District
Solano County Napa
County
County Boundaries
City Boundaries
Major Roads
FireStations
Interstate
State Highway
Major Roads
FireDistricts
NAME
East Vallejo Fire Protection District
East Vallejo
§¨¦ Fire Protection District
80
Vallejo
San
Pablo
Bay
§¨¦
780
Miles
00.1750.35 0.7 1.05 1.4 1.75
S Fo o r la m n a o t i L o o n c C a o l A m g m e i n s c s y io n Solano County GIS Services Disclaimer: 5
Department of Information Technology This map was made using Solano County GIS files with varying degrees of
7 F 4 a 4 ir f E ie m ld p , i r C e A S 9 t. 4 , 5 S 3 u 3 i te 216 675 Texas Street, Suite 3700 scale, accuracy, precision, currentness, and alignment and therefore cannot
Fairfield, CA 94533 be used for situations requiring survey grade measurement or legal
(707) 439-3897 Phone: 707-784-6340 boundary determination. Solano County disclaims liability for any
www.solanolafco.com Email: GISStaff@SolanoCounty.com loss that may result from the use of this map. User acknowledges
This map is to be used for general information purposes only. Where precise accuracy is PRJ_1093, 08/01/2014 data limitations and accepts responsibility for map based judgments.
required reference should be made to certified maps, surveys, documents and/or by other
official means.
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Type and Extent of Services
Services Provided
Figure 6-3 details the services provided by EVFPD through its contract with the City of
Vallejo FD. If a service is not provided by Vallejo FD, but is offered by another agency, it is
indicated in the figure. Resources from Cal Fire provided outside the SRA are provided on a
mutual aid basis. Availability is dependent upon fire activity, time of year, and other
factors.
Figure 6-3: EVFPD Services
Service Agency
Fire Suppression Services
Structural Fire Protection Yes
Wildland Fire Protection Yes
Vehicle Fire Protection Yes
Ladder Truck Capabilities Yes
Fire Suppression Handcrew Cal Fire
Fire Suppression Dozer Cal Fire
Helicopter Services – Fire Suppression Cal Fire
Boat With Fire Suppression Capabilities No
Emergency Medical Services
Basic Life Support Provider Yes
Advanced Life Support - Non Transport Provider Yes
Advanced Life Support Transport Provider Medic Ambulance
Continuing Education Provider - Medical Yes
Air Ambulance Transport Helicopter Services Cal Star
Helicopter Landing Facilities On Site Sutter Solano Medical Center
Vehicle Extrication Tools/Equipment Yes
Fire Prevention
Fire Safety Education – Children Yes
Fire Safety Education – Adults/Seniors Yes
Juvenile Firesetter Prevention Program Yes, as needed
Fire and Life Safety Business Inspection Program Yes
Fire Protection Planning Yes
New Commercial Construction Plan Reviews Yes
Public Education Provider (CPR, First Aid, etc.) Yes
Home Fire/Safety Inspections Upon request
Fire Origin and Cause Investigations Yes
Fuel Reduction/Weed Abatement Program Yes
Smoke Detector Giveaway/Installation Program Occasional programs
Address Sign Installation Program No
Rescue Services
First Responder Swift Water Rescue Program Yes
Water Rescue Program No
Ice Rescue Program No
Dive Rescue Program Sheriff’s Office
Low angle Rope Rescue Program No, but have capability
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Helicopter Short/Long Haul Rescue Capabilities CHP
Response To Boating Accidents Coast Guard
Rescue Dog Services No
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous Materials Emergency Response -Basic Yes
Hazardous Materials Response Team Yes, part of Regional Team
Support Services
Firefighter Incident Support Unit No
Mobile Incident Command/Communications Unit Yes, Solano County MC1
Fill Station for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Yes, stationary
Mobile Breathing Support Unit American Canyon FPD
Community Emergency Response Team Yes
Chaplain Services Yes (Vallejo Police Department)
Training Academy Yes
Emergency Operations Center Capabilities Yes
Miscellaneous
Public Service Assists Yes
Motor Vehicle Accident Response Yes
Welfare Checks Yes
Public Safety Answering Point Yes
Fire/EMS Dispatch Yes
Fundraising Activities Firefighters Union
Firefighters Association - Non Profit Yes
Auxiliary Association No
Other
Training Tower (15-week academy) Yes
Apprentice Program (3 years) Yes
Service Area
While EVFPD does not provide services outside of its boundary area, its contract
provider (the City of Vallejo Fire Department) provides services throughout Vallejo and to
City of Benicia and certain areas in American Canyon FPD through automatic aid
agreements. In addition, the City maintains a master mutual aid agreement with Solano
County fire providers, and on occasion may respond to areas within another agency’s
bounds.59
The District reported that there are no unserved areas within its bounds. There are
reportedly no significant obstacles that challenge response to calls for service.
59 The City of Vallejo FD is part of a master mutual aid agreement, which dates from 1996, with several Solano and Yolo
County fire agencies, including the City of Benicia, the City of Fairfield, the City of Rio Vista, the City of Suisun, the City of
Vacaville, the City of Dixon, the County of Solano, the American Canyon FPD, the California Medical Facility FD, Delta FPD,
Cordelia FPD, Exxon Benicia Refinery FD, Gordon Valley FD, Montezuma FPD, Suisun FPD, Vacaville FPD, Cal Fire, and
Travis Air Force Base.
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Services to Other Aggencies
While the Distriict itself doees not provvide services to other aagencies, thhe City of Vaallejo
Fire Deppartment haas a contracct with the Solano Emergency Meedical Serviices Cooperrative
(SEMSC)) to provide ALS non--transport services to the City’s entire servvice area. This
agreemeent was inittiated in 2011 and is set to expiree in 2015. The agreemment identiffies a
minimumm level of services thaat must be maintained by the City, includinng service area,
minimumm staffing llevels, trainning and liccense requuirements oof staff, andd response time
standardds.
In adddition to thhe agreemeent with SEMSC, the City of Valleejo, in conjuunction withh the
cities of Benicia, Faairfield and Dixon, formmed a publicc private paartnership wwith the prrivate
ambulannce provideer (Medic AAmbulance Services, Innc.) to conntinue to prrovide ALS first
responsee emergency servicess within ttheir respeective bounnds as suppport to MMedic
Ambulannce. Participating memmber citiess are reimbbursed by MMedic Ambuulance for tthese
support services.
Contractts for Servicces
EVFPPD contractss with the CCity of Vallejjo for all firre-related seervices. Thee agreementt was
initiatedd in 1992 annd remains in effect unntil terminaated by either party. Thhe City provvides
services in the foorm of plaan review, fire investtigation, diisaster preeparedness, fire
inspectioon, weed aabatement, pre-fire plaanning admministrationn, complainnt handling,, fire
preventiion, fire trraining/pubblic educatiion, fire suuppression,, and emergency meedical
services. Accordingg to the aggreement, sservices too the Distriict should have the ssame
prioritiees, level, andd responsiveeness of serrvices providded within city limits.
The District paays the Cityy all of its revenues and incomme, excludinng propertyy tax
administtration feess, any expennses incurreed in conneection with annexationn of properrty to
the Distrrict, and anny administrrative costss incurred bby staff to thhe District of up to $55,000,
for thesee contract seervices.
Overlappping Servicee Providers
The CCalifornia DDepartment of Forestryy and Fire PProtection ((Cal Fire) prrovides services
throughoout the State. Generaally, servicess are focused in wildland areas ddefined as State
Responssibility Areeas (SRA). EVFPD is almost entirely aa high firee hazard LLocal
Responssibility Areaa (LRA), wiith the exceeption of laand borderiing Cordeliaa FPD, whiich is
considerred SRA terrritory wherre Cal Fire wwould havee responsibility for willdland fires. Cal
Fire alsoo provides technical ssupport thrroughout thhe County in the formm of speciaalized
services such as ffire suppreession handdcrews, doozers, and helicopter services wwhen
necessarry.
GOVERNNMENT SSTRUCTTURE ANND ACCOOUNTABIILITY
Accountability oof a governiing body is signified by a combinnation of sevveral indicaators.
The inddicators choosen here are limitedd to 1) agency effortts to engagge and eduucate
constituents througgh outreachh activities, in additionn to legally required activities succh as
agenda pposting andd public meeetings, 2) a defined commplaint proocess designned to handdle all
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issues to resolution, and 3) transparency of the agency as indicated by cooperation with the
MSR process and information disclosure.
The principal act requires that the board of directors of a fire protection district must
have an odd number of members, with a minimum of three and a maximum of 11 members.
Directors may be appointed or elected.60 EVFPD is governed by the five-member Board of
Supervisors of Solano County. Supervisors are elected at large by district to staggered four-
year terms.
The Board of Supervisors generally meets on the first, second, and fourth Tuesday of
each month at 8:30 a.m. at the Solano County Administration Center 675 Texas Street in
Fairfield. Meetings regarding EVFPD in particular take place quarterly. Agendas and
minutes are posted on the County’s website. Information about Board meetings is shown in
Figure 6-4.
Figure 6-4: East Vallejo Fire Protection District Governing Body
East Vallejo Fire Protection District
Governing Body and Board Meetings
Manner of Selection Election
Length of Term 4 years
Every first,
second, and
fourth Tuesday Board of Supervisors
Meetings of the month at Solano County Administration Center
8:30AM. 675 Texas Street, Fairfield CA 94533
Quarterly for
EVFPD.
Agenda Distribution County’s website
Minutes Distribution County’s website
Administration Contact
Contact Chris Rogers, County Administrators Office
Mailing Address 675 Texas Street, Suite 6500 Fairfield, CA 94533
Phone 707-784-6481
Email/Website www.solanocounty.com (no district specific website)
Fire Provider Contact
Contact Jack McArthur, City of Vallejo Fire Chief (contract provider)
Mailing Address 970 Nimitz Avenue, Vallejo, CA 94592
Phone 707-648-4526
Fax 707-648-5289
www.ci.vallejo.ca.us(no district specific
Email/Website
website)
60 Health and Safety Code §13842.
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County Board of Supervisors receive $8,000 in compensation per month, no additional
compensation is received for operating as the governing body of EVFPD. Government Code
§53235 requires that if a district provides compensation or reimbursement of expenses to
its board members, the board members must receive two hours of training in ethics at least
once every two years and the district must establish a written policy on reimbursements.
The County has established policies on expense reimbursements.61 The members of the
Board of Supervisors take part in online ethics training created by the Institute of Local
Government and found at the Fair Political Practices Committee’s website. Each Supervisor
maintains his or her completion certificate.
In addition to the required agendas and minutes, the District does not conduct outreach
activities on its own. The County does not maintain a separate website for the District
where information is made available to the public. The City of Vallejo FD provides outreach
activities on behalf of the District according to the contract for services; however, these
outreach activities are educational and informational on fire and emergency services
related topics and are not specific to EVFPD.
If a customer is dissatisfied with the District’s services, complaints may be submitted to
the Board of Supervisors. The District’s contract chief is responsible for handling
complaints. The District reported that there were no complaints in 2013.
The Board of Supervisors maintains policies and procedures to guide its efforts,
including policies specifically related to code of ethics. While the County does not have
formal policies related to responding to public records requests or Brown Act compliance,
the Board has adopted formal rules and procedures, which incorporate both Brown Act
principles.
The Political Reform Act (Government Code §81000, et seq.) requires state and local
government agencies to adopt and promulgate conflict of interest codes. The Fair Political
Practices Commission has adopted a regulation (California Code of Regulations §18730)
which contains the terms of a standard conflict of interest code, which can be incorporated
by reference in an agency’s code. The County’s policies appropriately include a conflict of
interest code.
Government Code §87203 requires persons who hold office to disclose their
investments, interests in real property and incomes by filing appropriate forms with the
appropriate filing agency (i.e., the County or the Fair Political Practices Commission) each
year. All County Supervisors have submitted the required Forms 700 for 2012. As of the
drafting of this report forms for 2013 were not yet due.
During the course of this MSR process, EVFPD (the Vallejo FD and County staff)
demonstrated full accountability in its disclosure of information and cooperation with
Solano LAFCO. The District responded to questionnaires and cooperated with interview,
information, and document requests.
61 County of Solano, Personnel and Salary Resolution, amendments through March 27, 2012, p. 59.
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Determinatioons
TThe District (governed bby the Counnty Board off Supervisors) generallly demonstrrated
accountabilitty and transsparency wwith regard tto governannce by cooperating with the
MMSR process, adoptingg an annuaal budget pprior to the start of the fiscal year,
publishing aagendas forr public mmeetings ass legally reequired, conducting eethics
trraining for all board mmembers, aand filing oof Form 700 Statemennts of Econnomic
Innterest
Inn order to enhance connstituent intterest and participationn, the Districct could connduct
outreach effforts such aas making uuse of adveertisements in public nnewspaperss and
mmailing inforrmation to residents. It is also reecommendeed that the County devvelop
and maintaiin a separaate websitee for the District whhere informmation is mmade
avvailable to tthe public.
TThe areas served by EVFPD are antticipated to eventually be annexedd into the Ciity of
VVallejo; conssequently, ggovernancee structure options aree limited too dissolutioon or
foormation off a subsidiary district tto the City. Once the aareas serveed by EVFPDD are
annexed intoo the City of Vallejo, thhe District can be dissoolved, eliminnating this eextra
leevel of governance and potentiallyy improving efficiency aand accounttability.
GROOWTH AND POPPULATIOON PROJECTIONS
This section disccusses the ffactors affeccting servicee demand, ssuch as landd uses, histoorical
and anticipated poppulation groowth, and reelevant growwth strategiies.
Land Use
Landd uses withhin the Disstrict consisst of rural residentiaal, residentiial, commeercial,
agricultuural, and marsh ressource connservation. The District’s bounnds encommpass
approximmately 1.5 ssquare miless.
Population
Therre are approoximately 33,522 resideents within the Districct, based onn GIS analyssis of
2010 Census population infformation.62 The Counnty reportted that itt estimatess the
population of the DDistrict to bee closer to 3,329, baseed on a 2006 GIS reporrt and revieew of
building permits wiithin EVFPDD since thatt time. The populationn density wiithin the Disstrict
is 2,348 people per square milee.
Projeccted Groowth annd Devellopmentt
The City of Valllejo Planninng Departmment did nott respond tto requests for informaation
regardinng the potential for deevelopment in the areas served bby East Valllejo FPD or the
potentiaal for annexxation of thhese unincoorporated islands. Hoowever, it iis assumed that
62 This poppulation figure mmay be slightlyy inflated basedd on comparisoon of known poopulations in otther areas withh those
generated tthrough the GISS analysis.
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growth trends within the areas served by EVFPD will be minimal given historical growth
patterns and existing and planned land uses.
The State Department of Finance (DOF) projects that the population of Solano County
will grow by eight percent from 2010 to 2020. Thus, the average annual population growth
in the County is anticipated to be approximately 0.8 percent. Based on these projections,
the District’s population would increase from between 3,329 to 3,522 in 2010 to between
approximately 3,595 and 3,804 in 2020. However, the County projects that the area within
the District will likely experience a slower rate of growth than other areas in the County as
developed areas are essentially built out and other areas are designated as agricultural
preserve land where development is restricted. Based on both sources of population
projections, it is anticipated that demand for service within the District would increase
minimally through 2020.
Growth Strategies
The District is not a land use authority, and does not hold primary responsibility for
implementing growth strategies. The land use authority for unincorporated areas is the
County.
The lands within the District are designated in the County’s General Plan as low density
residential, marsh and park uses. Because these areas are already extensively developed, it
is anticipated that there will be minimal development or population growth within the
District. Approximately one quarter of the land in EVFPD is designated as agricultural
preserve. The County has historically required that development requiring water and
sewer service be incorporated within one of the County’s cities. Based on this policy, most
residential, commercial and industrial development in the County has been in incorporated
areas.
All territory within EVFPD is also within the City of Vallejo’s SOI, meaning that it is
anticipated the areas will eventually be annexed by the City. As such, the City has planned
for land uses within this area, and the County coordinates with the City on any proposed
developments in the area.63 Future development of urban land uses is to be facilitated and
served through city annexation. Current land uses in these areas may continue under
County jurisdiction until the land is annexed to the city for conversion to urban uses. The
City’s General Plan land use map designates the lands within the District as agricultural,
residential, and community parks.
There is presently no development impact fee specific to fire services for the area
within EVFPD. In 2013, several fire protection districts (Cordelia, Dixon, Suisun, and
Vacaville FPDs) in the County hired a consulting firm to conduct a nexus study to assess
and make recommendations regarding a uniform development impact fee for each of the
districts. As of the drafting of this report, EVFPD was not participating in the joint study.
Vallejo FD reported that it was unaware that such a study was being conducted and would
63 The areas are designated as being part of the City’s municipal service area by the County. MSAs reflect city planned
urban growth areas and are based on County review of city general plans and spheres of influence established by the
Solano LAFCO.
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be intereested in colllaborating wwith the othher fire distrricts shouldd the opporttunity arise.. The
County rreported that a developpment impaact fee was not necessary for the territory wwithin
EVFPD aas there is little opportuunity for devvelopment.
Determinatioons
East Vallejo Fire Protection Districct (EVFPD) ccurrently has an estimmated populaation
of between 33,329 and 3,,522.
GGiven that the lands within EVVFPD are aalready exttensively ddeveloped, it is
anticipated tthat there wwill be minimmal developpment or poopulation grrowth within the
DDistrict.
AAll territory within EVFFPD is also within thee City of Vaallejo’s Spheere of Influence,
mmeaning that the City annticipates annnexation.
BBased on Deepartment oof Finance population forecasts, tthe Districtt’s population is
projected to increase from between 3,329 andd 3,522 in 22010 to bettween 3,5955 and
3,804 in 2020. The County anticipaates slower growth witthin EVFPD territory thhan is
projected countywide.
DDISADVAANTAGEDD UNINCCORPORRATED CCOMMUNNITIES
LAFCCO is requirred to evaluuate disadvvantaged unnincorporatted communnities as paart of
this servvice review,, including tthe locationn and charaacteristics of any such ccommunitiees. A
disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd community is definned as anyy area witth 12 or mmore
registereed voters, oor as determmined by ccommission policy, whhere the meedian houseehold
income iis less than 80 percent of the statewide annuaal median.64
The CCalifornia DDepartment of Water Resources (DDWR) has developed a mapping toool to
assist inn determining which ccommunitiees meet thee disadvanttaged commmunities meedian
househoold income ddefinition.65 According to DWR, thhere are no communitiees that meeet the
definitioon of a disaddvantaged uunincorporaated commuunity in Sollano Countyy. As such, tthere
are no ddisadvantaged unincorpporated commmunities wwithin or adjacent to EEVFPD’s bounds
and spheere of influeence.
Determinatioons
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to EVFPD’s boounds and sphere of influence. However, data limitaations
preclude thee ability to iddentify smaaller disadvaantaged commmunities, which will need
too be surveyeed and idenntified on a ccase by casee basis.
64 Governmment Code §560333.5.
65 Based onn census data, thhe median houssehold income iin the State of CCalifornia in 20110 was $57,7088, 80 percent off which
is $46,166.
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FINAANCIAL AABILITYY TO PRROVIDE SSERVICEES
The financial abbility of ageencies to prrovide servvices is affeccted by avaailable finanncing
sources and financiing constraiints. This ssection disccusses the mmajor financing constrraints
faced byy the Districtt and identifies the revenue sourcees currentlyy available tto the Distriict.
The DDistrict has faced decliining propeerty tax reveenues over the last feww fiscal yearrs. It
appears that properrty tax reveenues continnued to declline in FY 12-13 by aboout nine perrcent
from thee previous year. Whille the Distrrict’s declinne in revenue did not directly immpact
service levels, the CCity of Vallejjo also expeerienced finaancial challenges durinng the recesssion,
which reesulted in tthe City decclaring bankkruptcy in 2008. Folllowing the bankruptcyy, the
City’s Firre Departmment staffingg level was greatly redduced and tthree of the City’s eighht fire
stations were closedd. One statiion has since reopenedd, and two coontinue to rremain closeed.
Revennues andd Expenses
The District’s reevenue in FFY 12-13 wwas $337,5887, of whichh 99 percennt was receeived
from prooperty taxes, one percent from inntergovernmmental reveenues from the State, aand a
small fraaction from use of money and propperty.
The DDistrict’s exxpendituress amounted to $336,1661 in FY 12--13—99 percent was sspent
on salaries and suppplies proviided by the City of Valllejo Fire Deepartment, while the oother
one perccent was used for serrvices proviided by Couunty staff. Although not shown as a
separatee expense inn the Districct’s budget, tthe County reports thaat expendituures also incclude
propertyy tax refundds from prevvious years.
Capitaal Improovements
The DDistrict doees not conduuct any capiital improveement plannning as it dooes not ownn any
facilitiess.
Outstanding Debt
The DDistrict hadd no long-terrm debt at tthe end of FYY 12-13.
Reserves
The DDistrict doees not have a formal poolicy on thee amount off reserves too be maintaained
for contiingency purrposes. At tthe end of FFY 12-13, thhe District mmaintained a roll-over cash
balance of $2,773, which is equivalent to about one percennt of the DDistrict’s annnual
expendittures.
Determinatioons
Financing levvels for thee District annd the City aare a challeenge to provviding adeqquate
seervices. EVVFPD has faaced declininng propertyy tax revenues over thhe last few ffiscal
years. The CCity of Vallejjo also expeerienced finaancial challenges durinng the recesssion,
EVFPD cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáââÄÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxxá? __V 112
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FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
resulting in bankruptcy, a reduction in Fire Department staffing and the closure of
three fire stations.
While the Fire Department has been able to reopen one of the closed stations and
reopen an engine company, the City continues to struggle financially, and the ability
of Vallejo FD to provide sustainable services at adequate levels to EVFPD is
tentative.
The District maintains a nominal roll over fund balance from year to year, which
would not cover contingencies should the need arise.
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PRESEN
Existiing Demmand
EVFPPD contractts with the
reportedd that its peeak demand
afternooon from twoo to four. S
year, butt most oftenn peak in De
Valleejo FFD
14,
reportedd that it haad
observedd an increasse 12,
in servicce demand in
10,
the lastt few yearrs.
The provideed 8,
demand data foor
6,
2007-20013 pertainns
to Vallejo FD at largge, 4,
including its entirre
2,
service area—thhe
City of Vallejo annd
EVFPD. A smaall
fraction of thhe
reportedd callls
actually occur withhin EVFPD’s
experiennced an oveerall increas
year between 2010 and 2013.
these caalls were foor emergen
miscellaneous emergencies (e
motor veehicle accidents (four p
and false alarms (ffive percen
residentts.67
Withhin the EVFPPD boundar
service ccalls within the Distric
each of tthese calls, the County
service ccalls occurred inside EV
confirm 261 and 292 servic
respectivvely. Of the 404 calls re
seven peercent weree fire-relate
66 Non-Emeergencies calls include emergen
67 Ratio of calls per 1,0000 residents inc
population in both areas bbased on 2010 C
EVFPD
sllaC
ecivreS
fo
rebmuN
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
NT AND PPLANNEED CAPAACITY
City of Valllejo Fire Deepartment ffor fire servvices. Vallejjo FD
d periods occcurred on MMonday, Tuuesday, and Saturday inn the
ervice calls are consisstently highh in volume throughouut the
ecember, Jannuary, and JJune.
Figure 6-55: VFDD Number off Calls by Year, 2007-20013
,000
,000
,000
,000
,000
,000
,000
0
2007 2008 22009 20100 2011 2012 2013
Yearr
s bounds. AAs shown inn Figure 6-5, the nummber of callss has
se between 2007 and 2013 and cconsistentlyy increased each
In 2013, VFFD received a total of 12,995 calls.. The majoriity of
ncy medicaal service ((72 percentt), the remmainder was for
eight percennt), fires annd hazardous materialls (six perccent),
percent), miiscellaneouss non-emergency calls (four perceent),66
nt). The Department aaveraged 1009 service calls per 11,000
ry area, in 22013 Vallejoo FD reporteed that it reesponded too 404
t’s bounds; however, ddue to limitted address informatioon for
y reported tthat it was oonly able too confirm thhat 327 of tthese
VFPD’s bouunds. The CCounty repoorted that thhey were abble to
ce calls witthin the DDistrict’s boounds in 2012 and 22011,
eported by VVallejo FD, 67 percent were mediccal emergenncies,
d calls, six ppercent werre motor veehicle accidents, 12 perrcent
ncy standby, puublic service asssist, agency assist.
cludes all calls for service wiithin the City aand within EVFFPD as a ratio to the
Census data.
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FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
were false alarms, three percent were miscellaneous emergencies, and six percent were
non-emergency calls. The District averaged 115 calls per 1,000 residents.68
Staffing
EVFPD does not have staff of its own. All staff are provided by the Vallejo FD, which has
87 personnel, of which 82 are firefighting personnel consisting of six chiefs, 76 paid69
firefighting officers, engineers and firefighters, and no volunteers. The median age of the
firefighters is 39, with a range from 23 to 57. Vallejo FD has experienced an overall
increase in staffing since 2011. In 2011, the Department maintained 68 firefighting staff,
which increased to 79 in 2012.
Currently, there are three certifications in the California firefighter series; Volunteer
Firefighter, Firefighter I, and Firefighter II. While the Volunteer Firefighter focuses on skills
and tasks necessary to assure safety on the fire ground, Firefighter I & II prepares the
firefighter to perform essential and advanced fire ground tasks, as well as allowing entry
into all tracks of the certification system. The level of certification required for each
firefighter is determined by the individual fire department. However, according to the
California State Fire Marshal, there are plans to phase out the Volunteer Firefighter
certification level and the most basic level of certification will eventually be Firefighter I.
Firefighter I certification requires completion of the 259-hour Firefighter I course, which
includes training on various fire ground tasks, rescue operations, fire prevention and
investigation techniques, and inspection and maintenance of equipment. In addition to this
course, Firefighter I certification also requires that the applicant have a minimum of six
months of experience in a California fire department as a firefighter performing
suppression duties.70 In addition to the general firefighter certification, there are also
several emergency medical and specialized certifications that firefighting personnel may
attain. Refer to the Overview Chapter in this document for a description of each of these
certifications. The number of VFPD personnel certified in each category is shown in Figure
6-6. Each firefighter, including volunteers, is able to hold multiple certifications, including
strike team certifications.
Figure 6-6: VFD Certified Personnel
Certification Level Number of % of Total
Firefighting Staff Firefighting Staff
Volunteer Firefighter 0 0%
Firefighter I 58 71%
Firefighter II 58 71%
First Responder EMS 4 5%
Emergency Medical Technician 1 20 23%
Paramedic 53 65%
Apparatus Engineer 12 14%
68 Ratio of calls per 1,000 residents includes calls for service within EVFPD as a ratio to the population within the District.
69 A person whose primary employment is as a firefighter for a municipality or other agency or company and who derives
the majority of their earned income working in the fire service.
70 State Fire Marshal, Course Information and Required Materials, 2007, p. 44
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Company Officer 18 21%
Chief Officer 4 5%
Haz Mat FRO 71 82%
CICCS FFT 2 4 5%
CICCS FFT 1 4 5%
CICCS Engine Boss 3 3%
CICCS Strike Team Leader 3 3%
Vallejo FD conducts a majority of its training in house. Firefighters are required to train
at least 10 hours per month. Each new hire to Vallejo FD is required to complete a 15-week
academy, and successful monthly evaluations over a 36-month period to complete their
Joint Apprenticeship Program.
Facilities
EVFPD does not own any infrastructure or facilities. All fire facilities that serve the
District are owned and operated by the City of Vallejo and are located outside of EVFPD’s
bounds within the City’s limits. The City of Vallejo owns and operates six fire stations, one
fire training center, and one administration center. Before the recession the City operated
eight fire stations; however, by 2011 three stations had to be closed, due to financial
constraints. Since that time, one station has been reopened. While the administration
center (Station 28) can be used for emergency service response, it is not presently
functioning in that manner. Station 26 also continues to be shutdown. Stations 22 and 24
are the primary providers of emergency medical coverage to EVFPD; however, for any fire-
related calls, other resources within the City also respond. Vallejo FD reported that on a
second alarm structure fire response to EVFPD, all units within the City will respond to the
scene. The function and condition of each fire facility is described in detail in Figure 6-7.
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Figure 6-7: Vallejo FD Fire Stations
Station #21 Station #22 Station #23
Property owner City of Vallejo City of Vallejo City of Vallejo
Address 1220 Marin St. 700 Fifth St. 900 Redwood St.
911 Emergency 911 Emergency 911 Emergency
Purpose
Services Services Services
Additional uses or other Emergency
N/A N/A
entities using the facility Operations Center
24 hours/7 days a 24 hours/7 days 24 hours/7 days
Hours station is staffed
week a week a week
Date acquired or built Year Built: 1966 Year Built: 1985 Year Built: 1966
Condition of facility71 Good Good Good
Expansion and Larger backup No major
Infrastructure Needs
upgrades to EOC generator upgrade needs.
2 - Tiller Aerial
1 – Type 1 Engine
Trucks
1 – Brush Unit 2 – Type 1
Number and type of vehicles 1 – Type 1 Engine
1 – Utility Truck Engines
at facility 1 – Brush Unit
2 – Storage 2 – Brush Units
1 – Utility Pickup
trailers
1 – Command SUV
6 Firefighting staff 3 Firefighting 3 Firefighting
Number and classification of (2 Captains, 2 staff (Captain, staff (Captain,
paid staff staffing facility Engineers and 2 Engineer and Engineer and
Firefighters)/day Firefighter)/day Firefighter)/day
Number and classification of
another agency’s paid staff 0 0 0
staffing the facility
Number of volunteers
0 0 0
staffing facility
Number of volunteers/on
call staff available to respond
0 0 0
to an incident utilizing a
vehicle from this station
71 Facility condition definitions: Excellent—relatively new (less than 10 years old) and requires minimal maintenance.
Good—provides reliable operation in accordance with design parameters and requires only routine maintenance. Fair—
operating at or near design levels; however, non-routine renovation, upgrading and repairs are needed to ensure
continued reliable operation. Poor—cannot be operated within design parameters; major renovations are required to
restore the facility and ensure reliable operation.
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Station #24 Station #25 Station #27
Property owner City of Vallejo City of Vallejo City of Vallejo
1005 Oakwood
Address 7595 Mini Dr. 1585 Ascot Ct.
Dr.Street1005 100
911 Emergency 911 Emergency 911 Emergency
Purpose
Services Services Services
Additional uses or other
N/A Polling Site N/A
entities using the facility
24 hours/7 days a 24 hours/7 days 24 hours/7 days
Hours station is staffed
week a week a week
Date acquired or built Year Built: 1955 Year Built: 1965 Year Built: 2001
Condition of facility72 Fair Fair Good
Remodeling -
Upgrades are
plumbing,
being considered
Infrastructure Needs electrical and None
as part of the FY
energy efficiency
14-15 budget
improvements
2 - Type 1
Number and type of vehicles 1 – Type 1 Engine 1 – Type 1 Engine Engines
at facility 1 – Brush Unit 1 – Brush Unit 1 - Brush Unit
1 - Reserve Truck
3 Firefighting staff 3 Firefighting 3 Firefighting
Number and classification of (Captain, staff (Captain, staff (Captain,
paid staff staffing facility Engineer and Engineer and Engineer and
Firefighter)/day Firefighter)/day Firefighter)/day
Number and classification of
another agency’s paid staff 0 0 0
staffing the facility
Number of volunteers
0 0 0
staffing facility
Number of volunteers/on
call staff available to respond
0 0 0
to an incident utilizing a
vehicle from this station
72 Facility condition definitions: Excellent—relatively new (less than 10 years old) and requires minimal maintenance.
Good—provides reliable operation in accordance with design parameters and requires only routine maintenance. Fair—
operating at or near design levels; however, non-routine renovation, upgrading and repairs are needed to ensure
continued reliable operation. Poor—cannot be operated within design parameters; major renovations are required to
restore the facility and ensure reliable operation.
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Fire Training
Station #28
Center
Property owner City of Vallejo City of Vallejo
Address 970 Nimitz Ave. 703 Curtola Pkwy
Headquarters – fire
administration,
Purpose 911 Emergency Firefighter Training
Services (not
presently active)
CERT and
Additional uses or other entities
None occasional city staff
using the facility
training
Monday-Friday (8
Hours station is staffed As needed
a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Date acquired or built Year Built: 2005 Year Built: 1938
Condition of facility73 Excellent Good
Upgrades are being
The fire station
considered as part
Infrastructure Needs portion is currently
of the FY 14-15
not in use.
budget
Number and type of vehicles at
2 - SUVs 1 - Van
facility
5 Firefighting staff
(Fire Chief, Deputy
Number and classification of paid Not staffed, only
Chief, Training Chief,
staff staffing facility used during training
EMS Coordinator and
Executive Secretary
Number and classification of
another agency’s paid staff 0 0
staffing the facility
Number of volunteers staffing
0 0
facility
Number of volunteers/on call
staff available to respond to an
0 0
incident utilizing a vehicle from
this station
For water supplies, VFD uses large above ground reservoirs located throughout the city.
The Department reported that these water reserves are satisfactory for fire emergencies.
73 Facility condition definitions: Excellent—relatively new (less than 10 years old) and requires minimal maintenance.
Good—provides reliable operation in accordance with design parameters and requires only routine maintenance. Fair—
operating at or near design levels; however, non-routine renovation, upgrading and repairs are needed to ensure
continued reliable operation. Poor—cannot be operated within design parameters; major renovations are required to
restore the facility and ensure reliable operation.
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The City reportedly has the general capacity to provide services for EVFPD to meet the
existing demand for service. Based upon historical trends regarding emergency call volume
within the District, the City's current facilities and staffing (as of the drafting of this report)
appear to be adequate to meet service demands for future years. In the event that district
growth surpasses previous trends, then the City’s ability to meet those demands are
uncertain. The ability to meet such demands would be based on the City’s ability to reopen
Station 26, as well as continuing to hire additional personnel.
Dispatch and communications
Responses by Vallejo FD to incidents in EVFPD are dispatched through the City of
Vallejo Police Department's Communication and Dispatch Office. The office serves as the
Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) where all landline calls within the greater Vallejo
area are originally directed.
In order to improve the current dispatch services, Vallejo FD suggested that all Solano
County fire agencies use the same frequencies for incidents and be dispatched from a
central PSAP. Vallejo FD recommended that Medic Ambulance (current provider of
countywide ambulance transport) be dispatched from a joint center and be required to
respond on a countywide radio system. The Department reported that gaining buy-in from
the respective agencies, based on a cost-benefit analysis and an equitable funding formula,
is necessary to achieve this goal.
Infrastructure Needs
Vallejo FD did not identify a need for new or additional facilities. Necessary and desired
improvements at the existing facilities are outlined in Figure 6-7. The stations were
generally identified as being in fair to good condition. Station 24 reportedly has the most
significant needs, as it is in need of remodeling due to its age. Plumbing, electrical and
energy efficiency improvements at Station 24 are being considered as part of the budget
process for FY 14-15.
With regard to vehicles and equipment, the Department reported to have an adequate
equipment/apparatus replacement schedule to ensure proper operating condition. Vallejo
FD is in the process of purchasing one Type-1 Engine (1500 GPM pumper) in FY 14-15 and
plans to purchase another similar unit in FY 15-16.
Challenges
There are several areas within the District that may provide a few challenges to the FD.
Specifically, areas that have homes that are set back off the main roads and where fire
hydrants are not in close proximity. In addition, some areas have large lots, narrow street
access, and interface with wildland areas. These areas would present access challenges that
would slow VFD’s ability to get water onto the fire; however, it would not prevent the FD
from providing proper response to the incident.
Additionally, the recent economic recession caused the Department to close three
stations and eliminate four engine companies. However, since then VFD was able to reopen
one of the closed stations (Station 25) and open another engine company (21) at Station 21
where a truck is located. The City continues to struggle financially, and the ability of Vallejo
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FD to prrovide sustaainable servvices at adequate levelss to EVFPD is tentativee. Howeverr, the
FD has bbeen able too increase sstaffing leveels in recentt years andd reports a ppositive outtlook
for the fuuture of thee Departmennt.
SERVICEE ADEQUACY
While there are several benchmarks tthat may deefine the levvel of fire sservice provvided
by an aggency, indicators of serrvice adequuacy discusssed here incclude ISO raatings, respponse
times, annd level of staffing and station resoources for thhe service aarea.
Fire services in the commuunities are cclassified byy the Insuraance Servicee Office (ISOO), an
advisoryy organization. This claassification indicates thhe general aadequacy oof coverage, with
classes rranking fromm 1 to 10. CCommunitiees with the bbest fire deppartment faacilities, sysstems
for wateer distributtion, fire alarms and ccommunicaations, and equipmentt and persoonnel
receive aa rating of 11. Vallejo FDD has an ISOO rating of tthree in urbban areas annd three in rural
areas thrroughout its service arrea, includinng the territtory within EVFPD. Valllejo FD wass last
evaluateed in 2004.
The NNational Firre Protectioon Associatioon (NFPA) hhas issued rresponse timme performmance
standardds dependinng on the service structture of the aagency. The response tiime is meassured
from thee completionn of the disppatch notification to thhe arrival timme of the firrst-respondder at
the scenne. Thoughh not a leggal mandatee, these staandards provide a useful benchmmark
against wwhich to meeasure fire ddepartmentt performannce. For ageencies with paid staff, NNFPA
1710 ideentifies the response tiime guideline of six mminutes at leeast 90 perccent of the time.
For voluunteer andd combinatiion fire deepartments,, NFPA 17720 recommmends thatt the
responsee times forr structure fire be ninne minutes in urban demand zoones at leasst 90
percent of the timee, 10 minutees in suburbban zones aat least 80 ppercent of tthe time annd 14
minutes in rural zonnes at leastt 80 percentt of the timee. Responsee times in reemote zonees are
directly dependentt on travel distances.744 EVFPD faalls within tthe definitiion of an uurban
demand zone with ppaid staff annd would thherefore be ssubject to thhe NFPA 17710 guidelinnes.
Emerrgency respponse time sstandards vvary by leveel of urbanizzation of ann area: the mmore
urban aan area, thee faster a response sshould be. Solano Emmergency MMedical Services
Cooperaative (SEMSC) has designated an eexclusive opperating arrea (EOA) inn Solano Coounty
for EMS and ambulaance servicees providedd by Medic AAmbulance Services. Thhe EOA inclludes
all territtory in Solaano County with the exxception of the City of Vacaville, TTravis Air FForce
Base, annd the territtory designaated as Zonne C.75 In thhe EOA, the response ttime guideliine is
seven minutes 90 ppercent of thhe time for a Code 3 reesponse to aa 911 prioriity call. Theere is
no respoonse time sttandard for Code 2 responses. Compliance wwith these reequirementts are
determinned on a mmonthly basiis. If an ageency providding ALS seervices fails to comply with
these ressponse timee standards then they aare fined.
74 Urban deemand zone hass population deensity of more tthan 1,000 peopple per square mile; suburbann zone—betweeen 500
and 1,000 people per squuare mile, rurall zone—less thaan 500 people per square mile, and remote zone is identiffied by
eight or moore miles of travvel distance to aan incident.
75 Solano Emmergency Mediical Services Cooperative Ambuulance Service AAgreement, Aprril 10, 2010.
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EVFPD’s 80th percentile response time is seven minutes, the 90th percentile response
time is 8.7 minutes, and the median response time is 5.5 minutes. The District does not
meet the NFPA 1710 response time guidelines.
The service area size for each fire station varies between the fire districts. The median
fire station in Solano County serves approximately 39.8 square miles. Dixon FD serves the
most expansive area of 320 square miles for its single station. Suisun FPD stations serve
approximately 82.5 square miles per station on average. The service area for Cordelia Fire
Department’s fire station is 28 square miles. Densely populated areas tend to have smaller
service areas. For example, each fire station in Vallejo FD serves approximately 8.3 square
miles in EVFPD and within the city limits.
The number of firefighters serving within a particular jurisdiction is another indicator
of level of service; however, it is approximate. The providers that rely on volunteer or call
firefighters may have differing staff availability and reliability. An agency with more
firefighters could have fewer resources, if availability is limited due to work and personal
obligations. Staffing levels in Solano County vary from 0.68 firefighters per 1,000 residents
in EVFPD to 29 in MFPD.
Operating expenditures per capita is often reflective of the level of service offered by a
fire provider as determined by financing constraints. The least amount of money per capita
was spent by Dixon FPD ($79). Montezuma FPD expended the most per capita ($499), as it
serves a relatively expansive area with very low population density. To compare, EVFPD
spent $95 per capita in FY 12-13.
Determinations
Based upon historical trends regarding emergency call volume within the District,
the City's current facilities and staffing (as of the drafting of this report) appear to
be adequate to meet existing and future service demands. In the event that district
growth surpasses previous trends, then the City’s ability to meet those demands are
uncertain.
Vallejo FD did not identify a need for new or additional facilities. Existing stations
were generally identified as being in fair to good condition. Station 24 reportedly
has the most significant needs, as it is in need of remodeling due to its age.
With regard to vehicles and equipment, Vallejo FD reported that it has an adequate
equipment/apparatus replacement schedule to ensure proper operating condition.
EVFPD services appear to be minimally adequate. The 90th percentile response time
within EVFPD does not meet the NFPA 1710 guidelines; however, the area served
has the highest ISO rating among the fire districts reviewed and fire stations are
within the closest proximity of all areas of the District compared to other districts in
the County.
An area that EVFPD (Vallejo FD) could improve upon is tracking and calculating
median and 90th percentile response times.
District management methods appear to generally meet accepted best management
practices. As a component unit of the County, the District is included in the County’s
annual budget and audits; however, the District’s finances are not isolated in the
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County’s audit. Vallejo FD, on bbehalf of EEVFPD, traccks employyee and disstrict
wworkload, annd has an esstablished pprocess to adddress complaints.
WWith regard to planningg efforts, EVVFPD does nnot have anny plans speecific to serrvices
wwithin its boounds. Whilee the City mmaintains a mmaster plann and standaards of coveerage
foor fire services, both arre obsolete aand in needd of updatingg.
STAATUS ANND OPPOORTUNITIES FOOR SHARRED FACCILITIESS
Shared Faciliities andd Regional Cooperation
Shared FFacilities
EVFPPD practices facility shharing by mmaking use of Vallejo FD’s servicces and stations
through contract.
As prreviously sttated, EVFPPD does nott own any innfrastructure of its owwn with whiich it
can pracctice facilitty sharing; however,, EVFPD’s coontract proovider (Vallejo FD) mmakes
availablee the appaaratus floorr of Statioon 26 (currrently clossed) to thee Vallejo PPolice
Departmment to storre their commmand van. Vallejo FD also sharess its portabble water suupply
unit withh the Vallejoo Water Deppartment too assist withh diverting wwater whenn needed.
In teerms of oppportunities for future facility shharing, the Departmennt reported that
Station 226 could alsso be used joointly with the Benicia Fire Deparrtment. Addditionally, Vaallejo
FD has thhe potential to providee ladder trucck service too the City off Benicia.
Collaborration
All otther collaboorative efforrts are condducted throuugh Vallejo FD on behaalf of EVFPDD. As
previoussly mentionned in the TTyype and Exxtent of Servvices sectionn, Vallejo FDD has autommatic
aid agreements witth City of BBenicia and American CCanyon FPDD and a maaster mutuaal aid
agreemeent with Solano Countyy fire providders.
Valleejo FD formeed, jointly wwith the cities of Beniciia, Fairfield and Dixon, a public prrivate
partnersship with tthe private ambulancee provider (Medic Ammbulance Seervices, Incc.) to
provide ALS first reesponse emmergency services withhin their resspective bouunds. Vallejjo FD
reportedd that this partnershiip functionns more as a cooperaative than a joint poowers
authorityy (JPA).
Valleejo FD occaasionally pprovides traaining for fire supprression joinntly with oother
agenciess, including the City oof Benicia, AAmerican CCanyon, andd Fairfield at the VFDD fire
training center andd Building ##571 on Maare Island. VVFD also coollaborates wwith speciaalized
responsee teams, inccluding thee county hazardous maaterials response teamm and the uurban
search and rescue county teamm on trainingg efforts.
Valleejo FD has allso participated in regional planniing efforts, iincluding thhe Mass Casualty
Incidentt Plan conducted by thhe County EMS agenciies, as welll as severall studies byy the
Chiefs AAssociation. Additionaally, Vallejo FD is aa member of severaal collaborrative
organizaations, incluuding the County Trraining Offiicers Assocciation, thee County CChiefs
Associattion, Californnia Fire Chiefs Associattion, and the National FFire Protecttion Associaation.
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In the future, the Vallejo FD may be able to take part in further collaborations among
the fire protection districts in the County to further the interests of EVFPD, which consists
of unincorporated territory and may have differing interests from that of the City, by
participating in the County Fire Chiefs Association breakout meetings for district chiefs (in
addition to those for city chiefs). The other fire protection districts in the County are
currently initiating a joint study regarding development impact fees in the unincorporated
territory, which may be an opportunity for a first step toward solidarity on the part of the
districts, should EVFPD choose to participate. However, the County noted that the area
within EVFPD, having limited potential for development, would have limited revenue
potential from a development impact fee; and therefore, the District is unlikely to
participate.
Management Efficiencies
While public sector management standards vary depending on the size and scope of the
organization, there are minimum standards. Well-managed organizations evaluate
employees annually, track employee and agency productivity, periodically review agency
performance, prepare a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year, conduct periodic
financial audits to safeguard the public trust, maintain relatively current financial records,
conduct advanced planning for future service needs, and plan and budget for capital needs.
EVFPD does not directly employ any staff, but instead relies entirely on Vallejo FD for
staffing and services. Vallejo FD employs 87 full time equivalent (FTE) personnel,
consisting of 82 firefighting, five administrative, and three part-time positions. The
Department has a fire chief, one executive secretary, one deputy chief, four battalion chiefs,
21 captains, 20 engineers, and 35 firefighters. Captains are responsible for day-to-day
operations of the Department. The Chief oversees the entire department; however, the
executive secretary, the deputy chief, and fire prevention manager report directly to him.
The Chief reports to the EVFPD Board on an annual basis.
The deputy chief oversees three divisions, including fire suppression, training, and EMS.
The Fire Suppression Division consists of three shifts, each led by a battalion chief who
oversees 21 captains, 21 engineers, and 42 firefighters. The Fire Training Division is
comprised of one battalion chief, responsible for providing training that meet all State and
federally mandated training standards. The EMS Division consists of one paramedic
coordinator, three paramedic shift liaisons, and one EMS medical director. This division
provides the necessary support for the Department’s Paramedic Program.
Employees that are ranked battalion chief and above receive quarterly performance
evaluations, and all employees with less than three years in the Department are evaluated
monthly. Performance evaluations for other ranks are in the developmental stage.
Overall agency performance evaluations are performed during the Chief’s annual report
to the Board. No other evaluations are conducted specific to the operations and services
provided within EVFPD’s territory. The City has completed occasional annual reports in
the past on its overall services; however, the most recent annual report was completed in
2008. Vallejo FD tracks the workload of staff through timesheets, training logs, and task
logs, and monitors the productivity of the agency as a whole by tracking calls for service.
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With regard to planning efforts, EVFPD does not have any plans specific to services
within its bounds. The City has a master plan from 2006, which includes obsolete
Standards of Coverage. The master plan is outdated, since the number of operational fire
stations has decreased from eight to six.
As a dependent special district of the County, EVFPD is included as part of the County’s
budget, with pages specific to the District’s revenues and expenditures. EVFPD is
considered a component unit of the County for the purposes of the County’s annual
financial audit and is not separately identified as part of the report. There is no capital
improvement plan specific to EVFPD; however, Vallejo FD maintains an informal annual
apparatus replacement plan for aging equipment.
EVFPD takes part in joint financing by partially funding Vallejo FD’s services and
infrastructure with the fees it is paying to the City for its contract services. This
arrangement allows both agencies to share in the costs of providing these services and
allows for efficiency in service configuration by avoiding duplication of facilities,
equipment, personnel, and management.
Determinations
EVFPD practices facility sharing by making use of Vallejo FD’s services and stations
by contract. In addition, EVFPD’s contract provider (Vallejo FD) makes space
available to the Vallejo Police Department and shares its portable water supply unit
with Vallejo Water Department.
Given that EVFPD does not own any facilities or infrastructure, the opportunities for
future facility sharing are limited. However, Vallejo FD (the contract provider)
reported that Station 26 could also be used jointly with the Benicia Fire Department
and there is the potential to provide ladder truck service to the City of Benicia.
EVFPD benefits from the efficiencies gained through the facility sharing practices of
its contract service provider.
Another opportunity for further facility sharing and collaboration may be
centralized dispatch center for all fire providers.
Vallejo FD may be able to take part in additional collaborations among the fire
protection districts in the County to further the interests of EVFPD, which consists
of unincorporated territory and may have differing interests from that of the City, by
participating in the County Fire Chiefs Association breakout meetings for district
chiefs (in addition to those for city chiefs).
Other fire protection districts in the County are currently initiating a joint study
regarding development impact fees in the unincorporated territory, which may be
an opportunity for a first step toward solidarity on the part of the districts, should
EVFPD choose to participate. However, the County reported little revenue potential
for the District from such fees.
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LAFCO POLICIIES AFFECTING SERVICCE DELIVERY
Solanno LAFCO has adopteed a policyy that direectly affectss service ddelivery byy fire
protectioon districtss in the Couunty. Standard 11 in tthe LAFCO Standards and Proceddures
manual requires thhat a city appplying to LLAFCO for aannexation of a speciffic territoryy that
belongs in this casee to a fire pprotection ddistrict musst offset thee negative cconsequencces of
that annnexation, wwhich may include neggative effectts on the ddistrict’s buudget or service
provision. The anneexing city iss required tto work witth the affeccted districtt to identifyy and
mitigate the impaccts. Adequatte mitigatioon to adverrse fiscal immpact normmally includdes a
funding source forr lost revennues or inccreased cossts to the aaffected sppecial distriict. A
commonn practice inn Solano Couunty is to neegotiate a pproperty taxx neutrality agreement for a
specific period of time betweeen the annexing cityy and the nnegatively affected sppecial
district.
Determinatioons
Sttandard 111 of the LAAFCO Standdards and PProcedures manual reequires thee city
annexing terrritory fromm a special district to mitigate thhe negative impact onn that
district. Commmon mitigaation practiice of adverrse fiscal immpact includdes a negottiated
property taxx neutrality aagreement.
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EASTT VALLEJO FIREE PROTEECTION DISTRICT
DETERRMINATIONS
Growtth and PPopulatiion Projjectionss
East Vallejo Fire Protection Districct (EVFPD) ccurrently has an estimmated populaation
of between 33,329 and 3,,522.
GGiven that the lands within EVVFPD are aalready exttensively ddeveloped, it is
anticipated tthat there wwill be minimmal developpment or poopulation grrowth within the
DDistrict.
AAll territory within EVFFPD is also within thee City of Vaallejo’s Spheere of Influence,
mmeaning that the City annticipates annnexation.
BBased on Deepartment oof Finance population forecasts, tthe Districtt’s population is
projected to increase from between 3,329 andd 3,522 in 22010 to bettween 3,5955 and
3,804 in 2020. The County anticipaates slower growth witthin EVFPD territory thhan is
projected countywide by the DOF.
The Location and Chharacterristics oof Disadvantageed
Unincorporatted Commmunitiees Within or Coontiguous to thhe
Agenccy’s SOI
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to EVFPD’s boounds and sphere of influence. However, data limitaations
preclude thee ability to iddentify smaaller disadvaantaged commmunities, which will need
too be surveyeed and idenntified on a ccase by casee basis.
Present and PPlannedd Capaciity of Puublic Faacilities and
Adequuacy of Public SServicess, Includding Inffrastruccture
Needss and Deeficiencies
BBased upon historical ttrends regarding emerrgency call vvolume witthin the Disstrict,
thhe City's current facilitties and staaffing (as off the draftinng of this reeport) appeear to
be adequate to meet exxisting and ffuture serviice demandds. In the evvent that disstrict
growth surpasses previous trends, then the Ciity’s ability to meet thoose demandds are
uncertain.
VVallejo FD did not identtify a need for new or additional facilities. EExisting stations
wwere generaally identifieed as being in fair to ggood condittion. Station 24 reportedly
has the mostt significantt needs, as itt is in need oof remodeliing due to itts age.
WWith regard to vehicles and equipmment, Vallejjo FD reporrted that it hhas an adeqquate
equipment/aapparatus replacementt schedule to ensure prroper operaating conditiion.
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EVFPD services appear to be minimally adequate. The 90th percentile response time
within EVFPD does not meet the NFPA 1710 guidelines; however, the area served
has the highest ISO rating among the fire districts reviewed and fire stations are
within the closest proximity of all areas of the District compared to other districts in
the County.
An area that EVFPD (Vallejo FD) could improve upon is tracking and calculating
median and 90th percentile response times.
District management methods appear to generally meet accepted best management
practices. As a component unit of the County, the District is included in the County’s
annual budget and audits; however, the District’s finances are not isolated in the
County’s audit. Vallejo FD, on behalf of EVFPD, tracks employee and district
workload, and has an established process to address complaints.
With regard to planning efforts, EVFPD does not have any plans specific to services
within its bounds. While the City maintains a master plan and standards of coverage
for fire services, both are obsolete and in need of updating.
Financial Ability of Agencies to Provide Services
Financing levels for the District and the City are a challenge to providing adequate
services. EVFPD has faced declining property tax revenues over the last few fiscal
years. The City of Vallejo also experienced financial challenges during the recession,
resulting in bankruptcy, a reduction in Fire Department staffing and the closure of
three fire stations.
While the Fire Department has been able to reopen one of the closed stations and
reopen an engine company, the City continues to struggle financially, and the ability
of Vallejo FD to provide sustainable services at adequate levels to EVFPD is
tentative.
The District maintains a nominal roll over fund balance from year to year, which
would not cover contingencies should the need arise.
Status of, and Opportunities for, Shared Facilities
EVFPD practices facility sharing by making use of Vallejo FD’s services and stations
by contract. In addition, EVFPD’s contract provider (Vallejo FD) makes space
available to the Vallejo Police Department and shares its portable water supply unit
with Vallejo Water Department.
Given that EVFPD does not own any facilities or infrastructure, the opportunities for
future facility sharing are limited. However, Vallejo FD (the contract provider)
reported that Station 26 could also be used jointly with the Benicia Fire Department
and there is the potential to provide ladder truck service to the City of Benicia.
EVFPD benefits from the efficiencies gained through the facility sharing practices of
its contract service provider.
Another opportunity for further facility sharing and collaboration may be
centralized dispatch center for all fire providers.
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Vallejo FD may be able to take part in additional collaborations among the fire
protection districts in the County to further the interests of EVFPD, which consists
of unincorporated territory and may have differing interests from that of the City, by
participating in the County Fire Chiefs Association breakout meetings for district
chiefs (in addition to those for city chiefs).
Other fire protection districts in the County are currently initiating a joint study
regarding development impact fees in the unincorporated territory, which may be
an opportunity for a first step toward solidarity on the part of the districts, should
EVFPD choose to participate. However, the County reported little revenue potential
for the District from such fees.
Accountability for Community Service Needs, Including
Governmental Structure and Operational Efficiencies
The District (governed by the County Board of Supervisors) generally demonstrated
accountability and transparency with regard to governance by cooperating with the
MSR process, adopting an annual budget prior to the start of the fiscal year,
publishing agendas for public meetings as legally required, conducting ethics
training for all board members, and filing of Form 700 Statements of Economic
Interest
In order to enhance constituent interest and participation, the District could conduct
outreach efforts such as making use of advertisements in public newspapers and
mailing information to residents. It is also recommended that the County develop
and maintain a separate website for the District where information is made
available to the public.
The areas served by EVFPD are anticipated to eventually be annexed into the City of
Vallejo; consequently, governance structure options are limited to dissolution or
formation of a subsidiary district to the City. Once the areas served by EVFPD are
annexed into the City of Vallejo, the District can be dissolved, eliminating this extra
level of governance and potentially improving efficiency and accountability.
LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery
Standard 11 of the LAFCO Standards and Procedures manual requires the city
annexing territory from a special district to mitigate the negative impact on that
district. Common mitigation practice of adverse fiscal impact includes a negotiated
property tax neutrality agreement.
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7 . M ONNT E ZUUM A F I R EE PROOT ECCT I O NN
D ISST R ICCT
Monttezuma Firee Protectionn District (MMFPD) provvides fire reesponse, limmited hazarrdous
materialls response, full vehiclle extricatioon, and 24--hour basicc life suppoort services.. The
District performs fire code pplan checkks, inspectioon and enforcement, participatees in
educatioonal activitiees to increaase communnity awarenness of fire safety and preventionn, and
conductss fire investtigations witthin its boundary area..
AGENCYY OVERVVIEW
Backgground
The election forr the formaation of the District toook place inn 1928 andd resulted inn the
overwheelming majoority of resiidents votinng for the foormation off MFPD. Thee first vehiccle of
the new fire departmment was actually purcchased befoore the electtion was helld, as confiddence
was highh that the voote would pass.
The pprincipal acct that goveerns the District is the Fire Protecction Districct Law of 19987.76
The prinncipal act eempowers ffire districtts to providde fire prottection, resscue, emerggency
medical, hazardouss material rresponse, ammbulance, aand any othher servicess relating too the
protectioon of lives and propeerty.77 Districts must aapply and obtain LAFFCO approvval to
exercise services aauthorized bby the prinncipal act bbut not alrready proviided (i.e., laatent
powers) by the district at the end of 2000..78
MFPDD is locatedd in the souttheastern pportion of Soolano Counnty. As showwn in Figuree 7-2,
the Distrrict borders Suisun FPPD in the wwest and Vaacaville andd Dixon FPDDs in the nnorth.
MFPD iss adjacent to Sacramennto County (Delta FPD, Isleton FPPD, Walnut Grove FPD, and
Courtlannd FPD) in the east aand south and Yolo CCounty (Noo Mans Lannd FPD) inn the
northeasst. Adjacentt to the District is an arrea that lackks a determined local fiire providerr and
is proteccted by Cal Fire. The CCity of Rio VVista is subbstantially ssurroundedd by Montezzuma
FPD withh a short strretch of the City’s border adjacent to Sacrameento Countyy in the east.
Bounddaries
MFPDD is entirelyy within Sollano Countyy. The pressent boundss encompass approximmately
200 square miles oof mostly faarmland and pasture llands and innclude the communities of
Birds Landing, Collinsville, Hasstings Islandd, Prospect IIsland, Ryerr Island, andd Holland Tract.
MFPDD has hadd 10 bounddary changges since iits formatiion, eight of which wwere
detachmments, one annexationn, and one consolidattion. The detached tterritories were
76 Health annd Safety Code §§13800-13970.
77 Health annd Safety Code §§13862.
78 Governmment Code §568224.10.
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FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
subsequently annexed into the City of Rio Vista. In 2006, the District consolidated with
Ryer Island FPD (RIFPD), which contained about 30 square miles of boundary area at the
time. The District’s boundary changes are shown in Figure 7-1.79
Figure 7-1: MFPD List of LAFCO Approved Border Changes
Project Name Type of Action Year Recording Agency
Hastings Island Annexation 1967 LAFCO
No. 13 area Detachment 1977 LAFCO
No. 12 area Detachment 1977 LAFCO
No. 11 area Detachment 1977 LAFCO
The Marks Ranch Property Detachment 1990 LAFCO
Del Rio Hills Property Detachment 1990 LAFCO
Gibbs Ranch Property Detachment 1990 LAFCO
New Rio Vista Airport Property Detachment 1990 LAFCO
State lands/Waterfront Detachment 1990 LAFCO
Ryer Island FPD Consolidation 2006 LAFCO
Sphere of Influence
The sphere of influence (SOI) for MFPD was established in 1983, as coterminous to the
District’s boundaries.80 The SOI was last updated in 2006 concurrently with the
consolidation of the District with Ryer Island FPD, at which time it was made coterminous
with the new District’s boundaries. MFPD boundaries and SOI are shown in Figure 7-2.
79 The list of reorganizations in Figure 8-1 is derived from available LAFCO records and may not be complete excluding
records that were not found or readily available.
80 LAFCO Resolution 1983-07.
MFPD cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 131
Yolo
County
Montezuma Fire Protection District
Solano County
County Boundaries
City Boundaries
Major Roads ·|}þ
FireStations 84
Interstate ·|}þ ·|}þ
113 220
State Highway Major
Roads
·|}þ
12
Rio
Sacramento
Vista
County
Montezuma
Fire Protection District
y San Joaquin
z
zl
a
y
County
riB
G
Contra
Costa
Suisun
Honker
County
Bay
Bay
Miles
0 0.5 1 2 3 4 5
S Fo o r la m n a o t i L o o n c C a o l A m g m e i n s c s y io n Solano County GIS Services Disclaimer: 5
Department of Information Technology This map was made using Solano County GIS files with varying degrees of
7 F 4 a 4 ir f E ie m ld p , i r C e A S 9 t. 4 , 5 S 3 u 3 i te 216 675 Texas Street, Suite 3700 scale, accuracy, precision, currentness, and alignment and therefore cannot
Fairfield, CA 94533 be used for situations requiring survey grade measurement or legal
(707) 439-3897 Phone: 707-784-6340 boundary determination. Solano County disclaims liability for any
www.solanolafco.com Email: GISStaff@SolanoCounty.com loss that may result from the use of this map. User acknowledges
This map is to be used for general information purposes only. Where precise accuracy is PRJ_1093, 08/01/2014 data limitations and accepts responsibility for map based judgments.
required reference should be made to certified maps, surveys, documents and/or by other
official means.
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Type and Extent of Services
Services Provided
Figure 7-3 details the services provided by MFPD. If a service is not provided by MFPD,
but is offered by another agency, it is indicated in the figure. Resources from Cal Fire
provided outside the SRA are provided on a mutual aid basis. Availability is dependent
upon fire activity, time of year, and other factors.
Figure 7-3: MFPD Services
Service Agency
Fire Suppression Services
Structural Fire Protection Yes
Wildland Fire Protection Yes
Vehicle Fire Protection Yes
Ladder Truck Capabilities No
Fire Suppression Handcrew Yes
Fire Suppression Dozer CalFire
Helicopter Services – Fire Suppression CalFire
Boat With Fire Suppression Capabilities No
Emergency Medical Services
Basic Life Support Provider Yes
Advanced Life Support - Non Transport Provider Medic Ambulance
Advanced Life Support Transport Provider Medic Ambulance
Continuing Education Provider - Medical No
Air Ambulance Transport Helicopter Services Cal Star
Helicopter Landing Facilities On Site Nearby
Vehicle Extrication Tools/Equipment Yes
Fire Prevention
Fire Safety Education – Children Yes
Fire Safety Education – Adults/Seniors Yes
Juvenile Firesetter Prevention Program Yes
Fire and Life Safety Business Inspection Program Yes
Fire Protection Planning Yes
New Commercial Construction Plan Reviews Yes
Public Education Provider (CPR, First Aid, etc.) Yes
Home Fire/Safety Inspections Yes
Fire Origin and Cause Investigations Yes
Fuel Reduction/Weed Abatement Program Yes
Smoke Detector Giveaway/Installation Program No
Address Sign Installation Program No
Rescue Services
First Responder Swift Water Rescue Program Yes
Water Rescue Program Yes
Ice Rescue Program No
Dive Rescue Program Sherriff’s Office
Low angle Rope Rescue Program Yes
Helicopter Short/Long Haul Rescue Capabilities CHP
Response To Boating Accidents Yes
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Rescue Dog Services No
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous Materials Emergency Response -Basic Yes
Hazardous Materials Response Team Solano County Hazmat Team
Support Services
Firefighter Incident Support Unit Yes
Mobile Incident Command/Communications Unit Yes
Fill Station for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Yes
Mobile Breathing Support Unit No
Community Emergency Response Team No
Chaplain Services Yes
Training Academy Yes
Emergency Operations Center Capabilities Yes
Miscellaneous
Public Service Assists Yes
Motor Vehicle Accident Response Yes
Welfare Checks Yes
Public Safety Answering Point Sheriff’s Office
Fire/EMS Dispatch Sheriff’s Office
Fundraising Activities Firefighter association
Firefighters Association - Non Profit Yes
Auxiliary Association No
Service Area
MFPD provides services outside of its boundary area through an automatic aid
agreement with Suisun FPD. The two districts respond to eastbound SR 12 from Lawler
Ranch Road to Shiloh Road and westbound SR 12 from Lambie Road to Walters Road.
MFPD is a party to the countywide mutual aid agreement that includes multiple local
agencies of Solano County, as well as agencies outside the County.81
The District serves outside of its boundaries through its strike team that responds to
wild fires all over the State and gets reimbursed for its services.82 MFPD also occasionally
responds to medical emergencies within the unincorporated area to the north, which lacks
a designated fire and EMS provider. The area is reportedly covered with swamp and mostly
flooded.
According to MFPD, there are no unserved areas within the District’s bounds.
Services to Other Agencies
The District does not provide services to other agencies, but rents a single room of the
main fire station (Station 51) to Medic Ambulance Inc. The ambulance company’s
81 Montezuma FPD is part of a master mutual aid agreement, which dates from 1996, with several Solano and Yolo County
fire agencies, including the City of Benicia, the City of Dixon, the City of Fairfield, the City of Rio Vista, the City of Suisun,
the City of Vacaville, the City of Vallejo, the County of Solano, the American Canyon FPD, the California Medical Facility FD,
Delta FPD, Cordelia FPD, Exxon Benicia Refinery FD, Gordon Valley FD, Suisun FPD, Vacaville FPD, Cal Fire, and Travis Air
Force Base.
82 The District responds with its strike team as a part of the State of California Master Mutual Aid Agreement.
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employees use the room to stand by and sleep between calls for service. The contract,
initiated in 2000, is ‘month to month’ and is valid until terminated by either party.
According to the contract, Medic Ambulance pays rent only for the months during, which it
is providing service in Solano County.83 MFPD is responsible for providing access to the
shared kitchen and restrooms, supplies of general use, and all utilities except telephone
services to any ambulance crew. The ambulance company is required to assist in the cost of
keeping and maintaining the station, including the cost of utilities, building maintenance
and insurance.
Contracts for Services
The District contracts with Fire Recovery USA, LLC. that performs billing and collection
services for fire departments in connection with motor vehicle accidents at which the fire
departments provide emergency services. Fire Recovery bills insurance carriers on behalf
of MFPD and reimburses the District for a portion of the total monies collected on the
District’s claims. The contract was initiated in 2008 and is valid until terminated by either
party.
Similar to all other fire protection districts in the County (with the exception of East
Vallejo FPD), MFPD contracts with the County Sheriff’s Office for dispatch services. The
structure of these services is discussed in more detail in the Facilities section of this
chapter.
Overlapping Service Providers
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) provides services
throughout the State. Generally, Cal Fire services are focused in wildland areas defined as
State Responsibility Areas (SRA). Similarly, the United States Forest Service (USFS) also
provides services in California, primarily within forests and grasslands. Areas where USFS
services are focused are defined as Federal Responsibility Areas (FRA). MFPD’s territory
consists of land that is considered moderate fire hazard and is designated entirely as Local
Responsibility Area (LRA). Cal Fire nonetheless provides technical support throughout the
County, including MFPD boundary area, in the form of specialized services such as fire
suppression handcrews, dozers, and helicopter services when necessary.
83 Medic Ambulance pays MFPD $400 the first six months of the year and $600 monthly for the remainder of the year.
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GOVERNNMENT SSTRUCTTURE ANND ACCOOUNTABIILITY
Accountability oof a governiing body is signified by a combinnation of sevveral indicaators.
The inddicators choosen here are limitedd to 1) agency effortts to engagge and eduucate
constituents througgh outreachh activities, in additionn to legally required activities succh as
agenda pposting andd public meeetings, 2) a defined commplaint proocess designned to handdle all
issues too resolution, and 3) trannsparency oof the agenccy as indicatted by coopperation witth the
MSR proocess and information ddisclosure.
The pprincipal acct requires that the board of direcctors of a fiire protection district must
have an odd numbeer of membeers, with a mminimum off three and aa maximumm of 11 memmbers.
Directorrs may be aappointed oor elected.844 MFPD is ggoverned bby a five-member boarrd of
directorss appointedd to four-yyear terms. Appointmeents are made by thee Solano Coounty
Board off Supervisorrs—Superviisorial Distrrict 5. If a poosition openns up mid-term, the Disstrict
notifies tthe Board oof Supervisoors, advertisses the posiition, and mmakes a recoommendatioon to
the Supeervisor in chharge of theMFPD appoointments.
Figure 7--4: Monteezuma Fire Protection DDistrict Govverning Body
MMontezuuma Firee Proteection DDistrict
Governiing Body annd Board MMeetings
Mannerr of Selection Appointeed by Board of Supervisoors- District 55
Length of Term Four yeaars
Meetinggs Every Tuuesday of thee month at 7 p.m. at the mmain station or Station 522
Agendaa Distributionn Agendass are posted aat the main sstation and Station 52
Minutess Distributionn Minutes are availablee upon requeest.
Contact
Contactt Fire Chief, Joseph Roosewall
Mailingg Address 21 N 4thh Street, Rio VVista, CA 945571
Phone 707-374-5962
Fax 707-37445962
Email/WWebsite montezuumafiredistriict.com, mfpdd@frontier.ccom
The BBoard of Directors meeets on the seecond Tuessday of everry month at 7:00 p.m. aat the
District’ss main stattion (Station 51) or sttation 52. IInformationn about Board meetinngs is
showin iin Figure 7-4.
Agenndas for thee meetings are posted at the main station annd Station 52. Minutes are
avaialblee upon requuest. In adddition to thee required aagendas andd minutes, tthe District tries
to reachh its constittuents throough particiipating in ccommunityy events, inncluding dinnners
sponsoreed by the District. MFPPD maintainns a websitee where it pposts informmation related to
its serviices, staff, BBoard of Directors, appparatus, seervice callss, contact innformation,, and
history. TThe Districtt’s board meeeting agendas and minnutes are noot availablee online.
84 Health annd Safety Code §§13842.
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MFPD board members receive no compensation. Government Code §53235 requires
that if a district provides compensation or reimbursement of expenses to its board
members, the board members must receive two hours of training in ethics at least once
every two years and the district must establish a written policy on reimbursements. It was
reported that the District’s board members do not receive ethics training as they have
never received any compensation or reimbursements. For the same reason, the District has
not established a policy on expense reimbursements.
If a customer is dissatisfied with the District’s services, complaints may be submitted by
contacting the fire chief or the Board of Directors directly. The District’s chief is responsible
for handling complaints to resolution. The Board of Directors is notified of all of the
complaints and their resolution, after which the complaint records are filed. The District
reported that there were no complaints in 2012.
MFPD has adopted a set of bylaws that guides and directs the District’s governance and
administration. The District has not indicated whether the bylaws included policies related
to public requests for information, code of ethics or Brown Act, however reported that all
operations of the Board are governed by the Brown Act.
The Political Reform Act (Government Code §81000, et seq.) requires state and local
government agencies to adopt and promulgate conflict of interest codes. The Fair Political
Practices Commission has adopted a regulation (California Code of Regulations §18730),
which contains the terms of a standard conflict of interest code, which can be incorporated
by reference in an agency’s code. The District was unable to provide the conflict of interest
code.
Government Code §87203 requires persons who hold office to disclose their
investments, interests in real property and incomes by filing appropriate forms with the
appropriate filing agency (i.e., the County or the Fair Political Practices Commission) each
year. In addition, the conflict of interest code of each district determines who among the
officers and directors files the Form 700s with the County’s Registrar of Voters. In Solano
County select fire protection districts require both the fire chief and Board members to
submit copies to the County, and in some cases only the chief files with the County’s
Registrar of Voters. All MFPD directors filed their Forms 700 for 2013 with the District. The
chief filed with the County’s Registrar of Voters. All MFPD directors also filed their Form
700s for 2013.
During the course of this MSR process MFPD demonstrated full accountability in its
disclosure of information and cooperation with Solano LAFCO. The District responded to
the questionnaires and cooperated with interview and document requests.
Determinations
The District generally demonstrated accountability and transparency with regard to
its governance by cooperating with the MSR process, adopting an annual budget
prior to the start of the fiscal year, publishing agendas for public meetings as legally
required, maintaining a website, and filing Forms 700 Statement of Economic
Interest.
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TThe District could improve its acccountabilityy and transsparency byy posting BBoard
mmeeting ageendas and minutes, ddistrict pollicies and proceduress, and finaancial
innformation, such as buudgets and financial sttatements oon its webssite. The Disstrict
coould also mmake use of advertisemments in pubblic newspaapers and mmail informaation
too residents regarding thhe Board off Directors aand district services.
Itt was reporrted that thee District’s board memmbers do noot receive etthics traininng as
thhey have nnever receivved any coompensation or reimbbursementss. For the ssame
reeason, the DDistrict has nnot establisshed a policyy on expensse reimburssements.
GGovernance structure options for MMFPD includde functionaal or full connsolidation with
other fire pprotection agencies iin Solano County. Consolidation may incclude
coonsolidationn with other fire districcts, union wwith the Cityy of Rio Vistta or countyywide
coonsolidationn that also iincludes cityy fire deparrtments.
GROOWTH AND POPPULATIOON PROJECTIONS
This section disscusses thee factors affffecting servvice demannd, such as land uses,, and
historicaal and anticiipated popuulation growwth.
Land Use
Landd uses within the Distrrict consistt of agricultture, manufacturing-inndustrial, mmarsh
agricultuure, and soome residenntial. The DDistrict’s boounds encoompass appproximatelyy 200
square mmiles.
Population
Therre are abouut 1,113 ressidents witthin the Disstrict, basedd on GIS aanalysis of 22010
Census ppopulation informationn.85 The population deensity withiin the Distrrict is abouut six
people pper square mmile.
Projeccted Groowth annd Devellopmentt
MFPDD reported that no groowth has occurred witthin the Disstrict in thee last five yyears.
Similarlyy, the Distriict anticipattes minimall growth inn the next ddecade. Howwever, no foormal
population projections have beeen made bby the Distrrict. Althouggh no population growwth is
expectedd, it was repported that as more wiindmills aree built in thee area, MFPPD expects aa rise
in rescue calls and fire responnses, since windmills frequently catch fire. Also, addittional
people ccoming to thhe area to wwork on winnd generators are creatting additional vehicle flow,
which aadds demannd on the bback roadss. The Distrrict is not aware of aany planneed or
proposed developmments withinn MFPD.
The California DDepartmentt of Financce (DOF) prrojects thatt the popullation of Soolano
County wwill grow byy eight percent from 20010 to 20200. Thus, thee average annnual populaation
growth in the Couunty is antiicipated to be approxximately 0.88 percent. Based on tthese
85 This poppulation figure mmay be slightlyy inflated basedd on comparisoon of known poopulations in otther areas withh those
generated tthrough the GISS analysis.
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projections, the District’s population would increase from 1,113 in 2010 to approximately
1,202 in 2020. It is anticipated that demand for service within the District will increase
minimally, based on the DOF population growth projections through 2020.
Growth Strategies
The District is not a land use authority, and does not hold primary responsibility for
implementing growth strategies. The land use authority for unincorporated areas is the
County. Reportedly, the District oversees all proposed developments in its boundaries and
gives input on county general plan updates.
A majority of the lands within the District are designated in the County’s General Plan
as agricultural and resource conservation overlay. Because the territory within MFPD is
mostly farmland and agricultural open space, it is anticipated that there will be minimal
development or population growth within the District. A majority of growth in MFPD is
commercial, including windmill generators. The County has historically required that
development requiring water and sewer service be incorporated within one of the County’s
cities. Based on this policy, most residential, commercial and industrial development in the
County has been in incorporated areas.
Portions of the District’s territory to the northeast and southwest are also within the
City of Rio Vista SOI, meaning that it is anticipated that the areas will eventually be annexed
by the City. Similarly, the very eastern portion of the City of Fairfield’s SOI is also located
within the District’s boundary area in the northwest. A small portion of the Rio Vista SOI
lands in the southwest is designated as Municipal Service Area (MSA) by the County
General Plan. In the case of Fairfield, its SOI area which is located within MFPD is
designated as MSA in its entirety.
Within MSAs, future development of urban land uses is to be facilitated and served
through city annexation. Current land uses within MSAs may continue under County
jurisdiction until the land is annexed to the city for conversion to urban uses. A change in
land use of unincorporated lands within MSAs should be permitted only for agricultural
uses, which do not conflict with planned land uses until annexed for urban development.
Unincorporated lands within the MSAs that are designated as agriculture will continue as
agricultural use until annexed to a city for urban development.
In areas outside MSAs, planned land uses are maintained or developed under County
jurisdiction. Services to support current and future development outside MSAs are
provided by the County and special districts consistent with General Plan policies.
The City of Fairfield’s General Plan land use map designates its MSA lands within the
District as Travis reserve.86
There is presently no development impact fee specific to fire services for the area
within MFPD. In 2013, several fire protection districts (Cordelia, Dixon, Suisun, and
86 Land in the Travis Reserve is set aside for future expansion of Travis Air Force Base only. If the status of the base
changes, the construction of a non-military airport and support uses may be permitted in the Travis Reserve. No
residential uses will be permitted in the Travis Reserve. Until a military or airport use is proposed for land with the Travis
Reserve designation, the City supports its continued use for agriculture and grazing.
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Vacavillee FPDs) in tthe County hired a connsulting firm to conduuct a nexus study to asssess
and makke recommeendations rregarding a uniform deevelopmentt impact feee for each oof the
Districtss. MFPD declined to parrticipate in tthe study wwith other diistricts at thhis time.
Determinatioons
MMontezuma Fire Protecction Districct (MFPD) ccurrently haas an estimmated populaation
of 1,113.
MMFPD reportted that no growth hass occurred wwithin the DDistrict in thhe last five yyears.
Similarly, thhe District anticipates minimal ggrowth in tthe next deecade givenn the
County’s policy of minimmal developpment outsiide of the ciity boundarries. The Disstrict
iss not aware of any plannned or propposed devellopments wwithin MFPDD.
BBased on thhe Departmment of Finnance (DOFF) populatioon forecastts, the Disttrict’s
population is projectedd to increase from 1,1113 in 2010 to approxiimately 1,2002 in
2020.
BBecause the territory wwithin MFPDD is mostly farmland annd agricultuural open space,
itt is anticipaated that tthere will bbe minimall developmment or poppulation growth
wwithin the District. A maajority of grrowth in MFFPD is commmercial, inccluding winddmill
generators.
DDISADVAANTAGEDD UNINCCORPORRATED CCOMMUNNITIES
LAFCCO is requirred to evaluuate disadvvantaged unnincorporatted communnities as paart of
this servvice review,, including tthe locationn and charaacteristics of any such ccommunitiees. A
disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd community is definned as anyy area witth 12 or mmore
registereed voters, oor as determmined by ccommission policy, whhere the meedian houseehold
income iis less than 80 percent of the statewide annuaal median.87
The CCalifornia DDepartment of Water Resources (DDWR) has developed a mapping toool to
assist inn determining which ccommunitiees meet thee disadvanttaged commmunities meedian
househoold income ddefinition.88 According to DWR, thhere are no communitiees that meeet the
definitioon of a disaddvantaged uunincorporaated commuunity in Sollano Countyy. As such, tthere
are no ddisadvantagged unincorporated commmunities within or aadjacent to MFPD’s bounds
and spheere of influeence.
Determinatioon
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to MMFPD’s bounnds and sphhere of influuence.
87 Governmment Code §560333.5.
88 Based onn census data, thhe median houssehold income iin the State of CCalifornia in 20110 was $57,7088, 80 percent off which
is $46,166.
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FINAANCIAL AABILITYY TO PRROVIDE SSERVICEES
The financial abbility of ageencies to prrovide servvices is affeccted by avaailable finanncing
sources and financiing constraiints. This ssection disccusses the mmajor financing constrraints
faced byy the Districtt and identifies the revenue sourcees currentlyy available tto the Distriict.
The DDistrict reported that iits financingg levels were adequatee to deliverr services. MMFPD
suffered no impact from the ecconomic recession as reeportedly properties haave not chaanged
ownershhip, thus pproperty taax revenues have not decreaseed. Althouggh no finanncing
challengges were reported by tthe Districtt, MFPD impplements ccost containnment strategies
nonetheless. The DDistrict commpares priccing of suppplies and equipmentt from mulltiple
sources and buys equipmentt out rightt instead oof leasing. At presentt, MFPD iss not
considerring any neww revenue sstreams.
Revennues andd Expenses
The DDistrict’s reevenue in FYY 12-13 totaled $960,9978, of whicch 76 perceent was receeived
from prroperty taxxes, one peercent fromm interest income annd rents, cconcessions and
royaltiess, one perceent from hoomeowners property ttax relief, annd 21 perceent from a State
grant.
MFPDD collects charges for ssome of its services. Thhe District bbills througgh Fire Recoovery
USA, LLCC. for emerggency servicces providedd in connecction with mmotor vehiclle accidentss. The
District aalso chargess a fee of $335 per hour per unit wiith a minimum of $1000 per unit for use
of equipment in ressponse to emmergency ccalls for nonn-residents of the Distrrict, a fee off $35
per houur per unit with a miinimum of $100 per unit for use of equippment for non-
emergenncy stand-byy services ffor both ressidents and non-resideents of the DDistrict, andd $40
for a plan check, ssite inspecttion, fire innspection, ffire safety inspection and any oother
inspectioon requirinng a fire offficer. In adddition, MFFPD collectss fees of $15 for anyy fire,
inspectioon and/or aany other tyype of reporrt generatedd by the Disstrict and thhe actual coost of
disposabble or expenndable equippment or mmaterial usedd on a call, iincluding but not limitted to
foam, exxtinguishingg agents andd medical suupplies. MFFPD does noot receive aany special ttaxes
or beneffit assessmeents.
The DDistrict’s exxpendituress amounted to $880,9003 in FY 12--13—27 percent was sspent
on salarries and waages, 11 peercent on eemployee bbenefits, 255 percent oon servicess and
supplies, 37 percentt on fixed asssets, and one percent on other exxpenditures.
Capitaal Improovements
The DDistrict planns its capitaal improvemments throuugh annual budgets annd finances tthem
with equuipment reserve funds and grant mmoney.
The District spent $327,3006 in FY 122-13 on cappital improvvements, wwhich includded a
new typee 2 timberwwolf structurre and of a wwildland unnit.
In FYY 13-14, MFFPD plans to spend $101,491 on bbuildings and improveements, $200,000
on vehicles, $20,000 on equuipment, $22,500 on computer equipment, and $3,000 on
communnication equuipment.
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Outstanding Debt
The District had no long-term debt at the end of FY 12-13.
Reserves
The District has a management practice to keep three financial reserves. At the end of
FY 13, there was $42,500 in the equipment reserve, $15,065 in general reserve and
$664,000 in the unrestricted fund balance for emergency purposes.
Determinations
The District reported that its financing levels were adequate to deliver services, but
not sufficient for capital improvements. MFPD suffered no impact from the
economic recession as reportedly properties have not changed ownership, thus
property tax revenues have not decreased. MFPD implements cost containment
strategies by buying supplies and equipment at best available prices.
A majority of the District’s revenue comes from property taxes. A fairly significant
portion of MFPD’s income also comes from grants, although this unpredictable
source is not entirely reliable. The District established a service fee schedule;
however, the fees constitute only a small percentage of MFPD’s income.
MFPD does not receive any revenue from special taxes or benefit assessments. The
District is also not participating in collaboration with other fire protection districts
in the County to develop a development impact fee. A vast majority of the parcels in
the District are permanently in agricultural or open space uses, limiting revenue
potential from a new special tax. In addition, the District’s Board of Directors
believes that land owners in the District already pay a sufficient amount through
property taxes.
The District plans its capital improvements through annual budgets and finances
them with equipment reserve funds and grant money.
The District has a management practice to keep three financial reserves. At the end
of FY 13, there was $42,500 in the equipment reserve, $15,065 in general reserve
and $664,000 in the unrestricted fund balance for emergency purposes.
MFPD cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 142
The District rep
services to its exis
despite ccurrent serv
be improoved with a
24-hour basis.
Existiing Dem
MFPDD reported
seven. SService calls
The DDistrict rep
last seveeral years.
repairs pperformed o
As shown
30
Figure 7-5, t
number of calls h
25
experiennced
overall decrea
20
betweenn 2007 a
2013. Thhe number 15
calls rreached t
lowest level in 201 10
after which
increaseed in 20 5
and 20113. In 201
MFPD reeceived a to
of 219 calls. T
majorityy of these ca
were foor fires a
hazardous material
service (33.3 perc
emergenncy calls (5.
14 percent were m
residentts.
89 Non-Emeergencies calls i
MFPD
sllaC
fo
rebmuN
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
PRESENNT AND PPLANNEED CAPAACITY
ported thatt it presently has suffficient capacity to prrovide adeqquate
sting servicce area andd future groowth area. It was also reported that
vices being adequatelyy provided, MFPD’s serrvice delivery could furrther
additional sttations and paid persoonnel availabble seven ddays a weekk on a
mand
that its peaak demand periods occcurred in thhe afternoonns from thrree to
are higher in volume dduring the mmonths of Juuly through October.
ported that it had obseerved almosst no changge in servicee demand inn the
Reportedlyy, the motor vehicle accident ratte dropped slightly, duue to
on the local highway.
Figuure 7-5: MFPPD Number of Calls by YYear, 2007-2013
in
00
the
has
50
an
ase
00
nd
of 50
the
11, 00
it
12 50
13,
tal 0
he 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20113
alls Year
nd
ls (38.2 peercent) and the remaiinder consttituted emeergency meedical
cent), motoor vehicle accidents (31.7 perccent), misccellaneous non-
.7 percent),89 and false alarms (6.22 percent). Of the totaal calls repoorted,
mutual aid calls. The District avveraged 1997 service calls per 11,000
nclude emergenncy standby, puublic service asssist, agency assist.
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Staffing
Montezuma FPD is a combination fire district with 32 firefighting staff90 that includes
three full-time personnel, one part-time employee and 28 volunteers. The District has a
paid91 fire chief, one paid assistant chief, one volunteer assistant chief, four volunteer
captains, one paid lieutenant, one volunteer lieutenant, one part-time paid engineer, six
volunteer engineers, and 16 volunteer firefighters.
Engineers and volunteer firefighters receive a stipend at the end of the year based on
points earned from participating in training, emergency responses, and other district
activities. MFPD reported that the pay rates for all ranks within the District were about half
the pay scale of the city departments in Solano County. Similarly, the retirement benefits of
MFPD are not as high as what city firefighters may receive.
The District’s staffing levels have been fairly constant over the last three years, ranging
from 28 to 32 firefighting staff. MFPD experienced slight turnover in 2013, when two
firefighting personnel left, but were replaced by five new staff members. The District’s
firefighter ages range from 18 to 67. There are four firefighters in their 60s, 11 in their 50s,
two in their 40s, in their 30s, eight in their 20s, and five 19-year olds. Median age of MFPD
firefighters was not calculated because the District was unable to provide complete
information. The District continuously attempts to recruit additional volunteers through
word of mouth and advertising on the district website, reporting that it is not easy to find
appropriate personnel.
Currently, there are three certifications in the California firefighter series; Volunteer
Firefighter, Firefighter I, and Firefighter II. While the Volunteer Firefighter focuses on skills
and tasks necessary to assure safety on the fire ground, Firefighter I & II prepares the
firefighter to perform essential and advanced fire ground tasks, as well as allowing entry
into all tracks of the certification system. The level of certification required for each
firefighter is determined by the individual fire department. However, according to the
California State Fire Marshal, there are plans to phase out the Volunteer Firefighter
certification level and the most basic level of certification will eventually be Firefighter I.
Firefighter I certification requires completion of the 259-hour Firefighter I course, which
includes training on various fireground tasks, rescue operations, fire prevention and
investigation techniques, and inspection and maintenance of equipment. In addition to this
course, Firefighter I certification also requires that the applicant have a minimum of six
months of volunteer or call experience in a California fire department as a firefighter
performing suppression duties.92 The number of MFPD personnel certified in each category
is shown in Figure 7-6. Each firefighter, including volunteers, is able to hold multiple
certifications, including strike team certifications.
90 Firefighting personnel are personnel that respond to incidents. Administrative personnel is staff that do not respond to
service calls, such as administrative assistants, bookkeepers, etc.
91 A person whose primary employment is as a firefighter for a municipality or other agency or company and who derives
the majority of their earned income working in the fire service.
92 State Fire Marshal, Course Information and Required Materials, 2007, p. 44
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Figure 7-6: MFPD Certified Personnel
Certification Level Number of % of Total
Firefighting Staff Firefighting Staff
Volunteer Firefighter 28 88%
Firefighter I 4 13%
Firefighter II 0 0%
First Responder EMS 28 88%
Emergency Medical Technician 1 6 19%
Paramedic 0 0%
Apparatus Engineer 6 19%
Company Officer 7 22%
Chief Officer 3 9%
Haz Mat FRO 3 9%
CICCS FFT 2 0 0%
CICCS FFT 1 0 9%
CICCS Engine Boss 4 13%
CICCS Strike Team Leader 1 3%
MFPD conducts a majority of its training in house. Firefighter applicants are required to
pass an agility test and attend an in-house fire academy before they are allowed to respond
to emergencies. Firefighters are required to participate in monthly three- or four-hour
drills and monthly eight-hour training in the field generally held on Saturday or Sunday. All
engineers, captains and drivers are required to attend engineer training twice a month. The
MFPD’s four paid personnel are also the training officers of the District and attend formal
courses to enhance their ability to supervise, lead and train district volunteers.
The District reported that because of the volunteers’ personal busy schedules it is
challenging for them to comply with all the federal, State and local mandated training
requirements.
Facilities
MFPD operates four fire stations, two of which are used exclusively for storage. Station
51 is located in the City of Rio Vista and is considered to be in good condition. The station is
staffed from 8:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Station 52, which was reported
to be in excellent condition, is unstaffed and is located in Birdslanding. Station 53 located in
Suisun is considered to be in excellent condition, while Station 64 in Ryer in fair condition.
Stations 53 and 64 that are used for storage purposes, are owned by private parties. Each
station is described in more detail in Figure 7-7.
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Figure 7-7: Montezuma FPD Fire Stations
Station #51 Station #52 Station #53
Property owner Montezuma FPD Montezuma FPD Mark Dana
2151 Collinsville
21 N. 4th Street, Rio 3545 Shiloh Rd.,
Address Rd, Birds Landing
Vista CA 94571 Suisun CA
CA
Purpose Fire Station Fire Station Storage
Additional uses or other One room rented to
None None
entities using the facility Medic Ambulance
8:00a.m.- 5:00p.m.
Hours station is staffed N/A N/A
Mon-Fri
Date acquired or built N/P93 N/P N/P
Condition of facility94 Good Excellent Excellent
Currently being
Infrastructure Needs None None
rebuilt
1 - type 1 engine
1- type 5 brush
1 - type 2 engine
unit
2 - type 5 brush unit
Number and type of 1- type 5 grass 1 - type 5 brush
1 - type 5 grass unit
vehicles at facility unit unit
1 - type 1 water
1 - type 2 engine
tender
1 - type 1 engine
2 - type 6 command
1 - chief
Number and classification 1 - asst chief
None None
of paid staff staffing facility 1 - lieutenant
1 - p/t engineer
Number and classification
of another agency’s paid 0 0 0
staff staffing the facility
Number of volunteers
Varies up to 21 Varies up to 5 Varies up to 3
staffing facility
Number of volunteers/on
call staff available to
respond to an incident 21 5 3
utilizing a vehicle from this
station
93 N/P- Not Provided
94 Facility condition definitions: Excellent—relatively new (less than 10 years old) and requires minimal maintenance.
Good—provides reliable operation in accordance with design parameters and requires only routine maintenance. Fair—
operating at or near design levels; however, non-routine renovation, upgrading and repairs are needed to ensure
continued reliable operation. Poor—cannot be operated within design parameters; major renovations are required to
restore the facility and ensure reliable operation.
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Station #63
Property owner Hamilton/ Hectman
Address 9697 SR 220, Ryer, CA
Purpose Storage
Additional uses or other
None
entities using the facility
Hours station is staffed N/A
Date acquired or built 2003
Condition of facility95 Fair
Infrastructure Needs None
Number and type of vehicles 1 – type 6 grass unit
at facility 1- type 6 command
Number and classification of
None
paid staff staffing facility
Number and classification of
another agency’s paid staff None
staffing the facility
Number of volunteers
1
staffing facility
Number of volunteers/on
call staff available to respond
1
to an incident utilizing a
vehicle from this station
For water supply, the District uses storage tanks located throughout the District
(4,067,000 gallons), three water well systems, and fire hydrants in the City of Ro Vista. The
District reported that the City was discussing the possibility of charging MFPD for the
water use for firefighting purposes.
It appears that currently there is a sufficient capacity to provide adequate services to
the existing service area based on the condition of the District’s facilities. Although Station
63 was reported to be in fair condition, its use is limited to storage and its condition may
not significantly affect capacity. It was not possible to assess the District’s facility capacity
through its ability to meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for
95 Facility condition definitions: Excellent—relatively new (less than 10 years old) and requires minimal maintenance.
Good—provides reliable operation in accordance with design parameters and requires only routine maintenance. Fair—
operating at or near design levels; however, non-routine renovation, upgrading and repairs are needed to ensure
continued reliable operation. Poor—cannot be operated within design parameters; major renovations are required to
restore the facility and ensure reliable operation.
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response to structural fire calls and the Solano Emergency Medical Service Cooperative
standards for response to medical emergencies, as MFPD response time data was not
provided.
The District’s capacity constraints include limited and unpredictable volunteer
availability and the challenge of serving wind generators, as they are difficult to ascent
when they catch fire. In addition, wind generators are constructed of extremely flammable
materials, on which fire is difficult to extinguish.
Dispatch and communications
With the exception of East Vallejo FPD all the fire protection districts in Solano County,
including MFPD, contract with Solano County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center for dispatch
services. East Vallejo FPD is dispatched through the City of Vallejo. The cities of Benicia,
Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville, and Vallejo each have their own dispatch center.
MFPD entered into a contract with the Sheriff’s Department on July 1st, 2014 for a term
of three years ending on June 30, 2017. Compensation by the District to the Sheriff is
determined by a CAD printout of incidents according to the following formula:
1) ADC (Average Daily Calls)/SADC (Sheriff’s Average Dail Calls) = %
2) % of ADC of Sheriff’s Dispatch Budget * % of ADC = Cost to the District
The Solano County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center also provides dispatch services to
Sheriff's Office, Isleton Police and Fire, Dixon Police and Fire, California Medical Facility, Rio
Vista/Delta Fire Districts, and Solano Community College Police on a 24-hour basis. The
Sheriff's Dispatch Center also handles coordination of air ambulance for scene calls to all
areas of the County (city or county), coordination of all mutual aid for the County, and out
of county requests.
The dispatch center operates with at least two people on duty at all times. The center
operators answer and transmit on three primary radio channels, seven secondary channels
and a number of other law and fire radios for other agencies. The dispatch center also
answers 12 business lines, four Nextels, six 911 lines, numerous alarm panels, fax requests,
and mobile data computer messages.
Communication equipment is sometimes not compatible making it difficult to
communicate when coordinating a mutual aid call. Many of the districts have mutual aid
agreements with the cities. Dispatch becomes a challenge if the nearest responder is a city
agency or if a city requires assistance from a district. Often times it takes multiple calls to
different departments to get assistance sent.
The District’s suggestion for dispatch improvement was creation of a central
consolidated dispatch center, which would allow for all the fire departments and districts
in the County to know which units are in service.
Infrastructure Needs
The District reported that a majority of the stations are in good to excellent condition.
Desired improvements at the existing facilities include a larger training center and meeting
room, a larger area to store the equipment and supplies, and a hose drying tower. The
District is also in the process of expanding its station in Rio Vista, which includes adding
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another apparatus by and connverting thee old apparratus bay innto a training and meeting
room.
MFPDD is not planning forr any new or additional facilitiees due to llimited funnding.
Reporteddly, the Diistrict receiives sufficient funds from propperty taxes for its reggular
operatioons and neccessary capital improvvements, buut not enouugh for the constructioon of
new facilities.
Withh regard to vehicles aand equipmment, the Diistrict repoorted to have an adeqquate
equipmeent/apparattus replacemment scheduule to ensurre proper operating coondition. MFFPD’s
equipmeent was repoorted to be in good conndition.
Challeenges
MFPDD identifiedd areas witthin the District, whicch are diffiicult to serve. The Disstrict
particulaarly lamentted the condition of the highwways and ccounty roadds, as theyy are
sometimmes impassaable and sllow responnse times. TThe additioonal traffic on these back
county rroads, created by an innflux of peopple workingg on wind ggenerators, slows respoonse.
In additiion, ascendiing the highly flammable windmillls can be chaallenging.
Folloowing the consolidation of MFPD with Ryer FPD in 20006, the onlyy way to acccess
Ryer Islaand and proovide mediccal service aand fire protection to itts 500 residdents, is thrrough
the Real McCoy Ferrry. The Disttrict reporteed that this fferry is ofteen out of serrvice.
Anotther challenge is the avvailability off volunteerss, which varries significantly depennding
on the tiime of the sservice call. Sometimess volunteer turnout is minimal, wwhile other ttimes
all volunnteer firefighhters may respond to the same calll.
SERVICEE ADEQUACY
While there are several benchmarks tthat may deefine the levvel of fire sservice provvided
by an aggency, indicators of serrvice adequuacy discusssed here incclude ISO raatings, respponse
times, annd level of staffing and station resoources for thhe service aarea.
Fire services in the commuunities are cclassified byy the Insuraance Servicee Office (ISOO), an
advisoryy organization. This claassification indicates thhe general aadequacy oof coverage, with
classes rranking fromm 1 to 10. CCommunitiees with the bbest fire deppartment faacilities, sysstems
for wateer distributtion, fire alarms and ccommunicaations, and equipmentt and persoonnel
receive aa rating of 11. MFPD hass an ISO of 8B within ffive miles off the City off Rio Vista aand 9
outside oof five miless from the ccity limits aand Ryer Island. The Diistrict was llast evaluatted in
2004.
The NNational Firre Protectioon Associatioon (NFPA) hhas issued rresponse timme performmance
standardds dependinng on the service structture of the aagency. The response tiime is meassured
from thee completionn of the disppatch notification to thhe arrival timme of the firrst-respondder at
the scenne. Thoughh not a leggal mandatee, these staandards provide a useful benchmmark
against wwhich to meeasure fire ddepartmentt performannce. For ageencies with paid staff, NNFPA
1710 ideentifies the response tiime guideline of six mminutes at leeast 90 perccent of the time.
For voluunteer andd combinatiion fire deepartments,, NFPA 17720 recommmends thatt the
responsee times forr structure fire be ninne minutes in urban demand zoones at leasst 90
percent of the timee, 10 minutees in suburbban zones aat least 80 ppercent of tthe time annd 14
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minutes in rural zones at least 80 percent of the time. Response times in remote zones are
directly dependent on travel distances.96 MFPD falls within the definition of a rural demand
zone and would therefore be subject to the NFPA 1720 guidelines.
Emergency response time standards vary by level of urbanization of an area: the more
urban an area, the faster a response should be. Solano Emergency Medical Services
Cooperative (SEMSC) has designated an exclusive operating area (EOA) in Solano County
for EMS and ambulance services provided by Medic Ambulance Services. The EOA includes
all territory in Solano County with the exception of the City of Vacaville, Travis Air Force
Base, and the territory designated as Zone C.97 SEMSA has the responsibility for assuring
that all the incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county have a safe, dependable
and responsive pre hospital Emergency Medical Care system. In the EOA, the response time
guideline is seven minutes 90 percent of the time for a Code 3 response to a 911 priority
calls for all participating member cities. There is no response time standard for Code 2
responses. Compliance with these requirements is determined on a monthly basis. If a city
providing ALS services fails to comply with these response time standards, it is fined. The
amount payable by Medic to the participating member cities reflects the estimated cost
savings to Medic under the SEMSC agreement due to the first response of the participating
member cities. Medic on the other hand is required to respond within nine to 12 minutes in
areas identified as urban areas, 15 minutes in areas designated as rural and 90 minutes in
remote areas. Although these standards are intended for ALS providers, which MFPD is not,
the Medic response standard for rural areas indicates what is considered appropriate
response times for medical emergencies for the District.
The District’s goal is to meet the county response standard of responding within three
minutes. MFPD was unable to provide response times for each incident that occurred in
2013 and reported that response times vary because the District covers over 200 square
miles with frequent traffic delays.
The service area size for each fire station varies between the fire districts. The median
fire station in Solano County serves approximately 39.8 square miles. The Dixon FPD
(Dixon FD) station serves the most expansive area of 320 square miles. Densely populated
areas tend to have smaller service areas. For example, the average service area by EVFPD’s
(Vallejo FD) fire stations is 8.3 square miles. By comparison, each fire station in MFPD
serves approximately 100 square miles.98
The number of firefighters serving within a particular jurisdiction is another indicator
of level of service; however, it is approximate. The providers that rely on volunteer or call
firefighters may have differing staff availability and reliability. An agency with more
firefighters could have fewer resources, if availability is limited due to work and personal
96 Urban demand zone has population density of more than 1,000 people per square mile; suburban zone—between 500
and 1,000 people per square mile, rural zone—less than 500 people per square mile, and remote zone is identified by
eight or more miles of travel distance to an incident.
97 Solano Emergency Medical Services Cooperative Ambulance Service Agreement, April 10, 2010.
98 Estimate was made based on MFPD’s two active fire stations. Two other stations, exclusively used for storage, were
omitted from calculations.
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obligations. Staffing levels in Solano County vary from 0.68 firefighters per 1,000 residents
in EVFPD to 29 in MFPD.
Operating expenditures per capita is often reflective of the level of service offered by a
fire provider as determined by financing constraints. In FY 12-13, the least amount of
money per capita was spent by Dixon FPD ($79). During the same fiscal year, Montezuma
FPD expended the most per capita ($499), as it serves a relatively expansive area with very
low population density.
Determinations
Although no population growth is expected, MFPD anticipates growth in service
demand due to the presence of highly flammable wind power generators, more of
which are being built throughout the District, and additional vehicle flow associated
with the wind power generators.
The District reported that it presently had sufficient capacity to provide adequate
services to its existing service area and future growth area; however, service
delivery could further be improved with additional stations and paid personnel
available seven days a week on a 24-hour basis.
Data analysis showed that currently there is sufficient capacity to provide adequate
services to the existing service area based on the condition of the District’s facilities.
It was not possible to assess the District’s facility capacity through its ability to meet
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for response to
structural fire calls and the Solano Emergency Medical Service Cooperative
standards for response to medical emergencies, as MFPD response time data was
not provided.
Desired capital improvements at the existing facilities include a larger training
center and meeting room, a larger area to store the equipment and supplies, and a
hose drying tower. There is currently no funding available for these improvements.
The District’s capacity constraints include limited and unpredictable volunteer
availability and the challenge of serving wind power generators, as they are difficult
to ascend and extinguish.
MFPD services appear to be adequate. The District has an ISO rating which is
comparable to other providers in the County. The District has the largest number of
firefighters per 1,000 residents. Each station covers approximately 50 square miles.
Adequacy of services could not be assessed through the District’s response times
because MFPD was not able to provide the data.
An area that MFPD could improve upon is tracking its response times for each
incident and being able to calculate its median and 80th and 90th percentile response
times to be able to assess its capacity and service adequacy.
District management methods appear to generally meet accepted best management
practices. The District prepares a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year,
conducts financial audits for each fiscal year, maintains current transparent
financial records, tracks employee and district workload, and has an established
process to address complaints. MFPD could improve its management practices by
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coonducting llong-term ccapital and strategic pplanning, aas well as sservice demmand
projections.
STAATUS ANND OPPOORTUNITIES FOOR SHARRED FACCILITIESS
Shared Faciliities andd Regional Cooperation
Shared FFacilities
As previously mmentioned iin the Type and Extentt of Servicees section, MMFPD sharees its
facilitiess by renting a room in itts main fire station to MMedic Ambuulance.
In terrms of oppoortunities foor future faccility sharinng, the Distrrict reportedd that addittional
practicess be possibble when MMFPD adds another rooom at the main station with ceertain
necessarry accommoodations forr other agenncies to use.
Collaborration
As prreviously mmentioned inn the Type and Extent off Services seection, MFPD has autommatic
aid agreements with Suisun FPPD. Additionnally, the District is a ppart of a maaster mutuaal aid
agreemeent with sevveral Solanoo and Yolo CCounty fire agencies, inncluding thee City of Bennicia,
the City of Dixon, thhe City of FFairfield, the City of Riio Vista, thee City of Suisun, the Ciity of
Vacavillee, the City oof Vallejo, thhe County off Solano, thee American Canyon FPD, the Califoornia
Medical Facility FD,, Delta FPD, Cordelia FPPD, Exxon BBenicia Refiinery FD, Goordon Valley FD,
Vacavillee FPD, Suisuun FPD, Travvis AFB, andd Cal Fire.
The DDistrict partticipates in the Fire Agencies Insuurances Riskk Authority——a joint powers
authorityy (JPA) for liability andd property iinsurance. AAdditionallyy, MFPD is aa member oof the
JPA callled the Soolano Emerrgency Meddical Services Cooperrative (SEMMSC), whicch is
comprised of all thee cities in Soolano Countty, except foor the City of Vacavillee, and all thee fire
districts in the uninncorporatedd areas of thhe County. 99 Fire distriicts are represented byy one
memberr on the SEMMSC seven--member Booard of Direectors. The SEMSC waas designateed by
the Solaano County Board of SSupervisorss as the Loocal EMS Aggency (LEMMSA) for Soolano
County. The SEMSCC has all of the respoonsibilities and authorrity vested in a local EMS
Agency, including thhe ability too select, via a competittive processs, a provider for emerggency
ambulannce service.
MFPDD meets reegularly witth the Cityy of Rio Vissta Fire Deepartment. MFPD doess not
participaate in any regional planning effforts, but iss a membeer of severral collaborrative
organizaations, incluuding the County Trainning Officerrs Associatiion, the Couunty Fire CChiefs
Associattion, and thee County Firremen’s Asssociation.
99 Services cover the Excluusive Operatingg Area (EOA) exxcept 1) the terrritories of the CCity of Vacavillee and Travis Airr Force
Base, and tthe territory of Solano County known as “Zonne C”, 2) the terrritory of Sacraamento County that incorporattes the
territories oof the Delta FPDD and the City oof Isleton, and 3) the territory oof Napa Countyy designated as tthe Gordon Valley.
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Management Efficiencies
While public sector management standards vary depending on the size and scope of the
organization, there are minimum standards. Well-managed organizations evaluate
employees annually, track employee and agency productivity, periodically review agency
performance, prepare a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year, conduct periodic
financial audits to safeguard the public trust, maintain relatively current financial records,
conduct advanced planning for future service needs, and plan and budget for capital needs.
MFPD employs 32 personnel, all of whom are firefighting staff and includes three full-
time personnel, one part-time employee and 28 volunteers, all together constituting 3.6 full
time equivalent staff (FTEs). The District has a paid fire chief, one paid assistant chief, one
volunteer assistant chief, four volunteer captains, one paid lieutenant, one volunteer
lieutenant, one part-time paid engineer, six volunteer engineers, and 16 volunteer
firefighters. Engineers and volunteer firefighters receive a stipend at the end of the year.
The District’s fire chief is responsible for the day-to-day operations of MFPD. Payroll is
outsourced to an independent auditor; Solano County performs the district audits. The
chief performs annual evaluations of both, paid personnel and volunteers. The chief is
evaluated by the Board of Directors, also on an annual basis.
Overall agency performance evaluations are performed during the chief’s monthly
reports to the Board. No other evaluations are conducted specific to the operations and
services provided by MFPD. The District reported that the measure it used to determine its
service adequacy was the number and the type of complaints from its constituents.
MFPD tracks the workload of paid staff through timesheets. The District also keeps log
and run sheets on responses and maintenance logs. The District reported that to improve
its operational efficiency it tries to keep its affairs organized, updates its training routine
and regularly upgrades its equipment.
The District’s financial planning efforts include an annually adopted budget and audited
financial statements, which are audited by Solano County every two years for every fiscal
year. MFPD does not presently have any other planning documents. Short-term goals are
established in the budgets, while establishment of long-term objectives is not one of the
District’s management practices. Capital improvements are planned for in annual budgets.
Determinations
The District shares its facilities by renting a single room of the main fire station
(Station 51) to Medic Ambulance Inc. The ambulance company’s employees use the
room to stand by and sleep between calls for service.
Additional opportunities for facilities may be possible when MFPD adds another
room at the main station with certain necessary accommodations for other agencies
to use.
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LAFCO POLICIIES AFFECTING SERVICCE DELIVERY
Solanno LAFCO has adopteed a policyy that direectly affectss service ddelivery byy fire
protectioon districtss in the Couunty. Standard 11 in tthe LAFCO Standards and Proceddures
manual requires thhat a city appplying to LLAFCO for aannexation of a speciffic territoryy that
belongs in this casee to a fire pprotection ddistrict musst offset thee negative cconsequencces of
that annnexation, wwhich may include neggative effectts on the ddistrict’s buudget or service
provision. The anneexing city iss required tto work witth the affeccted districtt to identifyy and
mitigate the impaccts. Adequatte mitigatioon to adverrse fiscal immpact normmally includdes a
funding source forr lost revennues or inccreased cossts to the aaffected sppecial distriict. A
commonn practice inn Solano Couunty is to neegotiate a pproperty taxx neutrality agreement for a
specific period of time betweeen the annexing cityy and the nnegatively affected sppecial
district.
Determinatioons
Sttandard 111 of the LAAFCO Standdards and PProcedures manual reequires thee city
annexing terrritory fromm a special district to mitigate thhe negative impact onn that
district. Commmon mitigaation practiice of adverrse fiscal immpact includdes a negottiated
property taxx neutrality aagreement.
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MONNTEZUMMA FIRE PROTECCTION DDISTRICCT
DETERRMINATIONS
Growtth and PPopulatiion Projjectionss
MMontezuma Fire Protecction Districct (MFPD) ccurrently haas an estimmated populaation
of 1,113.
MMFPD reportted that no growth hass occurred wwithin the DDistrict in thhe last five yyears.
Similarly, thhe District anticipates minimal ggrowth in tthe next deecade givenn the
County’s policy of minimmal developpment outsiide of the ciity boundarries. The Disstrict
iss not aware of any plannned or propposed devellopments wwithin MFPDD.
BBased on thhe Departmment of Finnance (DOFF) populatioon forecastts, the Disttrict’s
population is projectedd to increase from 1,1113 in 2010 to approxiimately 1,2002 in
2020.
BBecause the territory wwithin MFPDD is mostly farmland annd agricultuural open space,
itt is anticipaated that tthere will bbe minimall developmment or poppulation growth
wwithin the District. A maajority of grrowth in MFFPD is commmercial, inccluding winddmill
generators.
The Location and Chharacterristics oof Disadvantageed
Unincorporatted Commmunitiees Within or Coontiguous to thhe
Agenccy’s SOI
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to MFPD’s boounds and ssphere of iinfluence. However, data limitations
preclude thee ability to iddentify smaaller disadvaantaged commmunities, which will need
too be surveyeed and idenntified on a ccase-by-case basis.
Present and PPlannedd Capaciity of Puublic Faacilities and
Adequuacy of Public SServicess, Includding Inffrastruccture
Needss and Deeficiencies
AAlthough noo populationn growth iss expected,, MFPD antticipates growth in service
demand duee to the presence of highly flammmable wind ppower geneerators, moore of
wwhich are beeing built thhroughout thhe District, and additioonal vehiclee flow associated
wwith the winnd power generators.
TThe District reported thhat it preseently had suufficient cappacity to prrovide adeqquate
seervices to its existingg service aarea and fuuture growwth area; hoowever, service
delivery couuld further be improved with addditional staations and paid persoonnel
avvailable sevven days a wweek on a 244-hour basis.
DData analysis showed thhat currentlly there is ssufficient caapacity to prrovide adeqquate
seervices to thhe existing service areaa based on tthe conditioon of the District’s facillities.
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It was not possible to assess the District’s facility capacity through its ability to meet
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for response to
structural fire calls and the Solano Emergency Medical Service Cooperative
standards for response to medical emergencies, as MFPD response time data was
not provided.
Desired capital improvements at the existing facilities include a larger training
center and meeting room, a larger area to store the equipment and supplies, and a
hose drying tower. There is currently no funding available for these improvements.
The District’s capacity constraints include limited and unpredictable volunteer
availability and the challenge of serving wind power generators, as they are difficult
to ascend and extinguish.
MFPD services appear to be adequate. The District has an ISO rating of 8B/9, which
is comparable to other providers in the County. The District has the largest number
of firefighters per 1,000 residents. Each station covers approximately 50 square
miles. Adequacy of services could not be assessed through the District’s response
times because MFPD was not able to provide the data.
An area that MFPD could improve upon is tracking its response times for each
incident and being able to calculate its median and 80th and 90th percentile response
times to be able to assess its capacity and service adequacy.
District management methods appear to generally meet accepted best management
practices. The District prepares a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year,
conducts financial audits for each fiscal year, maintains current transparent
financial records, tracks employee and district workload, and has an established
process to address complaints. MFPD could improve its management practices by
conducting long-term capital and strategic planning, as well as service demand
projections.
Financial Ability of Agencies to Provide Services
The District reported that its financing levels were adequate to deliver services, but
not sufficient for capital improvements. MFPD suffered no impact from the
economic recession as reportedly properties have not changed ownership, thus
property tax revenues have not decreased. MFPD implements cost containment
strategies by buying supplies and equipment at best available prices.
A majority of the District’s revenue comes from property taxes. A fairly significant
portion of MFPD’s income also comes from grants, although this unpredictable
source is not entirely reliable. The District established a service fee schedule;
however, the fees constitute only a small percentage of MFPD’s income.
MFPD does not receive any revenue from special taxes or benefit assessments. The
District is also not participating in collaboration with other fire protection districts
in the County to develop a development impact fee. A vast majority of the parcels in
the District are permanently in agricultural or open space uses, limiting revenue
potential from a new special tax. In addition, the District’s Board of Directors
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believes that land owners in the District already pay a sufficient amount through
property taxes.
The District plans its capital improvements through annual budgets and finances
them with equipment reserve funds and grant money.
The District has a management practice to keep three financial reserves. At the end
of FY 13, there was $42,500 in the equipment reserve, $15,065 in general reserve
and $664,000 in the unrestricted fund balance for emergency purposes.
Status of, and Opportunities for, Shared Facilities
The District shares its facilities by renting a single room of the main fire station
(Station 51) to Medic Ambulance Inc. The ambulance company’s employees use the
room to stand by and sleep between calls for service.
Additional opportunities for facilities may be possible when MFPD adds another
room at the main station with certain necessary accommodations for other agencies
to use.
Accountability for Community Service Needs, Including
Governmental Structure and Operational Efficiencies
The District generally demonstrated accountability and transparency with regard to
its governance by cooperating with the MSR process, adopting an annual budget
prior to the start of the fiscal year, publishing agendas for public meetings as legally
required, maintaining a website, and filing Forms 700 Statement of Economic
Interest.
The District could improve its accountability and transparency by posting Board
meeting agendas and minutes, district policies and procedures, and financial
information, such as budgets and financial statements on its website. The District
could also make use of advertisements in public newspapers and mail information
to residents regarding the Board of Directors and district services.
It was reported that the District’s board members do not receive ethics training as
they have never received any compensation or reimbursements. For the same
reason, the District has not established a policy on expense reimbursements.
Governance structure options for MFPD include functional or full consolidation with
other fire protection agencies in Solano County. Consolidation may include merger
with other fire districts, union with the City of Rio Vista or countywide consolidation
that also includes city fire departments.
LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery
Standard 11 of the LAFCO Standards and Procedures manual requires the city
annexing territory from a special district to mitigate the negative impact on that
district. Common mitigation practice of adverse fiscal impact includes a negotiated
property tax neutrality agreement.
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8 . SUUI S UN FIRRE P ROT EECT I O N
D ISST R ICCT
Suisuun Fire Prootection Disstrict (SFPDD) provides structural,, wildland and vehiclee fire
suppresssion, somee fire preevention seervices, haazardous mmaterials aawareness and
operatioons, public sservice assisstance, and emergencyy medical seervices in thhe form of bbasic
life suppport. In adddition, the DDistrict provvides speciaalized rescuue programss, such as wwater
and boatting accidennt rescue, annd low anglee rope rescuue services..
AGENCYY OVERVVIEW
Backgground
SFPDD was formmed in 19335 as an inndependentt special district for the purposse of
providinng fire proteection to thee unincorpoorated areass of Solano County locaated outside the
city limitts of Fairfield and Suisuun City.
The pprincipal acct that governs the Disttrict is the FFire Protecttion Districtt Law of 1987.100
The prinncipal act eempowers ffire districtts to providde fire prottection, resscue, emerggency
medical, hazardouss material rresponse, ammbulance, aand any othher servicess relating too the
protectioon of lives and propeerty.101 Distrricts must aapply and obtain LAFFCO approvval to
exercise services aauthorized bby the prinncipal act bbut not alrready proviided (i.e., laatent
powers) by the district at the end of 2000..102
SFPDD is located in the southwestern pportion of Soolano County and surrrounds the ccities
of Fairfield and Suiisun City almost in theeir entirety,, as shown in Figure 88-2. The Disstrict
borders Cordelia FPPD in the wwest, Monteezuma FPD in the eastt, and Travis Airforce Base
(AFB), VVacaville FPPD and the City of Vaccaville in thhe northeasst. Suisun FFPD abuts NNapa
County iin the nortthwest and Contra Cossta County across thee San Franccisco Bay too the
south.
Bounddaries
SFPDD is entirelyy within Solano Countyy. The present boundss encompass approximmately
140 square miles. SSince its forrmation, the District hhas undertaaken 18 bouundary changes,
including one reorgganization, oone annexattion, and 166 detachmennts. The Disstrict’s bounndary
changes are shown in Figure 8--1.103
100 Health and Safety Code §13800-139700.
101 Health aand Safety Code §13862.
102 Governmment Code §568824.10.
103 The list of reorganizatiions in Figure 88-1 is derived frrom available LLAFCO records and may not bbe complete exccluding
records thaat were not founnd or readily avvailable.
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Figure 8-1: SFPD List of LAFCO Approved Border Changes
Project Name Type of Action Year Recording Agency
Suisun Fire Protection District Formation 1935 County
SFPD Reorganization 1975 LAFCO
Moore and Strahan properties Detachment 1976 LAFCO
Pentecostal Church Detachment 1977 LAFCO
Fairfield USD Detachment 1977 LAFCO
Klein and Mahoney properties Detachment 1977 LAFCO
Dover Valley Detachment 1977 LAFCO
Bezzerides Detachment 1977 LAFCO
Lotz property Detachment 1977 LAFCO
Gordon Wagner property Detachment 1977 LAFCO
Ledgewood Investors Detachment 1978 LAFCO
Johnson and Bottoms Detachment 1978 LAFCO
Underground Construction Detachment 1978 LAFCO
Bren Detachment 1979 LAFCO
Lawler Ranch (Richardson Detachment 1980 LAFCO
property)
Suisun Marsh Annexation 1982 LAFCO
Peterson Property Detachment 1986 LAFCO
Pierce Ranch Detachment Unknown SFPD
Paradise Valley Detachment Unknown SFPD
Sphere of Influence
The sphere of influence (SOI) for the District was originally adopted in 1983 as
coterminous with its boundaries as they existed at that time. Since then, the District
conducted one annexation in 1986. The SOI was not subsequently amended to include the
annexed land of the Peterson property. It is also unknown if the District’s SOI was updated
after the detachments of Pierce Ranch and Paradise Valley. The District’s SOI should be
updated to reflect these boundary changes. SFPD’s current boundaries and SOI are shown
in Figure 8-2.
SFPD cÉÄ|vç VÉÇáâÄà|Çz TááÉv|tàxá? __V 159
Napa
County
·|}þ
§¨¦
Suisun ·|}þ 113
80 City 12
§¨¦
680
Vallejo
§¨¦
80
Suisun
Bay
§¨¦
780
Contra
Costa Sacramento
Benicia
County County
naS
olbaP
yaB
Suisun Fire Protection District
Solano County
County Boundaries
City Boundaries
Major Roads
FireStations
Interstate
State Highway
Major Roads
FireDistricts
NAME
Suisun Fire Protection District
Suisun Fire
Protection
District
Grizzly
Bay
Honker
Bay
Miles
0 0.5 1 2 3 4 5
S Fo o r la m n a o t i L o o n c C a o l A m g m e i n s c s y io n Solano County GIS Services Disclaimer: 5
Department of Information Technology This map was made using Solano County GIS files with varying degrees of
7 F 4 a 4 ir f E ie m ld p , i r C e A S 9 t. 4 , 5 S 3 u 3 i te 216 675 Texas Street, Suite 3700 scale, accuracy, precision, currentness, and alignment and therefore cannot
Fairfield, CA 94533 be used for situations requiring survey grade measurement or legal
(707) 439-3897 Phone: 707-784-6340 boundary determination. Solano County disclaims liability for any
www.solanolafco.com Email: GISStaff@SolanoCounty.com loss that may result from the use of this map. User acknowledges
This map is to be used for general information purposes only. Where precise accuracy is PRJ_1093, 08/01/2014 data limitations and accepts responsibility for map based judgments.
required reference should be made to certified maps, surveys, documents and/or by other
official means.
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Type and Extent of Services
Services Provided
Figure 8-3 details the services provided by SFPD. If a service is not provided by SFPD,
but is offered by another agency, it is indicated in the figure. Resources from Cal Fire
provided outside the SRA are provided on a mutual aid basis. Availability is dependent
upon fire activity, time of year, and other factors.
Figure 8-3: SFPD Services
Service Agency
Fire Suppression Services
Structural Fire Protection Yes
Wildland Fire Protection Yes
Vehicle Fire Protection Yes
Ladder Truck Capabilities No
Fire Suppression Handcrew Yes
Fire Suppression Dozer Cal Fire
Helicopter Services – Fire Suppression Cal Fire
Boat With Fire Suppression Capabilities Yes
Emergency Medical Services
Basic Life Support Provider Yes
Advanced Life Support - Non Transport Provider Medic Ambulance
Advanced Life Support Transport Provider Medic Ambulance
Continuing Education Provider - Medical Yes
Air Ambulance Transport Helicopter Services Cal Star
Helicopter Landing Facilities On Site Yes
Vehicle Extrication Tools/Equipment Yes
Fire Prevention
Fire Safety Education – Children Yes
Fire Safety Education – Adults/Seniors On request
Juvenile Firesetter Prevention Program Yes
Fire and Life Safety Business Inspection Program Yes
Fire Protection Planning Yes-joint with county builder
Yes, if available- mostly for
New Commercial Construction Plan Reviews agricultural buildings
Public Education Provider (CPR, First Aid, etc.) On request
Home Fire/Safety Inspections On request
Fire Origin and Cause Investigations Yes
Fuel Reduction/Weed Abatement Program Cal Fire handles it in SRA
Smoke Detector Giveaway/Installation Program No
Address Sign Installation Program No
Rescue Services
First Responder Swift Water Rescue Program No
Water Rescue Program Yes
Ice Rescue Program No
Dive Rescue Program County Sheriff
Low angle Rope Rescue Program Yes
Helicopter Short/Long Haul Rescue Capabilities CHP
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Response To Boating Accidents Yes
Rescue Dog Services No
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous Materials Emergency Response -Basic Awareness and operations
Hazardous Materials Response Team Solano County Hazmat Team
Support Services
Firefighter Incident Support Unit Yes
Mobile Incident Command/Communications Unit Solano County
Fill Station for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Yes
Mobile Breathing Support Unit Yes
Community Emergency Response Team No
Chaplain Services No
Training Academy Yes
Emergency Operations Center Capabilities No
Miscellaneous
Public Service Assists Yes
Motor Vehicle Accident Response Yes
Welfare Checks Yes
Public Safety Answering Point County Sheriff
Fire/EMS Dispatch County Sheriff
Fundraising Activities Minimal
Firefighters Association - Non Profit Yes
Auxiliary Association Yes
Service Area
SFPD provides services outside of its boundary area through automatic aid agreements
with Fairfield FD and Montezuma FPD. Fairfield FD and Suisun FPD respond to westbound
I-80 from West Texas Street to the Green Valley Road overcrossing, eastbound and
westbound SR 12 from Suisun city limits to I-80, Pennsylvania Avenue from SR 12 to
Cordelia Road, and Cordelia Road from Pennsylvania Avenue to Suisun Creek. Fairfield FD
also responds to eastbound I-80 from North Texas Street to Lagoon Valley Road.
According to the agreement with Montezuma FPD, both districts respond to eastbound
SR 12 from Lawler Ranch Road to Shiloh Road and westbound SR 12 from Lambie Road to
Walters Road. For both structure and vegetation fires, SFPD responds to the territory west
of the area bounded by Creed Road to the intersection of SR 12, following SR 12 to the
intersection of Birdslanding Road, and following Birdslanding Road to the point that it
intersects with Montezuma slough. MFPD responds to SFPD zones one, two and six.
Additionally, the District has an agreement with Napa County Fire and Cal Fire (Gordon
Valley Stations), according to which SFPD responds north on Wooden Valley Road to the
area of Wooden Valley Creek and the address of 1705 Wooden Valley Road, all the roads
included in that area, and any area of Napa County accessed off Twin Sisters Road. Gordon
Valley stations would in turn respond to the area that includes Gordon Valley Road, Clayton
Road, Mankas Corner Road, Twin Sisters Road, Sleepy Hollow Lane, Twin Sisters Court,
Joyce Lane, Julian Lane, Williams Road, Lambert Road, Suisun Valley Road, and Sales Lane.
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SFPD is a party to the countywide mutual aid agreement that includes multiple local
agencies of Solano County, as well as agencies outside the County.104 The District is a
participant in the State of California’s Master Mutual Aid Plan. SFPD occasionally responds
to emergencies all over the State and gets reimbursed by the State or federal government.
The District reported that there were no areas within its boundaries where services
were not provided by SFPD.
Services to Other Agencies
The District does not provide contractual services to other agencies. However, district
firefighters will likely arrive on-scene for an off-base aircraft-down incident before the
Travis AFB emergency resources would reach the scene.
Contracts for Services
Similar to all other fire protection districts in the County (with the exception of East
Vallejo FPD), SFPD contracts with the County Sheriff’s Office for dispatch services. The
structure of these services is discussed in more detail in the Facilities section of this
chapter.
Overlapping Service Providers
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) provides services
throughout the State. Generally, Cal Fire services are focused in wildland areas defined as
State Responsibility Areas (SRA). Similarly, the United States Forest Service (USFS) also
provides services in California, primarily within forests and grasslands. Areas where USFS
services are provided are defined as Federal Responsibility Areas (FRA). SFPD’s territory
consists of land that is considered moderate to unzoned fire hazard and is designated
almost entirely as Local Responsibility Area (LRA), with the exception of land bordering
Napa County, which is considered SRA territory where Cal Fire would have responsibility
for wildland fires. Cal Fire also provides technical support throughout the County in the
form of specialized services such as fire suppression handcrews, dozers, and helicopter
services when necessary.
104 Suisun FPD is part of a master mutual aid agreement, which dates from 1996, with several Solano and Yolo County fire
agencies, including the City of Benicia, the City of Dixon, the City of Fairfield, the City of Rio Vista, the City of Suisun, the
City of Vacaville, the City of Vallejo, the County of Solano, the American Canyon FPD, the California Medical Facility FD,
Delta FPD, Cordelia FPD, Exxon Benicia Refinery FD, Gordon Valley FD, Montezuma FPD, Vacaville FPD, Cal Fire, and
Travis Air Force Base.
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GOVERNNMENT SSTRUCTTURE ANND ACCOOUNTABIILITY
Accountability oof a governiing body is signified by a combinnation of sevveral indicaators.
The inddicators choosen here are limitedd to 1) agency effortts to engagge and eduucate
constituents througgh outreachh activities, in additionn to legally required activities succh as
agenda pposting andd public meeetings, 2) a defined commplaint proocess designned to handdle all
issues too resolution, and 3) trannsparency oof the agenccy as indicatted by coopperation witth the
MSR proocess and information ddisclosure.
The pprincipal acct requires that the board of direcctors of a fiire protection district must
have an odd numbeer of membeers, with a mminimum off three and aa maximumm of 11 memmbers.
Directorrs may be aappointed oor elected.1005 SFPD is ggoverned bby a five-member boarrd of
directorss appointedd by the Sollano Countyy Board of Supervisors (Supervissorial Distriicts 2
and 3) tto four-yearr terms. Duue to concerrns that thee current bboard membbers’ termss had
expired several yeaars ago andd the Directtors had noot been offiicially reapppointed to their
positions by the Board of Supervisors,1006 the Superrvisors apppointed a nnew directoor on
Februaryy 15, 2014 and renewed the termms of each ddirector on March 11, 2014 by foormal
action. TThere continnues to be one vacant pposition.
Figure 8--4: Suisun Fire Proteection Distriict Governinng Body
Suisunn Fire PProtectiion Disttrict
Governiing Body annd Board MMeetings
Mannerr of Selection Appointment by Superrvisorial Disttricts 2 and 33.
Length of Term 4 years
Every secoond Wednesdday of the month at 9:00 a.m. at SFPDD fire station
Meetinggs
located at 445 Jacksonn Street, Fairrfield CA 94533
Agendaa Distributionn Posted at tthe front of tthe fire statioon
Minutess Distributionn Available uupon requesst
Contact
Contactt Ronald Glaantz, Fire CChief
Mailingg Address 445 Jacksoon Street, Faiirfield CA 944533
Phone 707.425.33605
Fax 707.425.3615
Email/WWebsite http://wwww.suisunfireedistrict.org
The BBoard meetts on the seccond Wednesday of eaach month aat 9:00 a.m. at the SFPDD fire
station in Fairfield. Agendas arre posted att the fire sttation, and mminutes aree available uupon
request. In additionn to the requuired agenddas and minnutes, the District attemmpts to reacch its
constituents througgh participaating in commmunity eveents such as the Fourtth of July paarade
and towwnhall meettings, held by SFPD, wwhere it disstributes innformationaal brochurees. In
additionn, the Distriict has a wwebsite, wheere it makees availablee informatioon regardinng its
services,, training, fiire preventiion, and fireefighters asssociation; hhowever, mmost of the ppages
105 Health aand Safety Code §13842.
106 Solano CCounty Grand Juury, 2012-2013 GGrand Jury Repoort.
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are currently under construction. SFPD also provides its contact information on the
website, but the email address provided was discovered to be invalid. Information about
Board meetings is shown in Figure 8-4.
SFPD board members receive no compensation. Government Code §53235 requires
that if a district provides compensation or reimbursement of expenses to its board
members, the board members must receive two hours of training in ethics at least once
every two years and the district must establish a written policy on reimbursements. It was
reported that the District’s board members last received ethics training in 2012. The
District reported that it did not have an established policy on expense reimbursements
because SFPD Board members did not get reimbursed.
If a customer is dissatisfied with the District’s services, complaints may be submitted by
contacting the fire chief. If the chief, who is responsible for handing the complaints for the
District, is unable to resolve the issue, the complainant may appeal to the Board of
Directors or the County Board of Supervisors. The District reported that it received no
complaints in 2012. In fact, there has been only one complaint in the last eight years.
SFPD has adopted District Policy Manual that provides a framework and direction for
district governance and administration. Included in the Manual are policies on code of
ethics and conduct and Brown Act requirements as related to board members being
familiar with laws governing open meetings. The Policy Manual does not include a policy
related to public requests for information.
The Political Reform Act (Government Code §81000, et seq.) requires state and local
government agencies to adopt and promulgate conflict of interest codes. The Fair Political
Practices Commission has adopted a regulation (California Code of Regulations §18730),
which contains the terms of a standard conflict of interest code, which can be incorporated
by reference in an agency’s code. The District has adopted a conflict of interest code.
Government Code §87203 requires persons who hold office to disclose their
investments, interests in real property and incomes by filing appropriate forms with the
appropriate filing agency (i.e., the County or the Fair Political Practices Commission) each
year. In addition, the conflict of interest code of each district determines who among the
officers and directors files the Form 700s with the County’s Registrar of Voters. In Solano
County select fire protection districts require both the fire chief and Board members to
submit copies to the County, and in some cases only the chief files with the County’s
Registrar of Voters. Both, SFPD directors and the chief, filed their Form 700s for 2013 with
the County’s Registrar of voters. All SFPD directors also reportedly filed their Form 700s
for 2013.
During the course of this MSR process SFPD demonstrated full accountability in its
disclosure of information and cooperation with Solano LAFCO. The District responded to
the questionnaires and cooperated with interview and document requests.
Determinations
The District generally demonstrated accountability and transparency with regard to
governance by cooperating with the MSR process, adopting an annual budget prior
to the start of the fiscal year, publishing agendas for public meetings as legally
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reequired, mmaintaining a websitee (howeverr, most paages are ccurrently uunder
coonstructionn), and filingg of Forms 7700 Statemeent of Econoomic Interesst.
SFPD could make somme improveements to its accountability andd transparency,
inncluding poosting up-too-date contaact informaation, distriict and Boaard policiess and
procedures, as well as ffinancial information oon its webssite. The Disstrict couldd also
inncrease pubblic interesst in SFPD’’s affairs bby implemeenting addiitional outrreach
mmeasures, such as newwspaper addvertisemennts and neews releasees and sennding
innformation about Board meetings and districtt services too SFPD residdents.
TThe District needs to ccontinue itss practice oof ensuringg and docummenting thaat all
board membbers have ccompleted ethics trainning if the District’s bboard memmbers
reeceive commpensation or expensse reimburrsements. IIt was repported thatt the
DDistrict’s boaard memberrs last receiived ethics ttraining in 22012.
DDue to conceerns that thhe current bboard membbers’ termss had expireed several yyears
ago and the Directors hhad not beeen officially reappointeed to their ppositions byy the
BBoard of Suupervisors, the Supervvisors filledd a vacanccy with a nnew directoor in
February 20014 and rennewed the tterms of eaach directorr in March 2014 by foormal
action.
GROOWTH AND POPPULATIOON PROJECTIONS
This section disscusses thee factors affffecting servvice demannd, such as land uses,, and
historicaal and anticiipated popuulation growwth.
Land Use
Landd uses withhin the Disttrict consisst of agricuultural, marrsh resourcce conservaation,
industriaal, rural residential, and some residentiaal land usees. The Diistrict’s bounds
encompaass approximately 140 square miles.
Population
Therre are abouut 2,671 ressidents witthin the Disstrict, basedd on GIS aanalysis of 22010
Census ppopulation informationn.107 The poopulation deensity withhin the Disttrict is abouut 19
people pper square mmile.
Projeccted Groowth annd Devellopmentt
SFPDD reported tthat no groowth had occcurred witthin the Disstrict in thee last five yyears.
Similarlyy, the Distriict anticipattes minimall growth inn the next ddecade. Howwever, no foormal
population projections have beeen made bby the Distrrict. Althouggh no population growwth is
expectedd, it was repported that growth of tthe wine inddustry in the County is attracting mmore
tourism and therefoor increasinng demand ffor services. The District reported that there were
no plannned or propoosed develoopments witthin SFPD.
107 This poppulation figure may be slightlyy inflated basedd on comparisoon of known poopulations in otther areas withh those
generated tthrough the GISS analysis.
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The California Department of Finance (DOF) projects that the population of Solano
County will grow by eight percent from 2010 to 2020. Thus, the average annual population
growth in the County is anticipated to be approximately 0.8 percent. Based on these
projections, the District’s population would increase from 2,671 in 2010 to approximately
2,885 in 2020. It is anticipated that demand for service within the District will increase
minimally, based on the DOF population growth projections through 2020.
Growth Strategies
The District is not a land use authority, and does not hold primary responsibility for
implementing growth strategies. The land use authority for unincorporated areas is the
County.
The District reported that it occasionally (whenever available) conducts new
commercial construction plan reviews, primarily for agricultural-purpose buildings.
The lands within the District are designated in the County’s General Plan as agricultural,
industrial, watershed, marsh, resource conservation, and some residential and rural
residential. Because a majority of the land in SFPD is designated as marsh resource
preservation, it is anticipated that there will be minimal residential development or
population growth within the District. SFPD, however, expects agriculture-related
construction, due to growth in the wine industry. The County has historically required that
development requiring water and sewer service be incorporated within one of the County’s
cities. Based on this policy, most residential, commercial and industrial development in the
County has been in incorporated areas.
Limited territory within SFPD to the south of the City of Fairfield is also within that
City’s SOI, meaning that it is anticipated that the areas will eventually be annexed by the
City. Similarly, some lands to the east and west of the City of Suisun City are also located
within the City’s SOI and are anticipated to be annexed by Suisun City. Additionally, the
territories located outside of the cities’ boundaries but inside Suisun City’s western SOI,
part of its eastern SOI, and Fairfield’s eastern SOI, are designated as Municipal Service
Areas (MSAs) by the County General Plan. Within MSAs, future development of urban land
uses is to be facilitated and served through city annexation. Current land uses within MSAs
may continue under County jurisdiction until the land is annexed to the city for conversion
to urban uses. A change in land use of unincorporated lands within MSAs should be
permitted only for agricultural uses, which do not conflict with planned land uses until
annexed for urban development. Unincorporated lands within the MSAs that are
designated agriculture will continue in agricultural use until annexed to a city for urban
development. In areas outside MSAs, planned land uses are maintained or developed
under County jurisdiction. Services to support current and future development outside
MSAs are provided by the County and special districts consistent with General Plan
policies.
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The City of Fairrfield’s Geneeral Plan laand use mapp designatees its MSA llands withinn the
District aas Travis Reeserve.108 Thhe City of Suuisun City’s General Plaan land use map designnates
the city MMSA lands wwithin the DDistrict as rural residenntial, agricuultural, geneeral commeercial,
businesss park, and mmarsh proteection.
SFPDD presently has a development imppact fee (DIIF) specific to fire servvices for the area
within the District, which wass last updated in 20088. The fee was establiished under the
principlee that neww developmment in thee District wwould increease the ddemand forr fire
protectioon servicess, and the DIF wouldd fund fire facilities, apparatus and equipmment
necessarry to accommodate residential andd non-residential devellopment in the Districtt. The
District’ss DIF is $3,057 for a single famiily dwellingg, $2,209 foor a multi-ffamily dweelling,
$1.62 peer square fooot of commmercial buillding, $1.400 per squarre foot of ann office building
and $0.884 per squarre foot of inndustrial building. The DDistrict is pparticipatingg in a study with
other firre protection districtss to establlish a deveelopment immpact fee throughoutt the
unincorpporated terrritories of the Countyy. In 2013,, SFPD alonng with several otherr fire
protectioon districts in Solano CCounty, inclluding Corddelia FPD, DDixon FPD aand Suisun FPD,
hired a consulting firm to connduct a nexxus study too assess annd make reecommendations
regardinng a uniformm development impact ffee for eachh of the Distrricts.
Determinatioons
Suisun Fire Protection District (SSFPD) curreently has aan estimated populatioon of
2,671.
SFPD reported that no ggrowth had occurred wwithin the DDistrict in thhe last five yyears.
Similarly, thhe District anticipates minimal ggrowth in tthe next deecade givenn the
County’s policy of minimmal developpment outside of city booundaries. TThe Districtt was
not aware off any planneed or propossed developpments withhin SFPD.
BBased on Deepartment oof Finance population forecasts, tthe Districtt’s population is
projected to increase froom 2,671 inn 2010 to appproximatelly 2,885 in 22020.
BBecause a majority oof the landd in SFPDD is designnated as mmarsh resoource
preservationn, it is anticiipated that there will bbe minimal residential developmeent or
population ggrowth withhin the Disttrict. SFPD, however, expects agrriculture-related
coonstructionn, due to groowth in the wwine industtry.
DDISADVAANTAGEDD UNINCCORPORRATED CCOMMUNNITIES
LAFCCO is requirred to evaluuate disadvvantaged unnincorporatted communnities as paart of
this servvice review,, including tthe locationn and charaacteristics of any such ccommunitiees. A
disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd community is definned as anyy area witth 12 or mmore
108 Land in the Travis Resserve is set aside for future eexpansion of Trravis Air Force Base only. If tthe status of thhe base
changes, thhe constructionn of a non-millitary airport aand support usses may be peermitted in thee Travis Reservve. No
residential uses will be permitted in the TTravis Reserve. Until a militaryy or airport usee is proposed for land with the Travis
Reserve designation, the CCity supports itss continued usee for agriculturee and grazing.
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registereed voters, oor as determmined by ccommission policy, whhere the meedian houseehold
income iis less than 80 percent of the statewide annuaal median.1099
The CCalifornia DDepartment of Water Resources (DDWR) has developed a mapping toool to
assist inn determining which ccommunitiees meet thee disadvanttaged commmunities meedian
househoold income ddefinition.1100 Accordingg to DWR, thhere are no communities that meeet the
definitioon of a disaddvantaged uunincorporaated commuunity in Sollano Countyy. As such, tthere
are no ddisadvantagged unincorrporated communities within or aadjacent too SFPD’s boounds
and spheere of influeence.
Determinatioon
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to SSFPD’s bounnds and sphere of influeence.
FINAANCIAL AABILITYY TO PRROVIDE SSERVICEES
The financial abbility of ageencies to prrovide servvices is affeccted by avaailable finanncing
sources and financiing constraiints. This ssection disccusses the mmajor financing constrraints
faced byy the Districtt and identifies the revenue sourcees currentlyy available tto the Distriict.
The DDistrict repported that its financinng levels weere adequatte to deliverr services. SSFPD
has not experiencedd any negattive effects of the recent economiic recessionn and reportedly
did not hhave a needd to implemment any cost containmment strateggies; howevver, frugalityy is a
part of the Districct’s normall operationns. For SFPPD, the primary finanncing consttraint
identified is the losss of propertty tax revennue when lannds are detached fromm the Districtt and
annexedd into the neighboring cities. To eenhance its level of finnancing, the District appplies
for grantts and is currrently impllementing aa developmeent impact ffee update.
Revennues andd Expenses
The DDistrict’s reevenue in FYY 12-13 tottaled $396,5542, a majoority of which was receeived
from prooperty taxes (59 perceent) and chaarges for seervices (37 ppercent). Thhe remaindder of
the revvenue camme from llicenses, ppermit andd franchisse fees, uuse of mooney,
intergovvernmental revenue, annd miscellanneous revennue.
The DDistrict colllects annuall permit feees from bussinesses witth hazardouus operationns. In
additionn, SFPD conducts speciial inspectioons and connsultations and chargees $35 per hour
with a oone-hour mminimum. TThe Districtt also colleects fees foor automatiic fire sprinnkler
systems plan reviewws, inspectiion of commmunity care facilities, ccode violatioons, salvagee and
overhaul, and speciaal responsees. The fee scchedule includes persoonnel costs aand vehicle fees.
As was previously mentionedd in the Grrowth and PPopulation Projectionss section off this
109 Governmment Code §560033.5.
110 Based oon census data, the median hoousehold incomme in the State of California iin 2010 was $557,708, 80 perccent of
which is $446,166.
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report, SFPD also charges development impact fees. SFPD does not receive any revenues
from special taxes or benefit assessments.
The District’s expenditures amounted to $329,409 in FY 12-13—47 percent was spent
on salaries and employment benefits, 28 percent on services and supplies, one percent on
other charges, and 24 percent on fixed assets.
Capital Improvements
The District plans its capital improvements through the annual budgets and finances
improvements with development impact fees and grant money. It was reported that the
District was in the process of developing a capital improvement plan (CIP), which would be
used to identify SFPD infrastructure needs, financing sources for improvements, and
construction timeline. Two other fire protection districts in the County, including Cordelia
and Vacaville, are in the middle of the same process of CIP development, all three using the
same consultant.
The District spent $77,965 in FY 12-13 on capital improvements, including $60,000 on
type 3 engine and the rest on fire station improvements.
In FY 13-14, SFPD plans to spend $12,290 on buildings and improvements, $40,000 on
vehicles, $5,000 on equipment, and $2,200 on computer equipment.
Outstanding Debt
The District had no long-term debt at the end of FY 12-13.
Reserves
The District has a management practice to keep two financial reserves—an equipment
reserve, which had a balance of $60,000 at the end of FY 13, and an operating reserve also
with a balance of $60,000.
Additionally, SFPD has a DIF reserve, which had a negative balance of -$7,368.65 at the
end of FY 13.
Determinations
The District reported that its financing levels were adequate to deliver services.
SFPD has not experienced any negative effects of the recent economic recession and
reportedly did not have a need to implement any cost containment strategies;
however, frugality is a part of the District’s normal operations.
For SFPD, the primary financing constraint identified is the loss of property tax
revenue when lands are detached from the District and annexed into the
neighboring cities. To enhance its level of financing, the District applies for grants
and is currently implementing a development impact fee update.
A majority of the District’s revenues are received from property taxes and charges
for services, including development impact fees. SFPD does not receive any
revenues from special taxes or benefit assessments.
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The District finances its capital improvements with development impact fees and
grant money.
The District has a management practice to keep two financial reserves—an
equipment reserve, which had a balance of $60,000 at the end of FY 13, and an
operating reserve also with a balance of $60,000. Additionally, SFPD has a
development impact fee reserve, which had a negative balance of -$7,368.65 at the
end of FY 13.
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PRESEN
The District repported that
services to its existiing service a
its bounndaries andd every com
District wwould suppposedly hav
District, however, aalso reporte
accommodate wine industry-re
Existiing Demmand
SFPDD reported that its p
afternooon. The nummber of calls
calls, esppecially thosse caused b
July throough Septemmber.
The DDistrict repported that
last seveeral years. However,
increaseed in 2013, after being
the actual increase in service
2013 thee District started a prog
is trackeed and a Nattional Fire I
In 2013, SFPPD
45
receivedd a total of
40
420 calls, which
includedd emergency 35
medical calls (336
30
percent)), fires annd
25
hazardous materiaals
calls (333 percent), 20
motor vehiccle 15
accidentts (111
10
percent)), false alarmms
5
(11 percent),
miscellaneous
emergenncies (ssix
percent)), annd
miscellaneous noon-
emergenncy calls (thhree percen
calls. The Departmeent averaged
111 Non-Emergencies calls include emerge
SFPD
sllaC
fo
rebmuN
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FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
NT AND PPLANNEED CAPAACITY
t it presenttly had suffficient capacity to prrovide adeqquate
area. As SFPPD experiennces mainlyy commerciaal growth wwithin
mmercial bbuilding muust be equiipped with sprinklerss, the
e sufficientcapacity evven if the nuumber of caalls doubledd. The
d that it plaanned to exxpand its staation in the Valley to bbetter
elated tourism growth.
peak demannd periodss occurred daily arouund five inn the
does not grreatly depennd on the dday of the week. Fire service
y vegetationn fires, are hhigher in voolume durinng the montths of
it had obseerved almosst no changge in servicee demand inn the
as shown iin Figure 88-5, the nummber of caalls dramatiically
g fairly stablle for six yeears. The inncrease is aattributed nnot to
demand, buut to the District’s impproved traccking systemm. In
gram to asssure that every responsse, regardleess of the naature,
ncident Repporting Systtem (NIFRS)) report gennerated.
Figgure 8-5: SFPPD Number of Calls by YYear, 2007-2013
50
00
50
00
50
00
50
00
50
0
2007 2008 20009 2010 2011 2012 20113
Year
nt)111. Of the total calls reported, 111 percent wwere mutuaal aid
d 157 servicce calls per 1,000 residdents.
ency standby, public service asssist, agency asssist.
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Staffing
The District has 39 firefighting personnel—one fire chief, one fire marshal, a training
chief, two battalion chiefs, six captains, and 28 firefighters. With the exception of the
training chief, all of the District’s firefighting personnel are volunteers. The training chief is
a full-time paid employee and is required to train and instruct volunteer firefighters. In
addition, this individual attends formal courses that enhance his/her ability to lead,
supervise, and command others. Volunteers do not get compensated; however, in order to
assure an immediate response during the wildland fire season, the District hires one
firefighter per day for extra help on a part-time basis for $12.00 per hour. The District also
compensates volunteers who choose to respond as part of a mutual aid request to an
incident that is a part of the California Fire Assistance Agreement. Any compensation
received is dependent upon their rank and time spent on the incident.
The District reported that its employee and volunteer pay was comparable to other fire
protection districts in the County. Reportedly, only one district in Solano County provides
year-end compensation for a volunteer’s response during that year. The remainder of the
districts, similar to Suisun FPD, do not offer any compensation to volunteer personnel. Two
of the volunteer fire protection agencies surrounding Suisun FPD do provide
reimbursement for expenses, which is not considered compensation.
The District’s staffing level has slightly increased in the last three years. SFPD
experienced some turnover, however. The District lost a couple of volunteers in 2011 and
2013, but gained more firefighters in each of the last thee years. The median age of the
District’s firefighters is 29.5, with a range from 19 to 66.
Each year during the months of November, December and the first half of January, the
District recruits new volunteer firefighters. Advertising is done locally through news
media, and through a California State Firefighter’s Association grant that provides a
website (volunteerfirefighter.org) referring applicants to the district website. That grant
also provides local advertising in the form of banners and signs that can be displayed
locally. The District is also a participant in a regional grant that will provide a monetary
incentive for becoming and remaining an active volunteer firefighter. This grant has been
submitted, but there had been no outcome on the application as of the drafting of this
report.
Currently, there are three certifications in the California firefighter series; Volunteer
Firefighter, Firefighter I, and Firefighter II. While the Volunteer Firefighter focuses on skills
and tasks necessary to assure safety on the fire ground, Firefighter I & II prepares the
firefighter to perform essential and advanced fire ground tasks, as well as allowing entry
into all tracks of the certification system. The level of certification required for each
firefighter is determined by the individual fire department. However, according to the
California State Fire Marshal, there are plans to phase out the Volunteer Firefighter
certification level and the most basic level of certification will eventually be Firefighter I.
Firefighter I certification requires completion of the 259-hour Firefighter I course, which
includes training on various fireground tasks, rescue operations, fire prevention and
investigation techniques, and inspection and maintenance of equipment. In addition to this
course, Firefighter I certification also requires that the applicant have a minimum of six
months of volunteer or call experience in a California fire department as a firefighter
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performing suppression duties.112 The number of SFPD personnel certified in each category
is shown in Figure 8-6. Each firefighter, including volunteers, is able to hold multiple
certifications, including strike team certifications.
Figure 8-6: SFPD Certified Personnel
Certification Level Number of % of Total
Firefighting Staff Firefighting Staff
Volunteer Firefighter 0 0%
Firefighter I 8 21%
Firefighter II Not tracked 0%
First Responder EMS 12 31%
Emergency Medical Technician 1 15 38%
Paramedic113 3114 8%
Apparatus Engineer 4115 10%
Driver Operator 12 31%
Company Officer 7 18%
Chief Officer 5 13%
Haz Mat FRO 7116 18%
CICCS FFT 2 0 0%
CICCS FFT 1 0 0%
CICCS Engine Boss 7 18%
CICCS Strike Team Leader 1 2%
The District provides training in two different formats for record keeping purposes.
The first, termed “drill”, refers to any training received at the District’s regular Tuesday
evening drill. These drills are conducted on the second, third, fourth, and fifth Tuesday
(when five Tuesdays fall in one month) of every month. District volunteers are required to
attend a minimum of 75 percent of these drills. The second format is termed “training”,
with training sessions held throughout the year on an as-scheduled basis. These classes
include any formal training offered through the local Training Officers Association,
California State Fire Marshal classes, unscheduled classes that are determined necessary by
the District, or training offered jointly with neighboring agencies.
All new volunteer firefighters must attend the District’s in-house fire academy prior to
being placed in a position of responding to emergencies. The academy is scheduled from
18:00 to 22:00 on Monday and Thursday evenings for ten weeks. Three eight-hour classes
are scheduled on Saturdays or Sundays to meet the hours needed. New recruits are also
required to drill with regular volunteers on four Tuesdays during this same period of time.
At the completion of the recruit academy the new volunteer will have completed
112 State Fire Marshal, Course Information and Required Materials, 2007, p. 44
113 Paramedics that work through other agencies
114 Work as paramedics through other agencies.
115 Have the rank of Engineer 12 and are qualified as driver operator.
116 Six are hazmat IC qualified.
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approximately 90 percent of the Volunteer Firefighter Training Syllabus as published by
the California State Firefighter’s Association.
Facilities
SFPD owns and operates two fire stations. Station 33 is located in the City of Fairfield
and was reported to be fair condition. Station 32, reported to be in good condition, is
located in Suisun Valley. Neither of the stations is staffed. Each station is described in more
detail in Figure 8-7.
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Figure 8-7: SFPD Fire Stations
Station #33 Station #32
Property owner Suisun FPD Suisun FPD
445 Jackson Str., Fairfield 4165 Clayton Rd., Fairfield,
Address
CA CA
Purpose Fire Station Fire Station
Additional uses or other
None None
entities using the facility
Hours station is staffed Varies Varies
Date acquired or built 1954 1984
Condition of facility117 Fair Good
Larger assembly area,
Infrastructure Needs None
indoor storage.
1 – Type I Engine
1 – Type I Water Tender
1 – Type II Engine
1 – Type III Engine
1 – Type V Engine
2 – Type V Engines
1 – Type VI Engine
Number and type of vehicles 1 – Rescue/squad
1 – Type 1 Water Tender
at facility 1 – Type 1 Breathing Air
1 – Command /Brush Unit
Support
1 – Reserve Type I Engine
1 – Boat
1 – Utility 15 person Van
1 –Command /Brush Unit
1 – Utility SUV
Number and classification of
1 Battalion Chief 0
paid staff staffing facility
Number and classification of
another agency’s paid staff 0 0
staffing the facility
Number of volunteers
Varies Varies
staffing facility
Number of volunteers/on
call staff available to respond
39 39
to an incident utilizing a
vehicle from this station
117 Facility condition definitions: Excellent—relatively new (less than 10 years old) and requires minimal maintenance.
Good—provides reliable operation in accordance with design parameters and requires only routine maintenance. Fair—
operating at or near design levels; however, non-routine renovation, upgrading and repairs are needed to ensure
continued reliable operation. Poor—cannot be operated within design parameters; major renovations are required to
restore the facility and ensure reliable operation.
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Reportedly, the District currently has hydrants with sufficient water supply in the two
areas of the District that have concentrations of residential housing. The water supply in
the remainder of the District is provided through the use of water tenders (2,000 gallons
and 3,000 gallons)—both district-owned and available through automatic and mutual aid.
The building code requires fire sprinklers for any future construction.
It appears that currently there is marginal capacity to provide adequate services to the
existing service area based on the condition of the District’s facilities. One of the District’s
stations is in fair condition, which constitutes a capacity constraint. In addition, SFPD meets
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for response to structural fire
calls, but its response to medical emergencies is slightly longer than the Solano Emergency
Medical Service Cooperative (SEMSC) standard for rural areas. The measure of the
response to medical emergencies is approximate as it was not possible to separate
response times for medical emergencies from other types of calls. Additionally, some of the
District’s areas may be considered remote instead of rural, which lengthens the response
times. Although the District is not an ALS provider and is not required to meet the SEMSC
response standards, the measure approximates what may be considered appropriate
response times to medical emergencies in rural areas of Solano County.
The District’s capacity is further constrained by the unpredictability of the availability
of a purely volunteer force.
Dispatch and communications
With the exception of East Vallejo FPD, all the fire protection districts in Solano County,
including SFPD, contract with Solano County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center for dispatch
services. East Vallejo FPD is dispatched through the City of Vallejo. The cities of Benicia,
Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville, and Vallejo each have their own dispatch center.
SFPD entered into a contract with the Sheriff’s Department on July 1st, 2014 for a term
of three years ending on June 30, 2017. Compensation by the District to the Sheriff is
determined by a CAD printout of incidents according to the following formula:
1) ADC (Average Daily Calls)/SADC (Sheriff’s Average Dail Calls) = %
2) % of ADC of Sheriff’s Dispatch Budget * % of ADC = Cost to the District
The Solano County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center also provides dispatch services to
Sheriff's Office, Isleton Police and Fire, Dixon Police and Fire, California Medical Facility, Rio
Vista/Delta Fire Districts, and Solano Community College Police on a 24-hour basis. The
Sheriff's Dispatch Center also handles coordination of air ambulance for scene calls to all
areas of the County (city or county), coordination of all mutual aid for the County, and out
of county requests.
The dispatch center operates with at least two people on duty at all times. The center
operators answer and transmit on three primary radio channels, seven secondary channels
and a number of other law and fire radios for other agencies.
Communication equipment is sometimes not compatible making it difficult to
communicate when coordinating a mutual aid call. Many of the districts have mutual aid
agreements with the cities. Dispatch becomes a challenge if the nearest responder is a city
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agency or if a city requires assistance from a district. Often times it takes multiple calls to
different departments to get assistance sent.
SFPD reported that it supported the solution proposed by the Solano Consolidated
Dispatch Feasibility Study conducted in 2010. The analysis in the Study determined that the
full consolidation alternative presented a viable financial solution. “Bringing the existing
dispatch center operations into the same room will result in significant enhancements to
the interagency coordination that is required when more than one agency is responding to
an emergency.”
Infrastructure Needs
The District reported that it needed a larger assembly area for meetings and training of
personnel and inside storage for apparatus at Station 32. Although SFPD has not reported
any infrastructure needs for Station 33, the facility is in fair condition and is in need of
upgrades to improve its condition. Reportedly, the District currently has no immediate
need to replace any vehicles, but projects that one Type V engine is due to be replaced
within the next five years. In addition, SFPD is planning to add three new pieces of fire
suppression equipment to its fleet. All of the improvements and new purchases are planned
to be financed with DIF revenue.
Challenges
One of the primary challenges reported by the District is attracting, training, and
retaining volunteers, especially volunteers in supervisory roles. SFPD believes that a key
component to this process is assuring that these volunteers are participants in the decision
making process, feel appreciated for their service, and receive deserved promotions to
supervisory and management positions. The District reported that one of the main
obstacles to retaining volunteers and sustaining motivation and commitment was the
perceived threat among volunteers that the District would be disbanded, consolidated or
its governance structure modified in some way without their input.
The second challenge reported is financial. As reported by SFPD, fire districts continue
to lose property tax revenue as areas are detached from their boundaries by neighboring
cities, which reduces the districts’ resources and capacity to offer a certain level of
service.118 SFPD would like to stabilize its funding sources in order to allow the District to
maintain its current level of service.
The southern portion of the District was reported to be a challenging area to serve.
There is no station close to that region and it takes the District 45 minutes to respond to
incidents that occur during duck hunting season. It, however, may not be financially
justifiable to construct a station in the area with only seasonal demand.
118 The districts affected by the detachments should take advantage of the Standard 11 in the LAFCO Policies and
Procedures manual that requires the city annexing territory from a special district to mitigate the negative impact on that
district. Common mitigation practice of adverse fiscal impact includes a negotiated property tax neutrality agreement.
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SERVICEE ADEQUACY
While there are several benchmarks tthat may deefine the levvel of fire sservice provvided
by an aggency, indicators of serrvice adequuacy discusssed here incclude ISO raatings, respponse
times, annd level of staffing and station resoources for thhe service aarea.
Fire services in the commuunities are cclassified byy the Insuraance Servicee Office (ISOO), an
advisoryy organization. This claassification indicates thhe general aadequacy oof coverage, with
classes rranking fromm 1 to 10. CCommunitiees with the bbest fire deppartment faacilities, sysstems
for wateer distributtion, fire alarms and ccommunicaations, and equipmentt and persoonnel
receive aa rating of 1. Suisun FFPD has ann ISO ratingg of 5/8B thhroughout its service area.
SFPD waas last evaluuated in 20112.
The NNational Firre Protectioon Associatioon (NFPA) hhas issued rresponse timme performmance
standardds dependinng on the service structture of the aagency. The response tiime is meassured
from thee completionn of the disppatch notification to thhe arrival timme of the firrst-respondder at
the scenne. Thoughh not a leggal mandatee, these staandards provide a useful benchmmark
against wwhich to meeasure fire ddepartmentt performannce. For ageencies with paid staff, NNFPA
1710 ideentifies the response tiime guideline of six mminutes at leeast 90 perccent of the time.
For voluunteer andd combinatiion fire deepartments,, NFPA 17720 recommmends thatt the
responsee times forr structure fire be ninne minutes in urban demand zoones at leasst 90
percent of the timee, 10 minutees in suburbban zones aat least 80 ppercent of tthe time annd 14
minutes in rural zonnes at leastt 80 percentt of the timee. Responsee times in reemote zonees are
directly dependent on travel diistances.119 SSFPD falls wwithin the ddefinition off a rural demmand
zone andd would theerefore be ssubject to thhe NFPA 17720 guidelinnes. Reporteedly, there are a
few smaall areas of the Districtt that meet the criteriaa of a “remmote” area ddue to the ttravel
distancees required tto access the properties.
Emerrgency respponse time sstandards vvary by leveel of urbanizzation of ann area: the mmore
urban aan area, thee faster a response sshould be. Solano Emmergency MMedical Services
Cooperaative (SEMSC) has designated an eexclusive opperating arrea (EOA) inn Solano Coounty
for EMS and ambulaance servicees providedd by Medic AAmbulance Services. Thhe EOA inclludes
all territtory in Solaano County with the exxception of the City of Vacaville, TTravis Air FForce
Base, annd the territtory designaated as Zonne C.120 SEMMSA has the responsibility for assuuring
that all tthe incorpoorated and uunincorporaated areas oof the counnty have a ssafe, dependdable
and respponsive pre hospital Emmergency MMedical Caree system. In the EOA, thhe response time
guideline is seven mminutes 90 percent of the time foor a Code 3 response tto a 911 priiority
calls for all particippating memmber cities. There is nno responsee time standdard for Coode 2
responsees. Compliaance with thhese requireements is deetermined oon a monthlly basis. If aa city
providinng ALS serviices fails to comply with these ressponse timee standardss, it is finedd. The
amount payable byy Medic to the particippating memmber cities reflects thee estimated cost
savings tto Medic unnder the SEMMSC agreemment due too the first reesponse of tthe participating
memberr cities. Meddic on the otther hand is required too respond wwithin nine tto 12 minuttes in
119 Urban demand zone haas population deensity of more than 1,000 peoople per square mile; suburbann zone—betweeen 500
and 1,000 people per squuare mile, rurall zone—less thaan 500 people per square mile, and remote zone is identiffied by
eight or moore miles of travvel distance to aan incident.
120 Solano EEmergency Meddical Services Coooperative Ambbulance Servicee Agreement, Appril 10, 2010.
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areas identified as urban areas, 15 minutes in areas designated as rural and 90 minutes in
remote areas. Although these standards are intended for ALS providers, which SFPD is not,
the Medic response standard for rural areas indicates what is considered appropriate
response times for medical emergencies for the District.
The District’s goal is to meet the NFPA 1720 guidelines for rural demand zone. SFPD’s
80th percentile response time is 13.13 minutes, the 90th percentile response time is 16.7
minutes, the median response time is 7.75 minutes, and average response time is 8.76
minutes.
The service area size for each fire station varies between the fire districts. The median
fire station in Solano County serves approximately 39.8 square miles. The Dixon FPD
(Dixon FD) station serves the most expansive area of 320 square miles. Densely populated
areas tend to have smaller service areas. For example, the average service area by EVFPD’s
(Vallejo FD) fire stations is 8.3 square miles. By comparison, each fire station in SFPD
serves approximately 70 square miles.
The number of firefighters serving within a particular jurisdiction is another indicator
of level of service; however, it is approximate. The providers that rely on volunteer or call
firefighters may have differing staff availability and reliability. An agency with more
firefighters could have fewer resources, if availability is limited due to work and personal
obligations. Staffing levels in Solano County vary from 0.68 firefighters per 1,000 residents
in EVFPD to 29 in MFPD. By comparison, SFPD has on average approximately 15
firefighters per 1,000 residents.
Operating expenditures per capita is often reflective of the level of service offered by a
fire provider as determined by financing constraints. The least amount of money per capita
was spent by Dixon FPD ($79). Montezuma FPD expended the most per capita ($499), as it
serves a relatively expansive area with very low population density. To compare, SFPD
spent $94 per capita in FY 12-13.
Determinations
Although no population growth is expected, it was reported that growth of the wine
industry in the County is attracting more tourism and therefore increasing demand
for services.
The District reported that it presently had sufficient capacity to provide adequate
services to its existing service area. As SFPD experiences mainly commercial growth
within its boundaries and every commercial building must be equipped with
sprinklers, the District anticipates to have sufficient capacity, even if the number of
calls doubled. The District, however, plans to expand its station in the valley to
better accommodate wine industry-related tourism growth.
Other needed capital improvements include a larger assembly area for meetings and
training of personnel, inside storage for apparatus at Station 32 and purchase of
additional fire suppression equipment. In addition, the District needs to make
necessary improvements to Station 33 to improve its condition. All of the
improvements and new purchases are planned to be financed with development
impact fee revenue.
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DData analysis revealedd marginal capacity tto provide adequate services too the
exxisting servvice area bbased on thhe fair condition of thhe District’’s facilities. The
DDistrict has ssufficient caapacity to pprovide servvices to its service areea as it is abble to
mmeet the Naational Firee Protectionn Associatioon (NFPA) standards for responsse to
sttructural firre calls. Thee District’s ccapacity is constrainedd by the unpredictabiliity of
avvailability oof a purely vvolunteer foorce.
SFPD servicees appear too be adequaate. The District has addequate respponse timess and
an ISO ratingg which is comparable to other providers in tthe County. The Districct has
abbout 15 fireefighters peer 1,000 ressidents, whiich is aboutt average inn Solano Couunty;
each station covers appproximatelyy 70 square miles whicch also nearrs a countyywide
avverage.
DDistrict management methods appear to geneerally meet accepted beest managemment
practices. Thhe District prepares a budget beefore the beeginning off the fiscal year,
coonducts finnancial auddits for eveery fiscal yyear, mainntains curreent transpaarent
fiinancial reccords, trackks employeee and distrrict workloaad, and hass an establiished
process to adddress complaints. SFPPD managemment practiices will be improved wwhen
thhe District ccompletes iits capital immprovemennt plan (CIPP) that wouuld outline long-
teerm infrasttructure neeeds, financcing sourcees, and a completionn schedule. The
DDistrict coulld further mmake improovements bby conductiing strategiic planningg and
seervice demaand projectiions.
TThe District was recently investigaated by the Grand Jury,, and the 20012-2013 reeport
outlines a nuumber of findings, inclluding expiired Board member teerms, absennce of
ceertain Board and distriict policies, the need too automate ttraining records, and looss of
reevenue duee to territoryy detachmeents. The SFFPD Board oof Directorss and the Coounty
BBoard of Suupervisors hhave respoonded to GGrand Jury findings; thhe SFPD chhief’s
reesponse is ppending.
STAATUS ANND OPPOORTUNITIES FOOR SHARRED FACCILITIESS
Shared Faciliities andd Regional Cooperation
Shared FFacilities
SFPDD practices ffacility sharring by allowwing the Sheeriff’s Depaartment to uutilize Statioon 32
as a meeeting and brriefing locattion for on dduty officerrs. The Disttrict also alllows the Coounty
Public WWorks Deparrtment to sttore its equiipment at Station 32 wwhile workinng on projeccts in
the area.
In terrms of oppoortunities foor future faccility sharinng, the Distrrict reportedd that theree was
not suffiicient roomm at their cuurrent statioons for SFPPD equipmeent and the District didd not
anticipatte sharing itts stations uunless they are further expanded.
The DDistrict does not share its vehicless and equipmment with oother agencies and doees not
see futurre opportunnities to do sso.
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Collaboration
As previously mentioned in the Type and Extent of Services section, SFPD has automatic
aid agreements with the City of Fairfield Fire Department, Montezuma FPD, and Napa
County Fire and Cal Fire. Additionally, the District is a part of a master mutual aid
agreement, which dates from 1996, with several Solano and Yolo County fire agencies,
including the City of Benicia, the City of Dixon, the City of Fairfield, the City of Rio Vista, the
City of Suisun, the City of Vacaville, the City of Vallejo, the County of Solano, the American
Canyon FPD, the California Medical Facility FD, Delta FPD, Cordelia FPD, Vacaville FPD,
Exxon Benicia Refinery FD, Gordon Valley FD, Montezuma FPD, Travis AFB, and Cal Fire.
SFPD is also a part of the statewide mutual aid agreement through the Office of Emergency
Services (OES).
SFPD provides fire protection planning services jointly with the County Building
Department.
SFPD is a member of the JPA called the Solano Emergency Medical Services Cooperative
(SEMSC), which is comprised of all the cities in Solano County, except for the City of
Vacaville, and all the fire districts in the unincorporated areas of the County. 121 Fire districts
are represented by one member on the SEMSC seven-member Board of Directors. The
SEMSC was designated by the Solano County Board of Supervisors as the Local EMS Agency
(LEMSA) for Solano County. The SEMSC has all of the responsibilities and authority vested
in a local EMS Agency, including the ability to select, via a competitive process, a provider
for emergency ambulance service.
SFPD has participated in two regional planning efforts—the City of Suisun City Hazard
Mitigation Plan and the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan conducted by the County. Also, as
previously mentioned in the Growth Strategies section, SFPD is taking part in a
development impact fee study with three other fire protection districts in the County.
Additionally, Suisun FPD is a member of several collaborative organizations, including
the Solano County Fire Chiefs Association, the California Fire Chiefs Association, and the
California State Firefighters’ Association.
Determinations
SFPD practices facility sharing by allowing the Sheriff’s Department to utilize Station
32 as a meeting and briefing location for on duty officers. The District also allows
the County Public Works Department to store its equipment at Station 32 while
working on projects in the area.
In terms of opportunities for future facility sharing, the District reported that there
was not sufficient room at its current stations for SFPD equipment and the District
did not anticipate sharing its stations unless they are further expanded.
121 Services cover the Exclusive Operating Area (EOA) except 1) the territories of the City of Vacaville and Travis Air Force
Base, and the territory of Solano County known as “Zone C”, 2) the territory of Sacramento County that incorporates the
territories of the Delta FPD and the City of Isleton, and 3) the territory of Napa County designated as the Gordon Valley.
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Management Efficiencies
While public sector management standards vary depending on the size and scope of the
organization, there are minimum standards. Well-managed organizations evaluate
employees annually, track employee and agency productivity, periodically review agency
performance, prepare a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year, conduct periodic
financial audits to safeguard the public trust, maintain relatively current financial records,
conduct advanced planning for future service needs, and plan and budget for capital needs.
The District’s fire chief is responsible for the day-to-day operations of SFPD. SFPD has
one full-time equivalent (FTE) paid122 employee—a training battalion chief who is
responsible for the firefighters’ training. The remainder of the personnel consists of
volunteers including one fire chief, one fire marshal, two battalion chiefs, six captains, 28
firefighters, five miscellaneous help staff, and 15 explorers. The fire chief reports to the
Board of Directors and supervises the fire marshal, the training chief and the battalion
chiefs. Both battalion chiefs supervise three captains each. Firefighters report to captains.
Employee evaluations are conducted by the fire chief annually. The chief formally evaluates
only the paid employee every year.
Overall agency performance evaluations are performed informally during the chief’s
annual reports to the Board. The chief reports on the strategic goals at the beginning of the
year and on the results at the end of the year. The District records its goals and objectives,
as well as the District’s strengths and weaknesses as separate lists to be presented to the
Board. In addition, the District conducts action reviews on each major incident. One of the
main performance measures used by SFPD to determine its service adequacy is the
response time standards set by NFPA 20, as described in the Service Adequacy section.
The District tracks the workload performed by the paid employee through time sheets.
The workload of all other staff is tracked through logs, including response, training and
other activities.
The District’s financial planning efforts include an annually adopted budget and audited
financial statements, which are audited by Solano County every two years for every fiscal
year. SFPD does not presently have any other planning documents. Short-term goals are
established in the budgets, while long-term objectives will be planned for in the capital
improvement plan (CIP), which is currently being developed.
The District reported that in order to improve operational efficiencies for fire service
provision in the County dispatch services need to be consolidated into one centralized fire
dispatch that has responsibility over fire and EMS resources throughout Solano. SFPD also
believes that SEMSA response time standards should be adjusted to allow for better
coverage in rural areas that do not have paramedics on the initial response apparatus; for
example, positioning ambulances deeper into rural areas rather than urban areas would
constitute an improvement to operational efficiency and increase in service level.
122 A person whose primary employment is as a firefighter for a municipality or other agency or company and who derives
the majority of their earned income working in the fire service.
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The District was recently investigated by the Grand Jury, and the 2012-2013 report
outlines a number of findings. Besides the expired terms of the Board members, which was
discussed in the Government Structure and Accountability section, the Grand Jury found that
the Board of Directors had no written policies on Board member job descriptions and
responsibilities, Board actions and procedures, and setting of policies. In addition, SFPD did
not establish written operational policies and procedures regarding promotional standards
and requirements, an injury and illness prevention program, physical ability assessment,
job description program, a seat belt use policy, and discipline policy. The Grand Jury also
found that SFPD was not taking full advantage of available automation for training records
and that the District would continue to lose taxpayer funding in the event of continued
detachments from the District, for which the Grand Jury’s solution was consolidation of the
western portion of SFPD with the eastern portion of Montezuma FPD.
In the response to the Grand Jury’s investigation, SFPD’s Board of Directors disagreed
with most of the findings, including expired terms of directors and absence of policies. The
Board asserts in its response that all the policies mentioned by the Grand Jury are in
existence and available at the captain’s office. The District implemented the Grand Jury’s
recommendation to automate training records and approved a part-time data entry
position. SFPD also believes that revenues lost due to detachment of territory could be
substituted by other revenue sources. The District fire chief has not yet submitted his
response to the Grand Jury.
Determinations
SFPD practices facility sharing by allowing the Sheriff’s Department to utilize Station
32 as a meeting and briefing location for on duty officers. The District also allows
the County Public Works Department to store its equipment at Station 32 while
working on projects in the area.
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LAFCO POLICIIES AFFECTING SERVICCE DELIVERY
Solanno LAFCO has adopteed a policyy that direectly affectss service ddelivery byy fire
protectioon districtss in the Couunty. Standard 11 in tthe LAFCO Standards and Proceddures
manual requires thhat a city appplying to LLAFCO for aannexation of a speciffic territoryy that
belongs in this casee to a fire pprotection ddistrict musst offset thee negative cconsequencces of
that annnexation, wwhich may include neggative effectts on the ddistrict’s buudget or service
provision. The anneexing city iss required tto work witth the affeccted districtt to identifyy and
mitigate the impaccts. Adequatte mitigatioon to adverrse fiscal immpact normmally includdes a
funding source forr lost revennues or inccreased cossts to the aaffected sppecial distriict. A
commonn practice inn Solano Couunty is to neegotiate a pproperty taxx neutrality agreement for a
specific period of time betweeen the annexing cityy and the nnegatively affected sppecial
district.
Determinatioons
Sttandard 111 of the LAAFCO Standdards and PProcedures manual reequires thee city
annexing terrritory fromm a special district to mitigate thhe negative impact onn that
district. Commmon mitigaation practiice of adverrse fiscal immpact includdes a negottiated
property taxx neutrality aagreement.
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SUIISUN FIRRE PROTTECTIONN DISTRRICT DEETERMINNATIONSS
Growtth and PPopulatiion Projjectionss
Suisun Fire Protection District (SSFPD) curreently has aan estimated populatioon of
2,671.
SFPD reported that no ggrowth had occurred wwithin the DDistrict in thhe last five yyears.
Similarly, thhe District anticipates minimal ggrowth in tthe next deecade givenn the
County’s policy of minimmal developpment outside of city booundaries. TThe Districtt was
not aware off any planneed or propossed developpments withhin SFPD.
BBased on Deepartment oof Finance population forecasts, tthe Districtt’s population is
projected to increase froom 2,671 inn 2010 to appproximatelly 2,885 in 22020.
BBecause a majority oof the landd in SFPDD is designnated as mmarsh resoource
preservationn, it is anticiipated that there will bbe minimal residential developmeent or
population ggrowth withhin the Disttrict. SFPD, however, expects agrriculture-related
coonstructionn, due to groowth in the wwine industtry.
The Location and Chharacterristics oof Disadvantageed
Unincorporatted Commmunitiees Within or Coontiguous to thhe
Agenccy’s SOI
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to SSFPD’s bounnds and sphere of influeence.
Present and PPlannedd Capaciity of Puublic Faacilities and
Adequuacy of Public SServicess, Includding Inffrastruccture
Needss and Deeficiencies
AAlthough no populationn growth is eexpected, itt was reportted that groowth of the wine
inndustry in tthe County iis attractingg more tourrism and thherefore increasing demmand
foor services.
TThe District reported thhat it preseently had suufficient cappacity to prrovide adeqquate
seervices to itts existing sservice area. As SFPD exxperiences mainly commmercial growth
wwithin its bboundaries and everyy commerciial buildingg must be equipped with
spprinklers, thhe District aanticipates to have suffficient capaacity, even iif the numbber of
caalls doubled. The Disttrict, howevver, plans tto expand iits station in the valleey to
better accommmodate wine industryy-related touurism growwth.
OOther needed capital immprovementts include a larger assembly area ffor meetingss and
trraining of ppersonnel, iinside storaage for appparatus at SStation 32 aand purchase of
additional fiire suppresssion equippment. In aaddition, thhe District needs to mmake
necessary immprovemennts to Stattion 33 too improve its conditiion. All off the
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improvements and new purchases are planned to be financed with development
impact fee revenue.
Data analysis revealed marginal capacity to provide adequate services to the
existing service area based on the fair condition of the District’s facilities. The
District has sufficient capacity to provide services to its service area as it is able to
meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for response to
structural fire calls. The District’s capacity is constrained by the unpredictability of
the availability of a purely volunteer force.
SFPD services appear to be adequate. The District has adequate response times and
an ISO rating which is comparable to other providers in the County. The District has
about 15 firefighters per 1,000 residents, which is about average in Solano County;
each station covers approximately 70 square miles which also nears a countywide
average.
District management methods appear to generally meet accepted best management
practices. The District prepares a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year,
conducts financial audits for every fiscal year, maintains current transparent
financial records, tracks employee and district workload, and has an established
process to address complaints. SFPD management practices will be improved when
the District completes its capital improvement plan (CIP) that would outline long-
term infrastructure needs, financing sources, and a completion schedule. The
District could further make improvements by conducting strategic planning and
service demand projections.
The District was recently investigated by the Grand Jury, and the 2012-2013 report
outlines a number of findings, including expired Board member terms, absence of
certain Board and district policies, the need to automate training records, and loss of
revenue due to territory detachments. The SFPD Board of Directors and the County
Board of Supervisors have responded to Grand Jury findings; the SFPD chief’s
response is pending.
Financial Ability of Agencies to Provide Services
The District reported that its financing levels were adequate to deliver services.
SFPD has not experienced any negative effects of the recent economic recession and
reportedly did not have a need to implement any cost containment strategies;
however, frugality is a part of the District’s normal operations.
For SFPD, the primary financing constraint identified is the loss of property tax
revenue when lands are detached from the District and annexed into the
neighboring cities. To enhance its level of financing, the District applies for grants
and is currently implementing a development impact fee update.
A majority of the District’s revenues are received from property taxes and charges
for services, including development impact fees. SFPD does not receive any
revenues from special taxes or benefit assessments.
The District finances its capital improvements with development impact fees and
grant money.
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The District has a management practice to keep two financial reserves—an
equipment reserve, which had a balance of $60,000 at the end of FY 13, and an
operating reserve also with a balance of $60,000. Additionally, SFPD has a
development impact fee reserve, which had a negative balance of -$7,368.65 at the
end of FY 13.
Status of, and Opportunities for, Shared Facilities
SFPD practices facility sharing by allowing the Sheriff’s Department to utilize Station
32 as a meeting and briefing location for on duty officers. The District also allows
the County Public Works Department to store its equipment at Station 32 while
working on projects in the area.
In terms of opportunities for future facility sharing, the District reported that there
was not sufficient room at its current stations for SFPD equipment and the District
did not anticipate sharing its stations unless they are further expanded.
Accountability for Community Service Needs, Including
Governmental Structure and Operational Efficiencies
The District generally demonstrated accountability and transparency with regard to
governance by cooperating with the MSR process, adopting an annual budget prior
to the start of the fiscal year, publishing agendas for public meetings as legally
required, maintaining a website (however, most pages are currently under
construction), and filing of Forms 700 Statement of Economic Interest.
SFPD could make some improvements to its accountability and transparency,
including posting up-to-date contact information, district and Board policies and
procedures, as well as financial information on its website. The District could also
increase public interest in SFPD’s affairs by implementing additional outreach
measures, such as newspaper advertisements and news releases and sending
information about Board meetings and district services to SFPD residents.
The District needs to continue its practice of ensuring and documenting that all
board members have completed ethics training if the District’s board members
receive compensation or expense reimbursements. It was reported that the
District’s board members last received ethics training in 2012.
Due to concerns that the current board members’ terms had expired several years
ago and the Directors had not been officially reappointed to their positions by the
Board of Supervisors, the Supervisors filled a vacancy with a new director in
February 2014 and renewed the terms of each director in March 2014 by formal
action.
LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery
Standard 11 of the LAFCO Standards and Procedures manual requires the city
annexing territory from a special district to mitigate the negative impact on that
district. Common mitigation practice of adverse fiscal impact includes a negotiated
property tax neutrality agreement.
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9 . VACCAVI LL L E FFI R E PROT ECTT I O NN
D ISST R ICCT
Vacaville Fire Protection DDistrict (VFPPD) providees 24-hour response ffor emergenncies.
The Disttrict responnds to all tyypes of inciddents includding, but noot limited too wildland fires,
structure fires, meddical emergeencies, vehiicle accidennts, activatedd alarms, teechnical rescues,
hazardous materials, and public service assists. In adddition, VFPPD providess fire prevenntion
and publlic educatioon programss, as well as on-going trraining for aall district staff.
AGENCYY OVERVVIEW
Backgground
Afterr a few devaastating firees during thhe prohibitiion era, the residents oof the area from
Silvey Raanch to Bollen Road deecided to foorm a fire ddistrict, whicch was put on the balllot in
1928. Thhe formatioon of Elmirra Fire Prootection Disstrict (EFPDD) was carrried by a large
majorityy vote on Auugust 30, 1928.
On MMarch 29, 1946, resideents of the proposed VVacaville Firre Protectioon District wwere
given ann opportuniity to expreess their opinions by casting theeir vote forr or against the
formatioon of the prroposed disttrict. On Appril 5, 1946,, the formattion of the fire districtt was
passed bby a vote of 89 to 0. Witth the formaation of the fire districtt, the districct Board and the
City of VVacaville muutually agreeed to jointlyy use manpoower and eqquipment. In 1981, beccause
of the grrowth of the two entities, the deppartments ssplit. At thatt time the DDistrict hireed its
first full--time emplooyee, an asssistant chief, who was promoted to the posittion of fire chief
upon sepparation froom the City oof Vacavillee.
On AAugust 9, 19984, the Elmmira FPD Booard approaached the VVacaville FPPD Board wwith a
proposal to consoliidate the diistricts to bbetter servee the resideents of bothh districts. AAfter
many months of disscussion, thhe two districts agreed on the termms of the coonsolidationn and
it becamme a reality oon May 26, 11986.
The pprincipal acct that governs the Disttrict is the FFire Protecttion Districtt Law of 1987.123
The prinncipal act eempowers ffire districtts to providde fire prottection, resscue, emerggency
medical, hazardouss material rresponse, ammbulance, aand any othher servicess relating too the
protectioon of lives and propeerty.124 Distrricts must aapply and obtain LAFFCO approvval to
exercise services aauthorized bby the prinncipal act bbut not alrready proviided (i.e., laatent
powers) by the district at the end of 2000..125
VFPDD is located in the nortthwestern pportion of SSolano Counnty. The Disstrict surroounds
the City of Vacavillee and bordeers Napa Coounty in the west, Yolo County in tthe north, DDixon
123 Health and Safety Code §13800-139700.
124 Health aand Safety Code §13862.
125 Governmment Code §568824.10.
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Fire Protection District in the east, Suisun Fire Protection District, City of Fairfield and
Travis Air Force Base in the south, and Montezuma Fire Protection District in the southeast.
Boundaries
VFPD is entirely within Solano County. As is evident from Figure 9-2, the present
bounds encompass approximately 135 square miles and include two noncontiguous areas.
The larger area is located to the northwest of the City of Vacaville and is surrounded by
Napa County in the west, Yolo County in the north, Suisun FPD in the south, and the City
and Dixon FPD in the east. The smaller, but more populated, of the two areas is situated to
the southwest of the City of Vacaville and borders Dixon FPD in the south and east,
Montezuma FPD in the southeast, Travis AFB and the City of Fairfield in the south, and
Suisun FPD and the City of Vacaville in the west.
Since its formation, VFPD has undertaken 14 boundary changes, including 13
detachments and one consolidation. Consolidation with Elmira FPD took place in 1986.
The latest detachments occurred in 2004 and included five different properties. All the
territories detached from VFPD were subsequently annexed into the City of Vacaville. The
District’s boundary changes are shown in Figure 9-1.126
Figure 9-1: VFPD List of LAFCO Approved Border Changes
Project Name Type of Action Year Recording Agency
Lagoon Valley Park Detachment 1977 LAFCO
Abe Tortosa property Detachment 1978 LAFCO
VFPD/EFPD Consolidation 1986 LAFCO
California Drive Extension Detachment 1990 LAFCO
Cultural Center Detachment 1991 LAFCO
Lower Lagoon Valley Detachment 1991 LAFCO
Swanson/Farmer Property Detachment 1991 LAFCO
Cooper Station Detachment 1992 LAFCO
Alamo Place Subdivision and Detachment 2002 LAFCO
Vacaville Military Housing
Project
Southtown-Moody Detachment 2004 LAFCO
Rice-McMurtry Property Detachment 2004 LAFCO
Browns Valley Annexation No.5 Detachment 2004 LAFCO
Moody Property Detachment 2004 LAFCO
Meadowoods Subdivisions Detachment 2004 LAFCO
Sphere of Influence
The sphere of influence (SOI) for VFPD was originally adopted in 1983 as coterminous
with its boundaries as they existed at that time.127 Since then, the District conducted 11
126 The list of reorganizations in Figure 8-1 is derived from available LAFCO records and may not be complete excluding
records that were not found or readily available.
127 LAFCO Resolution 1983-07.
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detachments and one consolidation. The SOI was appropriately amended in 2002 to
exclude the detached Alamo Place Subdivision and Vacaville Military Housing Project and
in 2004 to exclude the detached lands of Southtown-Moody, Rice-McMurtry property,
Browns Valley, Moody property, and Meadowoods Subdivisions; however, it does not
appear that the SOI was amended to exclude the rest of the detached lands and include
Elmira FPD with which VFPD consolidated in 1986. The District’s SOI should be updated to
reflect the aforementioned boundary changes. VFPD current boundaries and SOI are shown
in Figure 9-2.
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Vacaville Fire Protection District
Yolo
County
Solano County
County Boundaries §¨¦
City Boundaries
505
Major Roads Dixon
FireStations
Vacaville Fire
Interstate Protection
State Highway District
Major Roads §¨¦
FireDistricts Napa 80
NAME County
Vacaville Fire Protection District
Vacaville
·|}þ
113
Fairfield ·|}þ
Suisun 12 Miles
City
0 0.5 1 2 3 4 5
S Fo o r la m n a o t i L o o n c C a o l A m g m e i n s c s y io n Solano County GIS Services Disclaimer: 5
Department of Information Technology This map was made using Solano County GIS files with varying degrees of
7 F 4 a 4 ir f E ie m ld p , i r C e A S 9 t. 4 , 5 S 3 u 3 i te 216 675 Texas Street, Suite 3700 scale, accuracy, precision, currentness, and alignment and therefore cannot
Fairfield, CA 94533 be used for situations requiring survey grade measurement or legal
(707) 439-3897 Phone: 707-784-6340 boundary determination. Solano County disclaims liability for any
www.solanolafco.com Email: GISStaff@SolanoCounty.com loss that may result from the use of this map. User acknowledges
This map is to be used for general information purposes only. Where precise accuracy is PRJ_1093, 08/01/2014 data limitations and accepts responsibility for map based judgments.
required reference should be made to certified maps, surveys, documents and/or by other
official means.
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Type and Extent of Services
Services Provided
Figure 9-3 details the services provided by VFPD. If a service is not provided by VFPD,
but is offered by another agency, it is indicated in the figure. Resources from Cal Fire
provided outside the SRA are provided on a mutual aid basis. Availability is dependent
upon fire activity, time of year, and other factors.
Figure 9-3: VFPD Services
Service Agency
Fire Suppression Services
Structural Fire Protection Yes
Wildland Fire Protection Yes in LRA
Vehicle Fire Protection Yes
Ladder Truck Capabilities No
Fire Suppression Handcrew No
Fire Suppression Dozer CalFire
Helicopter Services – Fire Suppression CalFire
Boat With Fire Suppression Capabilities No
Emergency Medical Services
Basic Life Support Provider Yes
Advanced Life Support - Non Transport Provider City of Vacaville
Advanced Life Support - Transport Provider City of Vacaville
Continuing Education Provider - Medical Yes
Air Ambulance Transport Helicopter Services CalStar
Helicopter Landing Facilities On Site On open space near 3 stations
Vehicle Extrication Tools/Equipment Yes
Fire Prevention
Fire Safety Education – Children Yes
Fire Safety Education – Adults/Seniors Yes
Juvenile Firesetter Prevention Program No
Fire and Life Safety Business Inspection Program Yes
Fire Protection Planning Yes
Joint with Solano County, not
New Commercial Construction Plan Reviews primary
Public Education Provider (CPR, First Aid, etc.) Available during training times
Home Fire/Safety Inspections Yes
Fire Origin and Cause Investigations Yes
Fuel Reduction/Weed Abatement Program Yes
Smoke Detector Giveaway/Installation Program Yes
Address Sign Installation Program Yes
Rescue Services
First Responder Swift Water Rescue Program Yes
Water Rescue Program Yes
Ice Rescue Program No
Dive Rescue Program Joint with County Sherriff
Low angle Rope Rescue Program Yes
Helicopter Short/Long Haul Rescue Capabilities CHP
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Response To Boating Accidents Coast Guard
Rescue Dog Services No
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous Materials Emergency Response -Basic Yes
Hazardous Materials Response Team Solano County Hazmat Team
Support Services
Firefighter Incident Support Unit Yes
Mobile Incident Command/Communications Unit Yes and Solano County
Fill Station for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Yes
Mobile Breathing Support Unit Yes
Community Emergency Response Team No
Chaplain Services No
Training Academy Yes
Upstairs is designed to be local
Emergency Operations Center Capabilities emergency center
Miscellaneous
Public Service Assists Yes
Motor Vehicle Accident Response Yes
Welfare Checks Yes
Public Safety Answering Point County Sheriff
Fire/EMS Dispatch County Sheriff
Fundraising Activities Firebells
Firefighters Association - Non Profit Yes
Auxiliary Association FireBells and Explorer
VFPD is the sponsor of Fire Explorer Post 977 and chartered with the Boy Scouts of
America.
The Vacaville Junior Fire Department was established back in 1959 for young adults to
be given the training and guidance needed to learn the required skills for a firefighting
career. Junior firefighters assist with all routine tasks in the community and around the fire
station, including community relations, fire prevention, equipment and station
maintenance, and training. Junior firefighters are issued wildland grass gear, which consist
of pants, shirt, helmet, goggles, and gloves.
The District has a firefighter association, which was established in 1895. The
association is involved in local parades and events, such as the Vacaville Fiesta Days
Parade, Dixon May Fair Parade, Winters Youth Day Parade, Vacaville Harvest Days by
sponsoring the chili cook-off, 31-cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins to help honor
America’s firefighters through the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and Fill the Boot
Drive to help the Firefighters Burn Institute.
In addition, VFPD organized a muster team that travels throughout California to
participate in the firemen’s musters.128 The team consists of the District, members of the
Firefighter Association, and FireBells members.
128 A muster is a gathering of antique equipment for the purpose of competition, display and camaraderie.
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FireBells is a support group for VFPD, which is involved in the fundraising activities for
the District.
VFPD is extensively involved in fire prevention activities, including educating the public
about electrical cords, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, spark arrestors, and weed
abatement and conducting premises inspections.
Service Area
The District reported that there were no areas within its boundary area where services
were not provided by VFPD.
Vacaville FPD provides services outside of its boundaries, including dive team services
countywide jointly with the County Sheriff and swift water rescue to other jurisdictions
within Solano County on an as-needed basis. VFPD does not get compensated for providing
these services out of bounds.
VFPD is currently in the process of establishing an automatic aid agreement with the
City of Vacaville, according to which the City will be dispatched along with the District to
calls within two areas located to the east and northwest of the City. In addition, VFPD also
has automatic aid agreements with the City of Winters Fire Department in Yolo County and
California Medical Facility Fire Department129 in the City of Vacaville. According to the
agreement with the City of Winters FD, VFPD is dispatched to the entire territory of the City
of Winters and SR 128.
The District is involved with mutual aid within the local area through the countywide
mutual aid agreement that includes multiple local agencies of Solano County and agencies
outside the County,130 as well as the statewide mutual aid agreement through the Office of
Emergency Services (OES). VFPD also has a mutual aid agreement with the California State
prison in the City of Vacaville.
An area of particular interest is represented by a small area within the eastern part of
the District, for which Travis AFB is the responsible party in case of incidents associated
with AFB, but where VFPD responds to civilian emergencies. VFPD is the first responder to
the Golf Park; if it is a civilian emergency call, the District handles the incident.
Services to Other Agencies
The District does not provide services through contracts to other agencies.
129 The California Medical Facility (CMF) was established in 1955 by the Legislature to provide a centrally located
medical/psychiatric institution for the health care needs of the male felon population in California's prisons. CMF houses
a General Acute Care Hospital, Correctional Treatment Center (CTC), Licensed Elderly Care Unit, in-patient and out-
patient psychiatric facilities, a Hospice Unit for terminally ill inmates, general population, and other special inmate
housing. Additionally, the Department of State Hospitals operates a licensed, Acute Care Psychiatric Hospital and an
Intermediate Care Facility within CMF.
130 Vacaville FPD is part of a master mutual aid agreement, which dates from 1996, with several Solano and Yolo County
fire agencies, including the City of Benicia, the City of Dixon, the City of Fairfield, the City of Rio Vista, the City of Suisun,
the City of Vacaville, the City of Vallejo, the County of Solano, the American Canyon FPD, the California Medical Facility FD,
Delta FPD, Cordelia FPD, Exxon Benicia Refinery FD, Gordon Valley FD, Suisun FPD, Montezuma FPD, Cal Fire, and Travis
Air Force Base.
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Contractts for Servicces
Simillar to all otther fire prootection disstricts in thhe County ((with the exxception off East
Vallejo FFPD), VFPDD contracts with the Coounty Sheriiff’s Office ffor dispatchh services. The
structure of these services iss discussed in more ddetail in thhe Facilities section off this
chapter.
Overlappping Servicee Providers
The CCalifornia DDepartment of Forestryy and Fire PProtection ((Cal Fire) prrovides services
throughoout the Statte. Generallly, Cal Fire services aree focused inn wildland aareas defineed as
State Reesponsibilityy Areas (SRRA). Similarrly, the United States Forest Servvice (USFS) also
providess services inn California, primarily within foreests and graasslands. Arreas where USFS
services are focused are defined as FFederal Ressponsibilityy Areas (FRRA). The VVFPD
boundarry area conssists of SRA that coverss a majorityy of the wesstern noncontiguous paart of
the Distrrict, with smmall island aareas withinn the same portion of the Districtt being FRAA. The
eastern portion of the District consists eentirely of LRA. Cal Fiire also proovides techhnical
support throughoutt the Countyy in the formm of speciallized servicces such as ffire suppresssion
handcrewws, dozers, and helicoppter services when necessary.
Additionally, Traavis AFB woould providde fire proteection and EEMS servicees in the Disstrict
should AAFB planes crash land within its bbounds. Thhe City of Vaacaville Firee Departmeent is
dispatchhed on meddical emerggencies as aan advanceed life suppport (ALS) and ambullance
providerr within a mmajority of tthe Districtt’s boundaryy area. A smmall portionn of VFPD inn the
east is seerved by Meedic Ambulaance LLC.
GOVERNNMENT SSTRUCTTURE ANND ACCOOUNTABIILITY
Accountability oof a governiing body is signified by a combinnation of sevveral indicaators.
The inddicators choosen here are limitedd to 1) agency effortts to engagge and eduucate
constituents througgh outreachh activities, in additionn to legally required activities succh as
agenda pposting andd public meeetings, 2) a defined commplaint proocess designned to handdle all
issues too resolution, and 3) trannsparency oof the agenccy as indicatted by coopperation witth the
MSR proocess and information ddisclosure.
The pprincipal acct mandatess that the booard of direectors of a ffire protectiion district must
have an odd numbeer of membeers, with a mminimum off three and aa maximumm of 11 memmbers.
Directorrs may be aappointed oor elected.1331 VFPD is ggoverned bby a five-meember Boarrd of
Directorrs appointedd to four-yyear terms. Appointmeents are made by thee Solano Coounty
Board of Supervisoors—Supervvisorial Disttrict 4 and Supervisorrial Districtt 5. If a possition
opens upp mid-term,, the Districct notifies thhe Board off Supervisorrs and tries to advertisse for
the posittion. The intterested person submits the application to thhe Board of Supervisorss and
is appoinnted. As of tthe draftingg of this report there wwas one vacaancy on the District’s BBoard
of Directtors.
131 Health aand Safety Code §13842.
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The Board of Directors meets on the second Thursday of the following months: January,
March, May, June, September, and November at 7:00 p.m. at the District’s headquarters at
420 Vine Street in Vacaville. Information about Board meetings is shown in Figure 9-4.
Board meeting agendas are posted at two of the District’s stations. Minutes are
available at the following meeting and upon request. In addition to the required agendas
and minutes, the District tries to reach its constituents through having open house events
and the fire association participating in community events and parades. VFPD maintains a
website where it posts information related to its services, staff, call statistics, contact
information, and updates on community news, weather and events. The District’s board
meeting agendas and minutes are not available online.
Figure 9-4: Vacaville Fire Protection District Governing Body
Vacaville Fire Protection District
Governing Body and Board Meetings
Manner of Selection Appointed by Supervisors from Districts 4 and 5.
Length of Term Four years.
Meetings take place on the second Thursday of January, March, May, June,
Meetings
September, and November at 7:00 p.m. at the District’s Headquarters.
Agenda Distribution Posted at the two fire stations.
Minutes Distribution Available upon request.
Contact
Contact Howard Wood, Fire Chief
Mailing Address 420 Vine Street, Vacaville, CA 95688.
Phone 707-447-2252
Fax 707-447-2769
Email/Website vfpd@vfpd.net, www.vfpd.net.
VFPD board members receive no compensation. Government Code §53235 requires
that if a district provides compensation or reimbursement of expenses to its board
members, the board members must receive two hours of training in ethics at least once
every two years and the district must establish a written policy on reimbursements. It was
reported that the District’s board members last received ethics training in 2012. The
District was unable to provide a policy on expense reimbursements.
VFPD reported that complaints may be submitted over the phone or in person.
Alternatively, a person may fill out a complaint form and have it heard at a board meeting.
The chief is responsible for handling complaints to resolution. Complaints are tracked to
full resolution. The District reported that it received one complaint in 2012.
The efforts of the Board, according to the District are guided by the VFPD’s insurance
guidelines. The District has not established its own set of rules that would guide the efforts
of the Board, including policies related to public requests for information, code of ethics or
Brown Act.
The Political Reform Act (Government Code §81000, et seq.) requires state and local
government agencies to adopt and promulgate conflict of interest codes. The Fair Political
Practices Commission has adopted a regulation (California Code of Regulations §18730),
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which contains the terms of a standard conflict of interest code, which can be incorporated
by reference in an agency’s code. The District has established and was able to provide its
conflict of interest code.
Government Code §87203 requires persons who hold office to disclose their
investments, interests in real property and incomes by filing appropriate forms with the
identified filing agency (i.e., the County or the Fair Political Practices Commission) each
year. In addition, the conflict of interest code of each district determines who among the
officers and directors files the Form 700s with the County’s Registrar of Voters. In Solano
County select fire protection districts require both the fire chief and Board members to
submit copies to the County, and in some cases only the chief files with the County’s
Registrar of Voters. All VFPD directors filed their Form 700s for 2013 with the District. The
chief filed with the County’s Registrar of Voters.
During the course of this MSR process, VFPD demonstrated partial accountability in its
disclosure of information and cooperation with Solano LAFCO. The District responded to
the questionnaires and cooperated with interview and document requests; however, some
requests required multiple follow up attempts.
Determinations
The District generally demonstrated accountability and transparency with regard to
governance by adopting an annual budget prior to the start of the fiscal year,
publishing agendas for public meetings as legally required, and maintaining a
website. Although the District cooperated with LAFCO during the MSR process and
provided all the information, requests required multiple follow up attempts.
Several improvements could be made to the District’s operations in order to
enhance accountability and transparency. District policies and procedures and
financial information as well as Board of Directors meeting materials, including
agendas and minutes, should be made readily available to the public on its website.
The District needs to continue its practice of ensuring and documenting that all
board members have completed ethics training if the District’s board members
receive compensation or expense reimbursements. It was reported that the
District’s board members last received ethics training in 2012.
Governance structure options for VFPD include functional or full consolidation with
other fire protection agencies in Solano County. Consolidation may include regional
merger with CFPD and SFPD along I 80, consolidation of all the districts serving
unincorporated territory, functional consolidation with the cities of Vacaville and/or
Fairfield, or countywide consolidation that includes all city fire departments and fire
districts.
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GROOWTH AND POPPULATIOON PROJECTIONS
This section disscusses thee factors affffecting servvice demannd, such as land uses,, and
historicaal and anticiipated popuulation growwth.
Land Use
Landd uses within the District consist oof agriculturre, marsh aggriculture, rrural residential,
residenttial, and ressource consservation. TThe Districtt’s bounds encompasss approximmately
135 squaare miles.
Population
Therre are approoximately 10,995 residdents withinn the Districct, based onn GIS analyssis of
2010 Ceensus popullation inforrmation.132 TThe population densitty within thhe District iis 81
people pper square mmile.
Projeccted Groowth annd Devellopmentt
VFPDD anticipatees moderatee growth in population within the District in tthe next decade.
Howeverr, no formaal population projectionns have beeen made byy the Districct. The areaa was
reportedd to be the llargest residential areaa in the Couunty. It is reequired thaat parcels wwithin
the Distrrict be 2.5 acres in sizze or largerr, if there iss a water soource; parcels must bee five
acres or larger withhout a wateer source. TThe District identified ttwo planned developmments
within itts boundaries. Dove CCreek devellopment, loocated in Ennglish Hillss, consists oof 32
planned units, while Gridley development, in Putaah Creek, haas 22 planned units. Both
developmments are ccurrently oon hold. Thee District aanticipates providing sservices to both
planned developmeents when thhey are consstructed.
The California DDepartmentt of Financce (DOF) prrojects thatt the popullation of Soolano
County wwill grow byy eight percent from 20010 to 20200. Thus, thee average annnual populaation
growth in the Couunty is antiicipated to be approxximately 0.88 percent. Based on tthese
projectioons, the Disttrict’s popuulation woulld increase from 10,995 in 2010 too approximmately
11,875 iin 2020. It iis anticipateed that demmand for seervice withiin the Distrrict will incrrease
minimally, based onn the DOF poopulation growth projeections throough 2020.
Growtth Strategies
The District is nnot a land uuse authoriity, and doees not hold primary reesponsibilitty for
implemeenting growwth strategies. The lannd use authhority for uunincorporaated areas is the
County.
In coooperation wwith Solanoo County, the District coonducts neww commerccial construction
plan revviews. The County alsso seeks innput from the Districct on propoosed resideential
developmments and ggeneral plann updates.
132 This poppulation figure may be slightlyy inflated basedd on comparisoon of known poopulations in otther areas withh those
generated tthrough the GISS analysis.
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The County has historically required that development requiring water and sewer
service be incorporated within one of the County’s cities. Based on this policy, most
residential, commercial and industrial development in the County has been in incorporated
areas.
The lands within the District are designated in the County’s General Plan mostly as
residential, park, marsh and agriculture, with residential developments located closer to
the City of Vacaville. As the area is growing, VFPD is anticipating construction of large
estates and high-value properties.
Limited territory within VFPD surrounding the City of Vacaville is also within the City’s
SOI, meaning that it is anticipated that the areas will eventually be annexed by the City.
Similarly, SOI lands of the City of Fairfield to the northeast of the City are also within the
District and are anticipated to be annexed by Fairfield. With the exception of SOI lands in
the south and southwest, the rest of the territory within the Vacaville’s SOI, but outside of
its boundaries, is designated as Municipal Service Area (MSA) by the County General Plan.
Comparably, except for the very northern portion of the Fairfield’s SOI, the rest of its SOI
land in VFPD is also designated MSA.
Within MSAs, future development of urban land uses is to be facilitated and served
through city annexation. Current land uses within MSAs may continue under County
jurisdiction until the land is annexed to the city for conversion to urban uses. A change in
land use of unincorporated lands within MSAs should be permitted only for agricultural
uses, which do not conflict with planned land uses until annexed for urban development.
Unincorporated lands within the MSAs that are designated agriculture will continue in
agricultural use until annexed to a city for urban development.
In areas outside MSAs, planned land uses are maintained or developed under County
jurisdiction. Services to support current and future development outside MSAs are
provided by the County and special districts consistent with General Plan policies.
The City of Fairfield’s General Plan land use map designates its MSA lands within the
District as Travis reserve.133
VFPD presently has a development impact fee (DIF) specific to fire services for the area
within the District, which was last updated in FY 11-12. The fee was established under the
principle that new development in the District would increase the demand for fire
protection services. The DIF would fund fire facilities, apparatus and equipment necessary
to accommodate residential and non-residential development in the District. The DIF in
effect at the end of FY 11-12 was $1.62 per square foot of new construction. The balance of
the capital facilities fund at the beginning of FY 11-12 was $57,048, while at the end of the
same fiscal year the balance was in the red with a deficit of $116,037. In 2013, VFPD along
with several other fire protection districts in Solano County, including Cordelia FPD, Dixon
FPD and Suisun FPD, hired a consulting firm to conduct a nexus study to assess and make
recommendations regarding a uniform development impact fee for each of the Districts.
133 Land in the Travis Reserve is set aside for future expansion of Travis Air Force Base only. If the status of the base
changes, the construction of a non-military airport and support uses may be permitted in the Travis Reserve. No
residential uses will be permitted in the Travis Reserve. Until a military or airport use is proposed for land with the Travis
Reserve designation, the City supports its continued use for agriculture and grazing.
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Determinatioons
VVacaville Firre Protectioon District ((VFPD) currrently has aan estimateed populatioon of
10,995.
VVFPD anticippates modeerate growtth in popullation within the Disttrict in the next
decade due tto developmment of largge estates aand high-vallue propertties. The Disstrict
iss aware of ttwo plannedd developmments withinn its boundaries that ccould potentially
add about 544 units. Bothh developments are currrently on hhold.
BBased on Deepartment oof Finance population forecasts, tthe Districtt’s population is
projected to increase froom 10,995 iin 2010 to aapproximateely 11,875 iin 2020.
DDISADVAANTAGEDD UNINCCORPORRATED CCOMMUNNITIES
LAFCCO is requirred to evaluuate disadvvantaged unnincorporatted communnities as paart of
this servvice review,, including tthe locationn and charaacteristics of any such ccommunitiees. A
disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd community is definned as anyy area witth 12 or mmore
registereed voters, oor as determmined by ccommission policy, whhere the meedian houseehold
income iis less than 80 percent of the statewide annuaal median.1344
The CCalifornia DDepartment of Water Resources (DDWR) has developed a mapping toool to
assist inn determining which ccommunitiees meet thee disadvanttaged commmunities meedian
househoold income ddefinition.1355 Accordingg to DWR, thhere are no communities that meeet the
definitioon of a disaddvantaged uunincorporaated commuunity in Sollano Countyy. As such, tthere
are no ddisadvantagged unincorrporated communities within or aadjacent to VFPD’s bounds
and spheere of influeence.
DWRR is not bouund by the ssame law ass LAFCO to define commmunities wwith a minimmum
thresholld of 12 or mmore registeered voters. Because income information is nnot availablle for
this leveel of analyysis, disadvvantaged unnincorporatted commuunities thatt meet LAFFCO’s
definitioon cannot bee identified at this timee.
Determinatioons
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to VVFPD’s bounnds and sphhere of influeence.
134 Governmment Code §560033.5.
135 Based oon census data, the median hoousehold incomme in the State of California iin 2010 was $557,708, 80 perccent of
which is $446,166.
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FINAANCIAL AABILITYY TO PRROVIDE SSERVICEES
The financial abbility of ageencies to prrovide servvices is affeccted by avaailable finanncing
sources and financiing constraiints. This ssection disccusses the mmajor financing constrraints
faced byy the Districtt and identifies the revenue sourcees currentlyy available tto the Distriict.
The DDistrict repported that iits financingg levels were inadequaate to delivver services.. Due
to the recent economic recession, VFPD lost three paid136 perrsonnel andd have defeerred
necessarry equipment repairs aand replaceements. Addditionally, thhe District has had to slow
the consstruction of a new statiion. The Disstrict lost soome properrty tax reveenue. In ordder to
balance the budget and containn some costts, VFPD cutt personnel and scaledd back on veehicle
maintenance and station uppgrades. Thhe District is in the process oof renewingg its
developmment impacct fee to inncrease its revenues aand mitigatte the impaact of econnomic
challengges.
Revennues andd Expenses
The DDistrict’s reevenue in FYY 12-13 waas $1.2 milliion, of whicch 77 perceent was receeived
from prroperty taxxes, 20 peercent fromm charges for services (capitall facilities fees,
photo/mmicrofiche copies, and oother professsional servvices), one ppercent fromm use of mooney,
one perccent from inntergovernmmental reveenue, and oone percentt from otheer miscellanneous
sources.
The DDistrict doees not collecct any serviice charges for fire prootection serrvices. VFPDD has
the optiion of charrging for aarson fires; the District receivess money frrom the disstrict
attorneyy, if it can pprove an inncident was the result of arson. VVFPD does not receivee any
special taxes or bennefit assessmments.
The District’s exxpendituress amountedd to nearly $1.4 millionn in FY 12--13—63 perrcent
was spent on salariies and bennefits, 28 peercent on seervices andd supplies, eeight percennt on
other charges, and oone percentt on fixed asssets.
Capitaal Improovements
The DDistrict is inn the processs of developing a capittal improvement plan ((CIP), whichh will
be used to identifyy VFPD infraastructure needs, financing sourcces for impprovements,, and
construcction timelinne. The CIP will be reviewed annuaally and upddated everyy five years.
The DDistrict gennerally uses funding froom the deveelopment immpact fees too finance caapital
improveements; howwever, currently the developmeent impact fee fund has a neggative
balance. VFPD uses its financial reserves too cover somme of the CIPP upgrades..
The most signifficant capitaal expendituure during FY 12-13 wwas the connstruction costs
associateed with thee new Statioon 68. In thhe next yeaar and the nnext five yeears the Disstrict
plans to spend $1022,795.92 and $616,774.52 respectiively on thee constructioon of Station 68.
136 A personn whose primarry employment is as a firefightter for a municippality or other agency or comppany and who dderives
the majoritty of their earneed income workking in the fire sservice.
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Outstanding Debt
At thhe end of FFY 12-13, tthe Districtt had $695,624 of lonng-term debbt composeed of
compenssated absennces (21 peercent) andd a promisssory note wwith Solanoo County WWater
Agency ffor construcction of Stattion 68 at Puutah Diversion Compouund (79 perrcent).
Reserves
The DDistrict has a managemment practicce of keepinng two finanncial reservve funds—one of
which is a developmment impactt fee fund thhat, as was previously mentioned, currently hhas a
negativee balance. The second ffund is a finnancial reseerve for emeergencies, wwhich at thee end
of FY 2-113 contained about $2000,000.
Determinatioons
TThe District reported thhat its finanncing levelss were inaddequate to ddeliver servvices.
DDue to the rrecent econnomic recesssion, VFPDD lost threee paid personnel and have
deferred neccessary equiipment repaairs and repplacements.. The Districct also lost ssome
property taxx revenue.
Inn order to balance thee budget annd contain some costss, VFPD cutt personnell and
sccaled back on vehicle maintenannce and staation upgraades. The DDistrict is inn the
process of reenewing itss developmeent impact fee (DIF) too increase its revenuess and
mmitigate the impact of economic challenges.
AA majority oof the District’s revenuee comes froom propertyy taxes. Anoother signifficant
soource is chaarges for serrvices. VFPDD does not rreceive anyy revenue froom special ttaxes
or benefit assessments.
TThe District generally uuses fundinng from thee developmment impactt fees to finnance
caapital improvements; however, currently thhe developmment impactt fee fund hhas a
negative ballance. VFPDD uses its ffinancial reeserves to cover somee of the caapital
immprovemennt upgrades..
AAt the end oof FY 12-133, the Distriict had $695,624 of long-term deebt composeed of
coompensatedd absences and a prommissory notee with Solanno County WWater Agenccy for
coonstructionn of Station 668 at Putah Diversion CCompound.
TThe District hhas a management praactice of keeeping two finnancial reseerve funds——one
of which is a developmeent impact ffee fund thaat currently has a negattive balancee. The
seecond fundd is a financcial reservee for emerggencies, whiich at the eend of FY 112-13
coontained abbout $200,000.
PRESENNT AND PPLANNEED CAPAACITY
The District repported thatt it presenttly had suffficient capacity to prrovide adeqquate
services to its pressent servicee area. Howwever, in case of futuure growth farmlands near
Travis AAFB and Pleaasant Valleyy between tthe stations would requuire additioonal capacitty. An
additionnal station wwould have to be consttructed to sserve Pleasaant Valley, wwhich would be
challengging due to hhilly terrain.
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Existing Demand
The District reported that its peak demand times were from 11 in the morning until
about six in the evening. Most of the incidents occur on Thursdays.
Figure 9-5: VFPD Number of Calls by Year, 2007-2013
The District
700
reported that it had
observed a slight 600
decrease in service
500
demand in the last
few years, but it
400
recently started
climbing back up. 300
Minimal population
200
growth has occurred
in the last five years
100
(two houses have
been constructed). 0
VFPD attributes 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
recent increase to
the rise in mutual aid
requests from other agencies.
As shown in Figure 9-5, the number of calls has decreased from 2007 to 2011 and rose
again in 2012 and 2013. In 2013, the District was dispatched to 624 service calls, out of
which 132 (21 percent) were fire related, 269 (43 percent) were medical emergency calls,
nine (one percent) were related to hazardous condition, 65 (10 percent) were service calls,
133 (21 percent) were good intent calls, 12 (two percent) were false alarms, and four (one
percent) were special incident calls. There were 57 calls per 1,000 residents in 2013.
Staffing
VFPD has 77 firefighting personnel, including one fire chief, one deputy chief, one
assistant chief, five battalion chiefs, 16 captains, 16 engineers, and 36 firefighters. The fire
chief, one battallion chief and one firefighter are the only paid firefighting personnel.
Volunteers receive no compensation. VFPD reported that its compensation for all ranks
was equal to or higher than other surrounding fire protection service agencies at the same
rank. The District’s staffing levels have been fairly constant over the last three years; only
in 2013, VFPD lost three firefighting staff. Currently, the median age of the District’s
firefighters is 33, with a range from 20 to 72. The District attempts to recruit additional
volunteers through word of mouth and advertising on the district website. D
Currently, there are three certifications in the California firefighter series; Volunteer
Firefighter, Firefighter I, and Firefighter II. While the Volunteer Firefighter focuses on skills
and tasks necessary to assure safety on the fire ground, Firefighter I & II prepares the
firefighter to perform essential and advanced fire ground tasks, as well as allowing entry
into all tracks of the certification system. The level of certification required for each
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sllaC
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firefighter is determined by the individual fire department. However, according to the
California State Fire Marshal, there are plans to phase out the Volunteer Firefighter
certification level and the most basic level of certification will eventually be Firefighter I.
Firefighter I certification requires completion of the 259-hour Firefighter I course, which
includes training on various fireground tasks, rescue operations, fire prevention and
investigation techniques, and inspection and maintenance of equipment. In addition to this
course, Firefighter I certification also requires that the applicant have a minimum of six
months of volunteer or call experience in a California fire department as a firefighter
performing suppression duties.137 The number of VFPD personnel certified in each
category is shown in Figure 9-6. Each firefighter, including volunteers, is able to hold
multiple certifications, including strike team certifications.
Figure 9-6: VFPD Certified Personnel
Certification Level Number of % of Total
Firefighting Staff Firefighting Staff
Volunteer Firefighter 77 100%
Firefighter I 50 65%
Firefighter II 4 5%
First Responder EMS 51 66%
Emergency Medical Technician 1 26 34%
Paramedic 0 0%
Apparatus Engineer 16 21%
Company Officer 15 19%
Chief Officer 8 10%
Haz Mat FRO 77 100%
CICCS FFT 2 0 0%
CICCS FFT 1 0 0%
CICCS Engine Boss 0 0%
CICCS Strike Team Leader 4 5%
As a volunteer agency, VFPD reported that achieving certification could be a challenge
because of the availability of volunteers and cost of training. The District conducts in-house
training and requires new volunteers to undergo 40 hours of basic firefighting. Newly hired
paid firefighters are required to have experience being a volunteer firefighter with VFPD.
VFPD offers 14 hours of training per month to paid firefighters and volunteers.
137 State Fire Marshal, Course Information and Required Materials, 2007, p. 44
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Facilities
VFPD currently operates five fire stations. Station 64 is located at 420 Vine Street in
Vacaville. The station was built by the District in 1985 and is considered to be in good
condition. The station is staffed with four staff, including an administrative assistant, from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday. Station 64 houses two engines, two brush, one
squad, one rescue, one water tender, one grass, five utility vehicles, and two trailers.
Station 65 is located in Elmira and was built in 1965. The station was reported to be in
good condition and is unstaffed. The station contains two engines, one brush, one squad,
one utility vehicle, and one boat.
Station 67, located in Vacaville, was built in 1975 and reported to be in good condition.
The station is unstaffed and houses multiple vehicles, including one engine, one brush, one
water tender, one grass, one pump, one air unit, one all wheel, and one rescue unit vehicle.
Station 68 was constructed in 2011 and is in excellent condition. It is located in Winters
and houses one engine, one brush, one water tender, and one reserve tender. The station is
unstaffed.
Station 69, also in Winters, is used for water rescue and contains one boat and one
antique engine. It was built in 1970 and is considered to be in fair condition. The station is
unstaffed.
All of the stations are owned by the District with the exception of stations 68 and 69
where the land is owned by USFS, but the buildings and improvements by VFPD. Stations
68 and 69 are located outside of the District’s boundaries. Each station is described in more
detail in Figure 9-7.
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Figure 9-7: VFPD Fire Stations
Station 64 Station 65 Station 67
Property owner VFPD VFPD VFPD
Address 420 Vine Street 6080 A Street 4315 Cantelow
Vacaville, CA Elmira, CA 95625 Road, Vacaville,
95688 CA 95688
Purpose Fire station Fire station Fire station
Additional uses or other Training room Hall rental None
entities using the facility Board meetings
Hours station is staffed 8am-5pm Unstaffed Unstaffed
Sunday-Friday
Date acquired or built 1985 1965 1975
Condition of facility138 Good Good Good
Infrastructure Needs None None Needs to be
replaced
Number and type of vehicles 2 Engines, 2 2 Engines, 1 Brush 1 Engine, 1 Brush
at facility Brush,1 Squad, 1 1 Squad, 1 Utility 1 Water Tender
Rescue,1 Water 1 Boat 1 Grass, 1 Pump,
Tender, 1 Grass, 5 1 Air Unit, 1 All-
Utilities,2 Trailers wheel, Rescue
unit
Number and classification of 1 Fire Chief None 1 Mechanic
paid staff staffing facility 1 Admin Asst.
1 Battalion Chief
1 Firefighter
Number and classification of None None None
another agency’s paid staff
staffing the facility
Number of volunteers 34 21 16
staffing facility
Number of volunteers/on 77 77 77
call staff available to respond
to an incident utilizing a
vehicle from this station
138 Facility condition definitions: Excellent—relatively new (less than 10 years old) and requires minimal maintenance.
Good—provides reliable operation in accordance with design parameters and requires only routine maintenance. Fair—
operating at or near design levels; however, non-routine renovation, upgrading and repairs are needed to ensure
continued reliable operation. Poor—cannot be operated within design parameters; major renovations are required to
restore the facility and ensure reliable operation.
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Station 68 Station 69
Property owner VFPD, USFS VFPD, USFS
Address 4012 Canal Lane 8684 Pleasants Valley Rd,
Winters, CA 95694 Winters, CA 95694
Purpose Fire station Water rescue
Additional uses or other None None
entities using the facility
Hours station is staffed Unstaffed Unstaffed
Date acquired or built 2011 1970
Condition of facility139 Excellent Fair
Infrastructure Needs Currently under construction Repairs are needed to
improve condition
Number and type of vehicles 1 Engine, 1 Bush 1 Boat
at facility 1 Water Tender 1 Antique Engine
1 Reserve Tender
Number and classification of None None
paid staff staffing facility
Number and classification of None None
another agency’s paid staff
staffing the facility
Number of volunteers 6 26
staffing facility
Number of volunteers/on 77 103
call staff available to respond
to an incident utilizing a
vehicle from this station
For water supply, the District uses the existing hydrant systems, in addition to each of
the stations having a water tender available for each incident as needed.
It appears that currently there is marginal capacity to provide adequate services to the
existing service area based on the condition of its facilities. The District has delayed
139 Facility condition definitions: Excellent—relatively new (less than 10 years old) and requires minimal maintenance.
Good—provides reliable operation in accordance with design parameters and requires only routine maintenance. Fair—
operating at or near design levels; however, non-routine renovation, upgrading and repairs are needed to ensure
continued reliable operation. Poor—cannot be operated within design parameters; major renovations are required to
restore the facility and ensure reliable operation.
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construction and repairs, due to financial constraints. Station 67 needs to be replaced and
Station 69 requires significant repairs to improve its condition. Station 68 is currently
under construction. The assessment of the District’s capacity based on its response times
revealed that VFPD also has marginal capacity as it exceeds the response time set as a
standard by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The District’s 90th percentile
response time is also longer than the City of Vacaville standard for response to medical
emergencies in rural areas.
Adequate response to future growth areas may present a challenge as the District
would require an additional fire station in the Pleasant Valley area. Currently, the main
capacity constraint is the District’s financing challenges.
Dispatch and communications
With the exception of East Vallejo FPD all the fire protection districts in Solano County,
including VFPD, contract with Solano County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center for dispatch
services. East Vallejo FPD is dispatched through the City of Vallejo. The cities of Benicia,
Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville, and Vallejo each have their own dispatch center.
VFPD entered into a contract with the Sheriff’s Department on July 1st, 2014 for a term
of three years ending on June 30, 2017. Compensation by the District to the Sheriff is
determined by a CAD printout of incidents according to the following formula:
1) ADC (Average Daily Calls)/SADC (Sheriff’s Average Dail Calls) = %
2) % of ADC of Sheriff’s Dispatch Budget * % of ADC = Cost to the District
The Solano County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center also provides dispatch services to
the Sheriff's Office, Isleton Police and Fire, Dixon Police and Fire, California Medical Facility,
Rio Vista/Delta Fire Districts, and Solano Community College Police on a 24-hour basis. The
Sheriff's Dispatch Center also handles coordination of air ambulance for scene calls to all
areas of the County (city or county), coordination of all mutual aid for the County, and out
of county requests.
The dispatch center operates with at least two people on duty at all times. The center
operators answer and transmit on three primary radio channels, seven secondary channels
and a number of other law and fire radios for other agencies. The dispatch center also
answers 12 business lines, four Nextels, six 911 lines, numerous alarm panels, fax requests,
and mobile data computer messages.
Communication equipment is sometimes not compatible making it difficult to
communicate when coordinating a mutual aid call. Many of the districts have mutual aid
agreements with the cities. Dispatch becomes a challenge if the nearest responder is a city
agency or if a city requires assistance from a district. Often times it takes multiple calls to
different departments to get assistance sent.
The District’s suggestion for dispatch improvement was creation of a central
consolidated dispatch center, which would allow all the fire departments and districts in
the County to know which units are in service. VFPD is interested in working with other
fire protection agencies on cost sharing to finance a central dispatch system.
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Infrasstructurre Needs
As wwas previouusly mentiooned, Station 67 neeeds to be rreplaced annd Station 69’s
condition improvedd through mmultiple reppairs. The DDistrict estimmates that tthe replacemment
of Station 67 will coost about $22 million. Thhe replacemment projectt is currently on hold due to
financiall constraintts. VFPD is aalso in the pprocess of cconstructing Station 688. The projeect is
scheduleed to be finnished in twwo to threee years witth a total coost of $1.5 million. Staation
repairs aand upgradees are finannced through DIF fundss and the geeneral fund.. In additionn, the
District iis in need off another sttation in thee area of Pleeasant Valleyy Road and Cantelow RRoad;
howeverr, VFPD has not startted planninng for the pproject. The District rreported thhat it
needed multiple veehicles replaaced, as theey had comme to the ennd of their useful life. The
details oof replacemment scheduule and coosts will bee included in the neww CIP, whicch is
currentlyy being devveloped.
Challeenges
VFPDD did not iddentify any areas withiin the Distrrict, which wwere difficuult to serve. The
only areea with diffiicult terrainn reported is the Pleassant Valleyy area wherre a new staation
needs too be construucted.
The pprimary chaallenge expeerienced byy the Districct is limited financial reesources. Due to
the receent econommic recessionn, VFPD haad to lay off multiple staff and ddelay necesssary
facility aand vehicle upgrades. The Districct hopes too mitigate thhe effects oof the econnomic
crisis with the increeased develoopment imppact fee.
SERVICEE ADEQUACY
While there are several benchmarks tthat may deefine the levvel of fire sservice provvided
by an aggency, indicators of serrvice adequuacy discusssed here incclude ISO raatings, respponse
times, annd level of staffing and station resoources for thhe service aarea.
Fire services in the commuunities are cclassified byy the Insuraance Servicee Office (ISOO), an
advisoryy organization. This claassification indicates thhe general aadequacy oof coverage, with
classes rranking fromm 1 to 10. CCommunitiees with the bbest fire deppartment faacilities, sysstems
for wateer distributtion, fire alarms and ccommunicaations, and equipmentt and persoonnel
receive a rating of 1. VFPD hhas an ISO rating of 5/8B througghout its seervice area.. The
District wwas last evaaluated in 2013.
The NNational Firre Protectioon Associatioon (NFPA) hhas issued rresponse timme performmance
standardds dependinng on the service structture of the aagency. The response tiime is meassured
from thee completionn of the disppatch notification to thhe arrival timme of the firrst-respondder at
the scenne. Thoughh not a leggal mandatee, these staandards provide a useful benchmmark
against wwhich to meeasure fire ddepartmentt performannce. For ageencies with paid staff, NNFPA
1710 ideentifies the response tiime guideline of six mminutes at leeast 90 perccent of the time.
For voluunteer andd combinatiion fire deepartments,, NFPA 17720 recommmends thatt the
responsee times forr structure fire be ninne minutes in urban demand zoones at leasst 90
percent of the timee, 10 minutees in suburbban zones aat least 80 ppercent of tthe time annd 14
minutes in rural zonnes at leastt 80 percentt of the timee. Responsee times in reemote zonees are
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directly dependent on travel distances.140 VFPD falls within the definition of a rural demand
zone and would therefore be subject to the NFPA 1720 guidelines.
Emergency response time standards vary by level of urbanization of an area: the more
urban an area, the faster a response should be. Solano Emergency Medical Services
Cooperative (SEMSC) has designated an exclusive operating area (EOA) in Solano County
for EMS and ambulance services provided by Medic Ambulance Services and the City of
Vacaville. The EOA for Medic includes all territory in Solano County with the exception of
the City of Vacaville, Travis Air Force Base, and the territory designated as Zone C.141 SEMSA
has the responsibility for assuring that all the incorporated and unincorporated areas of
the county have a safe, dependable and responsive pre hospital Emergency Medical Care
system. In the EOA for the Medic, the response time guideline is seven minutes 90 percent
of the time for a Code 3 response to a 911 priority calls for all participating member cities.
There is no response time standard for Code 2 responses. Compliance with these
requirements is determined on a monthly basis. If a city providing ALS services fails to
comply with these response time standards, it is fined. The amount payable by Medic to the
participating member cities reflects the estimated cost savings to Medic under the SEMSC
agreement due to the first response of the participating member cities. Medic on the other
hand is required to respond within nine to 12 minutes in areas identified as urban areas, 15
minutes in areas designated as rural and 90 minutes in remote areas. The entire territory
of VFPD falls within Zone C, which means that ALS first responder and ALS transport
services within the District are provided by the City of Vacaville, which operates under the
guidance of Solano County Department of Emergency Medical Services as a part of SEMSC.
Response times in the City of Vacaville are measured at seven minutes for urban calls
within the city limits and 15 minutes for rural calls. All calls outside the city limits
regardless of distance are considered “rural” and measured at the 15-minute standard. This
designation is based on historical precedent.142
Although these standards are intended for ALS providers, which VFPD is not, the City of
Vacaville response standard for rural areas indicates what is considered appropriate
response times for medical emergencies for the District.
VFPD’s 80th percentile response time is 15.62 minutes, the 90th percentile response
time is 18.46 minutes, the median response time is 10.73 minutes, and average response
time is 11.56 minutes.
The service area size for each fire station varies between fire districts. The median fire
station in Solano County serves approximately 39.8 square miles. Dixon FPD station serves
the most expansive area (320 square miles). Densely populated areas tend to have smaller
service areas. For example, the average service area for East Vallejo FPD (Vallejo FD) fire
stations is 8.3 square miles. By comparison, each fire station in VFPD serves approximately
27 square miles.
140 Urban demand zone has population density of more than 1,000 people per square mile; suburban zone—between 500
and 1,000 people per square mile, rural zone—less than 500 people per square mile, and remote zone is identified by
eight or more miles of travel distance to an incident.
141 Solano Emergency Medical Services Cooperative Ambulance Service Agreement, April 10, 2010.
142 County of Solano Emergency Medical Services Agency, Annual Report, FY 2012-13, p. 18
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The number of firefighters serving within a particular jurisdiction is another indicator
of level of service; however, it is approximate. The providers that rely on volunteer or call
firefighters may have differing staff availability and reliability. An agency with more
firefighters could have fewer resources, if availability is limited due to work and personal
obligations. Staffing levels in Solano County vary from 0.68 firefighters per 1,000 residents
in EVFPD to 29 in MFPD. To compare, VFPD has about seven firefighting personnel per
1,000 residents.
Operating expenditures per capita is often reflective of the level of service offered by a
fire provider as determined by financing constraints. The least amount of money per capita
was spent by Dixon FPD ($79). Montezuma FPD expended the most per capita ($499), as it
serves a relatively expansive area with very low population density. To compare, VFPD
spent $114 per capita in FY 12-13.
Determinations
The District reported that it presently had sufficient capacity to provide adequate
services to its present service area. However, in case of future growth farmlands
near Travis AFB and Pleasant Valley between the stations would require additional
capacity. An additional station would have to be constructed to serve Pleasant
Valley, which would be challenging due to hilly terrain.
Data analysis showed the District’s marginal capacity to provide adequate services
to the existing service area based on the condition of its facilities. The District has
delayed construction and repairs, due to financial constraints. Station repairs and
upgrades are typically financed through DIF funds and the general fund.
The District additionally has a need to replace multiple vehicles as they have come
to the end of their useful life.
Assessment of the District’s capacity based on its response times revealed that VFPD
lacks sufficient capacity to meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
standards for response to structural fire calls and the City of Vacaville standards for
response to medical emergencies in rural areas.
VFPD services appear to be marginally adequate. The District has longer than
adequate response times but its ISO rating is comparable to other providers in the
County. The District has seven firefighters serving every 1,000 residents, which is
more than districts with higher population densities like DFPD and EVFPD (due to
combined city and district estimates), but less than other more sparsely populated
districts; every station in VFPD serves a fairly small area of 27 square miles.
District management methods appear to generally meet accepted best management
practices. The District prepares a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year,
conducts financial audits for every fiscal year, maintains current transparent
financial records, tracks employee and district workload, and has an established
process to address complaints. A significant improvement to the District’s
management practices would be short- and long-term capital improvement
planning, which is currently being developed by the District. The agency would also
benefit from conducting strategic planning and service demand projections.
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STAATUS ANND OPPOORTUNITIES FOOR SHARRED FACCILITIESS
Shared Faciliities andd Regional Cooperation
Shared FFacilities
VFPDD presently does not prractice faciliity or vehiclle sharing wwith any othher agency.
In terrms of oppoortunities foor future faccility sharinng, the Distrrict reportedd that Statioon 68
could alsso be used jjointly withh Cal Fire. VVFPD did noot identify aany opportuunities for fuuture
vehicle ssharing.
Collaborration
As prreviously mmentioned inn the Type aand Extent ooff Services seection, VFPD has autommatic
aid agreeements withh City of Vaccaville Fire Departmennt, City of WWinters Fire DDepartment and
Californiia Medical FFacility Firee Department. Additionnally, the District is a ppart of a master
mutual aaid agreement, which dates from 1996, withh several Soolano and YYolo Countyy fire
agenciess, including the City of BBenicia, thee City of Dixxon, the Cityy of Fairfieldd, the City oof Rio
Vista, the City of Suuisun, the Ciity of Vacavville, the Citty of Vallejoo, the Countty of Solanoo, the
Americaan Canyon FFPD, the Callifornia Meddical Facilitty FD, Deltaa FPD, Corddelia FPD, EExxon
Benicia RRefinery FDD, Gordon VValley FD, MMontezuma FPD, Suisunn FPD, Travvis AFB, and Cal
Fire.
VFPDD is a part oof the statewwide mutuaal aid agreemment throuugh the Officce of Emerggency
Services (OES) and has a mutuual aid agreeement withh the Califorrnia State Prison in thee City
of Vacavville.
VFPDD provides select serrvices jointtly with otther agenciies, including dive reescue
programm with the CCounty Sherrriff’s Officee and new ccommerciall constructioon plan revviews
in coopeeration withh Solano Couunty.
The DDistrict parrticipates in two joint ppowers authhorities (JPAAs)—the Fiire Agenciess Self
Insurancce System ffor workerss’ compensation (FASIIS) and thee Fire Agenncies Insuraances
Risk Auuthority (FAAIRA) for lliability and propertyy insurancee. Additionaally, VFPD is a
memberr of the JPAA called the Solano Emmergency MMedical Servvices Coopeerative (SEMMSC),
which is comprised of all the ciities in Solaano County, except for tthe City of VVacaville, annd all
the fire ddistricts in tthe unincorrporated areeas of the Coounty. 143 Firre districts are represeented
by one member oon the SEMMSC seven--member BBoard of DDirectors. TThe SEMSC was
designatted by the SSolano Counnty Board oof Supervisoors as the LLocal EMS AAgency (LEMMSA)
for Solanno County. TThe SEMSC has all of thhe responsiibilities andd authority vvested in a local
EMS Agency, including the abbility to seelect, via a competitivve process, a provider for
emergenncy ambulannce service.
VFPDD meets reggularly withh several citty fire depaartments inccluding Vaccaville FD, DDixon
FD, Rio VVista FD, Suisun FD, andd Fairfield FFD.
143 Servicess cover the Excluusive Operatingg Area (EOA) exxcept 1) the terrritories of the CCity of Vacavillee and Travis Airr Force
Base, and tthe territory of Solano County known as “Zonne C”, 2) the terrritory of Sacraamento County that incorporattes the
territories oof the Delta FPDD and the City oof Isleton, and 3) the territory oof Napa Countyy designated as tthe Gordon Valley.
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The District participates in regional planning efforts with Solano County Water Agency
on the issues that arise from the management of the dam and occasionally with Amtrak.
Also, as previously mentioned in the Growth Strategies section, VFPD is taking part in a
development impact fee study with three other fire protection districts in the County.
Additionally, VFPD is a member of several collaborative organizations, including the
Fire District Association of California, the California Fire Chiefs Association, the Solano
County Fire Chiefs Association, the Solano County Firefighters’ Association, and the
National Fire Protection Association.
Management Efficiencies
While public sector management standards vary depending on the size and scope of the
organization, there are minimum standards. Well-managed organizations evaluate
employees annually, track employee and agency productivity, periodically review agency
performance, prepare a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year, conduct periodic
financial audits to safeguard the public trust, maintain relatively current financial records,
conduct advanced planning for future service needs, and plan and budget for capital needs.
VFPD employs five full time personnel including one fire chief, one administrative
assistant, one maintenance officer, one battalion chief, and one firefighter. All other staff,
including 74 firefighting and one administrative, are volunteers. The fire chief, who reports
to the Board of Directors, oversees an investigator, maintenance officer, deputy chief, and
administrative assistant. Assistant chief, who is accountable to the deputy chief, is in charge
of five battalion chiefs. Battalion chiefs mange captains, engineers and firefighters.
The District’s fire chief and the administrative assistant are responsible for the day-to-
day operations of VFPD. Paid personnel are biannually evaluated by the chief, who is also
regularly evaluated by the Board of Directors. Chief presents regular district performance
updates at board meetings. Volunteers are informally evaluated by their superiors. If any
issues arise regarding the performance of a volunteer, these issues are discussed at officers’
meetings.
Overall agency performance is evaluated informally at regular officers’ meetings, where
the participants look at the District’s performance indicators and compare them to these of
other similar districts in the area. Some of the indicators reviewed electronically are
response times, types of calls received and personnel and training standards. These
measures help the District determine resource allocation needs and areas that require
improvement.
VFPD tracks the workload of paid staff through basic timesheets. Volunteers fill out
timesheets for particular projects. In addition, personnel workload is tracked through
maintenance logs and response logs. The District reported, that it continuously had been
undertaking efforts to improve its operational efficiency. One of the latest successes was
the use of computer programs by the training officer that make charts and tables that show
the overall picture which helps determine shortfalls and needs.
The District’s financial planning efforts include an annually adopted budget and audited
financial statements, which are audited by Solano County every two years for every fiscal
year. VFPD does not presently have any other planning documents. Short-term goals are
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establishhed in the budgets, wwhile long--term objecctive are pplanned forr in the Caapital
Improveement Plan ((CIP), whichh is currentlly being devveloped.
Determinatioons
VVFPD presenntly does noot practice faacility or veehicle sharinng with any other agency.
Inn terms off opportunities for futture facilityy sharing, the Districct reported that
Sttation 68 coould be usedd jointly witth Cal Fire.
LAFCO POLICIIES AFFECTING SERVICCE DELIVERY
Solanno LAFCO has adopteed a policyy that direectly affectss service ddelivery byy fire
protectioon districtss in the Couunty. Standard 11 in tthe LAFCO Standards and Proceddures
manual requires thhat a city appplying to LLAFCO for aannexation of a speciffic territoryy that
belongs in this casee to a fire pprotection ddistrict musst offset thee negative cconsequencces of
that annnexation, wwhich may include neggative effectts on the ddistrict’s buudget or service
provision. The anneexing city iss required tto work witth the affeccted districtt to identifyy and
mitigate the impaccts. Adequatte mitigatioon to adverrse fiscal immpact normmally includdes a
funding source forr lost revennues or inccreased cossts to the aaffected sppecial distriict. A
commonn practice inn Solano Couunty is to neegotiate a pproperty taxx neutrality agreement for a
specific period of time betweeen the annexing cityy and the nnegatively affected sppecial
district.
In caase of VFPDD, the distriict recently negotiatedd a propertyy tax neutrrality agreemment
with thee City of Vaacaville for aa particularr annexatioon, which suunsets afterr 25 years. The
negativee side of it, hhowever, is that once mmitigation ppayments haave ceased, the Districtt will
still face a loss of regular incomme.
Determinatioons
Sttandard 111 of the LAAFCO Standdards and PProcedures manual reequires thee city
annexing terrritory fromm a special district to mitigate thhe negative impact onn that
district. Commmon mitigaation practiice of adverrse fiscal immpact includdes a negottiated
property taxx neutrality aagreement.
VVFPD negotiated a propperty tax neutrality agrreement witth the City oof Vacaville for a
particular annnexation foor 25 years, after whichh the mitigaation paymeents will ceaase.
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VACAAVILLE FFIRE PRROTECTION DISTRICT DDETERMMINATIONS
Growtth and PPopulatiion Projjectionss
VVacaville Firre Protectioon District ((VFPD) currrently has aan estimateed populatioon of
10,995.
VVFPD anticippates modeerate growtth in popullation within the Disttrict in the next
decade due tto developmment of largge estates aand high-vallue propertties. The Disstrict
iss aware of ttwo plannedd developmments withinn its boundaries that ccould potentially
add about 544 units. Bothh developments are currrently on hhold.
BBased on Deepartment oof Finance population forecasts, tthe Districtt’s population is
projected to increase froom 10,995 iin 2010 to aapproximateely 11,875 iin 2020.
The Location and Chharacterristics oof Disadvantageed
Unincorporatted Commmunitiees Within or Coontiguous to thhe
Agenccy’s SOI
AAccording too the Deparrtment of WWater Resouurces, theree are no coommunitiess that
mmeet the deffinition of a disadvantaged unincorrporated coommunity inn Solano County.
AAs such, thhere are no disadvanntaged uninncorporatedd communnities within or
adjacent to VVFPD’s bounnds and sphhere of influeence.
Present and PPlannedd Capaciity of Puublic Faacilities and
Adequuacy of Public SServicess, Includding Inffrastruccture
Needss and Deeficiencies
TThe District reported thhat it preseently had suufficient cappacity to prrovide adeqquate
seervices to iits present service areea. Howeverr, in case oof future growth farmllands
near Travis AAFB and Pleeasant Valleey betweenn the stationns would require addittional
caapacity. Ann additionall station wwould have to be consstructed to serve Pleaasant
VValley, whichh would be challengingg due to hillyy terrain.
DData analysis showed thhe District’ss marginal capacity to provide addequate serrvices
too the existinng service aarea based on the condition of itss facilities. The District has
delayed consstruction annd repairs, due to finaancial consttraints. Stattion repairss and
upgrades aree typically fiinanced thrrough DIF fuunds and the general fuund.
TThe District additionallyy has a neeed to replace multiple vvehicles as they have ccome
too the end off their usefuul life.
AAssessment of the District’s capacitty based on its responsse times revvealed that VVFPD
laacks sufficieent capacityy to meet tthe Nationaal Fire Prottection Assoociation (NFPA)
sttandards for response to structuraal fire calls and the Cityy of Vacavillle standardds for
reesponse to mmedical emergencies inn rural areaas.
VVFPD servicces appear to be marrginally adeequate. Thee District hhas longer than
adequate ressponse timees but its ISSO rating is comparablle to other pproviders inn the
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County. The District has seven firefighters serving every 1,000 residents, which is
more than districts with higher population densities like DFPD and EVFPD (due to
combined city and district estimates), but less than other more sparsely populated
districts; every station in VFPD serves a fairly small area of 27 square miles.
District management methods appear to generally meet accepted best management
practices. The District prepares a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year,
conducts financial audits for every fiscal year, maintains current transparent
financial records, tracks employee and district workload, and has an established
process to address complaints. A significant improvement to the District’s
management practices would be short- and long-term capital improvement
planning, which is currently being developed by the District. The agency would also
benefit from conducting strategic planning and service demand projections.
Financial Ability of Agencies to Provide Services
The District reported that its financing levels were inadequate to deliver services.
Due to the recent economic recession, VFPD lost three paid personnel and have
deferred necessary equipment repairs and replacements. The District also lost some
property tax revenue.
In order to balance the budget and contain some costs, VFPD cut personnel and
scaled back on vehicle maintenance and station upgrades. The District is in the
process of renewing its development impact fee (DIF) to increase its revenues and
mitigate the impact of economic challenges.
A majority of the District’s revenue comes from property taxes. Another significant
source is charges for services. VFPD does not receive any revenue from special taxes
or benefit assessments.
The District generally uses funding from the development impact fees to finance
capital improvements; however, currently the development impact fee fund has a
negative balance. VFPD uses its financial reserves to cover some of the capital
improvement upgrades.
At the end of FY 12-13, the District had $695,624 of long-term debt composed of
compensated absences and a promissory note with Solano County Water Agency for
construction of Station 68 at Putah Diversion Compound.
The District has a management practice of keeping two financial reserve funds—one
of which is a development impact fee fund that currently has a negative balance. The
second fund is a financial reserve for emergencies, which at the end of FY 12-13
contained about $200,000.
Status of, and Opportunities for, Shared Facilities
VFPD presently does not practice facility or vehicle sharing with any other agency.
In terms of opportunities for future facility sharing, the District reported that
Station 68 could be used jointly with Cal Fire.
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Accountability for Community Service Needs, Including
Governmental Structure and Operational Efficiencies
The District generally demonstrated accountability and transparency with regard to
governance by adopting an annual budget prior to the start of the fiscal year,
publishing agendas for public meetings as legally required, and maintaining a
website. Although the District cooperated with LAFCO during the MSR process and
provided all the information, requests required multiple follow up attempts.
Several improvements could be made to the District’s operations in order to
enhance accountability and transparency. District policies and procedures and
financial information as well as Board of Directors meeting materials, including
agendas and minutes, should be made readily available to the public on its website.
The District needs to continue its practice of ensuring and documenting that all
board members have completed ethics training if the District’s board members
receive compensation or expense reimbursements. It was reported that the
District’s board members last received ethics training in 2012.
Governance structure options for VFPD include functional or full consolidation with
other fire protection agencies in Solano County. Consolidation may include regional
merger with CFPD and SFPD along I 80, consolidation of all the districts serving
unincorporated territory, functional consolidation with the cities of Vacaville and/or
Fairfield, or countywide consolidation that includes all city fire departments and fire
districts.
LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Delivery
Standard 11 of the LAFCO Standards and Procedures manual requires the city
annexing territory from a special district to mitigate the negative impact on that
district. Common mitigation practice of adverse fiscal impact includes a negotiated
property tax neutrality agreement.
VFPD negotiated a property tax neutrality agreement with the City of Vacaville for a
particular annexation for 25 years, after which the mitigation payments will cease.
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1 0. FIIR E SSE RVVI C ESS CO MM PA RR I S O NN
AN D AANA LYSI S
This chapter provides an ooverview annd compariison of fire districts inn Solano County,
based onn the informmation reporrted in eachh of the distrrict’s individdual chapteers.
SERVICCE DEMAAND
In 20013, the districts in Sollano Countyy respondedd to approxximately 2,9944 calls forr fire,
EMS, andd other emeergency response serviices. In othher words, tthere were aabout eight calls
for serviice per day to which Solano fire ddistricts weere dispatchhed. A call for service does
not indiccate the nuumber of reesponses byy each jurissdiction, as multiple juurisdictions may
respond to a single call. The nnumber of ccalls in Figuure 10-1 is aas reportedd by each aggency
and incluudes false alarms.
Figgure 10-1: Fire Agenccy Service CCalls by Typee, 2013
The number of calls reporrted by thee Solano Coounty Sheriff’s Office ffor each disstrict
(excludinng EVFPD, wwhich is disspatched byy the City off Vallejo), diiffers from tthat reporteed by
the distrricts. For CFFPD and MFPD, the nuumber of caalls reporteed by the Sheriff’s Offiice is
slightly higher than what waas reportedd by these districts, wwhile the SSheriff repoorted
number of calls for SFPD and VFPD is sligghtly lowerr. The numbber of calls reported byy the
Sheriff ffor DFPD is significanttly higher thhan the acttual numbeer of calls aas it includees all
areas of DFD servicce area. The discrepanncy betweenn the two reeporting enntities fluctuuated
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betweenn eight and two percennt for all fivve districts.. Since the discrepancy appears tto be
small, ass is also eviddent from FFigure 10-2, the inconssistency maay be attribuuted to diffeerent
recordinng methods that may iinclude the agency’s ppractice of ccounting orr excluding calls
canceledd at various points in timme.
Figure 10-2: Total Service Callls by Reportting Agencyy,, 2013
A maajority of thhe calls (322 percent) eexperiencedd by all of the districtts were meedical
emergenncies, whichh is similar to call pattterns experiienced in ruural areas oof the State. The
count for DFPD, howwever, was approximaate and mayy be slightlyy inflated (52 percent) since
the Disttrict only pprovided the total nummber of callls within iits boundarry area witthout
breakingg it down by call type. To estimatte the numbber of EMS calls withinn DFPD bouunds,
the authhor used thee share of mmedical emeergency callss that the DDixon FD staaff responded to
within tthe City’s and the DDistrict’s combined sservice area. Similarlyy, the inciident
breakdown for DFPPD in Figurre 10-1 inclludes calls rresponded to within tthe City andd the
District. EVFPD responded to 67 percentt of medicall emergencyy calls withhin the Disttrict’s
boundarries. Amongg the districts that do nnot contractt with citiess for their services, meedical
emergenncy calls connstituted beetween 31 and 36 perceent of all callls.
Calls for fire-rellated eventss (structuree, vehicle annd wildlandd) and hazaardous mateerials
among aall the distrricts accounnted for 199 percent of the incideent volumee on averagge, as
shown inn Figure 100-1. Rural ddistricts with extensivee wildland aareas and a greater willdfire
hazard tend to havee a higher shhare of callss related to ffire. MFPD had the higghest percenntage
(39 perccent) of fire--related callls among thhe five distriicts, while EEVFPD had tthe lowest sshare
(seven ppercent).
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F
16%
14%
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
Durinng 2013, t
neighborring provid
11 perceent of all r
responsees varied by
FPD conntract for se
certain mmutual aid c
to providde the numb
FFigure 10-4
FIRE SERVVICES COMPA
sllaC
diA
lautuM
fo
oitaR
SOLANO LAAFCO
FIRRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Figure 10-3: Fire Aggency Ratio of Mutual AAid Calls, 20113
CFPD DFPD EVFPD MMFPD SSFPD VFFPD
Districts
three fire agencies—CFPD, MFPPD and SFFPD—providded supporrt to
ers in the fform of 140 mutual aidd responsess, which was approximmately
responses pprovided byy these threee districtss. The ratioo of mutuaal aid
y agency, as shown in FFigure 10-3.. Given that Dixon FPD and East Vaallejo
ervices fromm the city ffire departmments, it is impracticaable to attriibute
calls to thesse districts or the city ffire departmments. Vacaaville FPD ffailed
ber of mutuual aid calls for 2013.
: Service Caalls per 1,0000 Residentss, 2013
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Distrricts countyywide averaaged 109 service callss per 1,0000 residents in 2013.1444 The
volume of service ddemand maay vary betwween jurisddictions bassed on the ppopulation’ss age
and acceess to primaary healthcare, visitor counts, higghway miless and risk oof wildland fires
within the agency’ss boundariees. The nummber of serrvice calls per 1,000 rresidents vaaried
from 57 in Vacavillee FPD to 2500 within CFPD’s servicee area, as shhown in Figuure 10-4.
Each of the jurisdictions exxperiences different ppeak periods of demannd. Urban aareas
tend to eexperience the most service calls during dayytime hourss on weekddays, while rural
and wildderness areeas have thee highest caalls for servvice in the eevenings annd on weekkends
when reesidents havve returnedd home fromm work. Foor example,, DFPD receeives most oof its
calls durring daylighht and early evening hoours when ppeople are mmost active.. While for CCFPD
service ccalls are higher in volume duringg commutinng hours annd on Fridaay and Satuurday
nights.
The areas that aare currenttly at the hiighest risk for fires arre found in western Soolano
County, in the foothhills and mountainous watershedd areas, andd also in graasslands loccated
throughoout the Couunty. The Beenicia Hills, Potrero Hiills, Cementt Hills, and wwestern Ennglish
Hills aree all designnated as higgh-risk fire areas. Befoore nearby lowlands wwere urbannized,
vegetatioon in these west foothhill and mouuntainous coommunitiess was naturrally maintaained
by perioodic fire. AAs nearby lands were developedd, natural wwildfires weere suppressed,
resultingg in the fuurther builddup of firee-prone bruush and wwoodland. TThese effortts to
suppresss natural prrocesses havve resulted in larger, mmore damagiing fires.
SERVICEE ADEQUACY
This section conntains a disccussion on sservice adequacy indiccators, whicch is intended to
identify outliers—pproviders wwith relativeely high service levelss and thosee providers that
could takke steps to improve ceertain aspeccts of servicce provisionn. The fire and emerggency
medical service adeequacy meaasures discuussed here include firrefighter cerrtification rrates,
responsee times, ISOO ratings, cooverage adeequacy, stafffing, best mmanagemennt practices, and
accountaability indiccators.
Response Times
Respponse timess reflect thee time elapsed betweeen the disppatch of perrsonnel andd the
arrival oof the first reesponder on the scene. As such, rresponse timmes do not iinclude the time
requiredd to transpoort a victim to the hosppital. The reesponse timmes include the dispatcching
time of ffire personnnel. Responnse times are generally faster for mmore compaact service aareas
and longger in largee districts. Response times also vary depeending on tthe numberr and
location of stations and firefighhters availabble.
Partiicularly in ccases involvving patients who havve stopped breathing or are suffeering
from heaart attacks, the chancess of survivaal improve wwhen the paatient receivves medicall care
quickly. Similarly, a quick firee suppressiion responsse can poteentially prevvent a struccture
fire fromm reaching the “flashhover” poinnt at whichh very rapid fire spreeading occuurs—
generallyy in less thaan 10 minuttes.
144 Service calls as reporteed by each agenncy. Populationn is the estimatted residential population in tthe providers’ sservice
area based on GIS analysiss of 2010 Censuus data.
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The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has issued response time performance
standards depending on the service structure of the agency. The response time is measured
from the completion of the dispatch notification to the arrival time of the first-responder at
the scene. Though not a legal mandate, these standards provide a useful benchmark
against which to measure fire department performance. For agencies with paid staff, NFPA
1710 identifies the response time guideline of six minutes at least 90 percent of the time.
For volunteer and combination fire departments, NFPA 1720 recommends that the
response times for structure fire be nine minutes in urban demand zones at least 90
percent of the time, 10 minutes in suburban zones at least 80 percent of the time and 14
minutes in rural zones at least 80 percent of the time. Response times in remote zones are
directly dependent on travel distances.145 MFPD, SFPD and VFPD fall within the definition
of rural demand zones and are therefore subject to the NFPA 1720 guidelines. CFPD also
falls under the definition of a rural demand zone and would be subject to the NFPA 1720
guidelines; however, the District aims to meet the NFPA 1710 guidelines. DFPD served by
Dixon FD a combination fire department that relies on both, volunteer and paid firefighters.
DFPD is subject to NFPA 1720 guideline, but strives to achieve response times set by NFPA
1710. EVFPD is the only fire protection district in Solano County that falls within the
definition of an urban demand zone with paid staff and is therefore subject to the NFPA
1710 guidelines.
Emergency response time standards vary by level of urbanization of an area: the more
urban an area, the faster a response should be. Solano Emergency Medical Services
Cooperative (SEMSC) has designated an exclusive operating area (EOA) in Solano County
for EMS and ambulance services provided by Medic Ambulance Services and the City of
Vacaville. The EOA for Medic includes all territory in Solano County with the exception of
the City of Vacaville, Travis Air Force Base, and the territory designated as Zone C.146 SEMSC
has the responsibility for assuring that all the incorporated and unincorporated areas of
the County have a safe, dependable and responsive pre-hospital emergency medical care
system. In the EOA for Medic, the response time guideline is seven minutes 90 percent of
the time for a Code 3 response to a 911 priority calls for all participating member cities.
There is no response time standard for Code 2 responses. Compliance with these
requirements is determined on a monthly basis. If a city providing ALS services fails to
comply with these response time standards, it is fined by the Medic. The amount payable
by Medic to the participating member cities reflects the estimated cost savings to Medic
under the SEMSC agreement due to the first response of the participating member cities.
Medic on the other hand is required to respond within nine to 12 minutes in areas
identified as urban areas, 15 minutes in areas designated as rural and 90 minutes in remote
areas. The City of Vacaville operates under the guidance of Solano County Department of
Emergency Medical Services as a part of SEMSC. Response times in the City of Vacaville are
measured at seven minutes for urban calls within the city limits and 15 minutes for rural
145 Urban demand zone has population density of more than 1,000 people per square mile; suburban zone—between 500
and 1,000 people per square mile, rural zone—less than 500 people per square mile, and remote zone is identified by
eight or more miles of travel distance to an incident.
146 Solano Emergency Medical Services Cooperative Ambulance Service Agreement, April 10, 2010.
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FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
calls. All calls outside the city limits, regardless of distance, are considered “rural” and
measured at the 15-minute standard. This designation is based on historical precedent.147
Although three out of six fire protection districts in Solano County are not ALS
providers and are not required to meet the SEMSC response standards, the measure
approximates what may be considered appropriate response times to medical emergencies
in rural areas of Solano County. DFPD and EVFPD provide non-transport ALS through their
contractor cities, Dixon and Vallejo, respectively. Cordelia FPD is also an ALS provider. The
Medic response standard for rural areas indicates what is considered appropriate response
times for medical emergencies for CFPD, DFPD, EVFPD, MFPD, and SFPD. The City of
Vacaville response standard for rural areas indicates what is considered appropriate
response times for medical emergencies for VFPD.148
MFPD is the only district in Solano County that does not track its response times for
each incident and was not able to provide the requested data, and therefore was omitted
from the data analysis. The Sheriff’s Office, being the agency that provides dispatch services
for five out of six fire protection districts in Solano County, also reported that it did not
track each incident’s response time for any of the districts.
As shown in Figure 10-5, CFPD and SFPD meet the NFPA 1720 response time standard
and DFPD nearly meets the NFPA 1720 standard. VFPD’s 80th percentile response time
exceeds the response time set as a standard by NFPA 1720 by about a minute and a half.
EVFPD does not meet the NFPA 1710 response time guideline. CFPD and DFPD meet the
Medic response standard for rural areas. SFPD’s response time is slightly longer than the
Medic standard. Similarly, VFPD’s response time exceeds the emergency medical response
time set as a standard by the City of Vacaville. As was previously mentioned, however, the
districts that do not provide ALS are not required to meet the SEMSC response time
standards. This measure is an approximation of appropriate response times to medical
emergencies.
Figure 10-5: Response Times (minutes)
80th 90th Meet
Agency Standard District's Goal Median Percentile Percentile guideline?
NFPA 1720 NFPA 1710
CFPD 5.88 9.28 10.82 Yes
(14 min 80%) (6 min 90%)
NFPA 1720 NFPA 1710
DFPD 11.5 14.22 15.55 Nearly
(14 min 80%) (6 min 90%)
NFPA 1710
EVFPD None 5.5 7 8.7 No
(6 min 90%)
NFPA 1720 County standard
MFPD NP NP NP Unknown
(14 min 80%) of 3 minutes
NFPA 1720 NFPA 1720
SFPD 7.75 13.13 16.7 Yes
(14 min 80%) (14 min 80%)
NFPA 1720
VFPD None 10.73 15.62 18.46 No
(14 min 80%)
147 County of Solano Emergency Medical Services Agency, Annual Report, FY 2012-13, p. 18
148 The measure of the response to medical emergencies is approximate as it was not possible to separate response times
for medical emergencies from other types of calls.
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ISO Ratings
The Insurance Service Office (ISO), an advisory organization, classifies fire service in
communities from 1 to 10, indicating the general adequacy of coverage. Communities with
the best systems for water distribution, fire department facilities, equipment and personnel
and fire alarms and communications receive a rating of 1. A Public Protection Classification
(PPC) rating has a direct bearing on the cost of property insurance for every home and
building in a community. In the case of split classifications, the first class generally applies
to properties within five miles of a station and 1,000 feet of a hydrant. The second class
applies to areas within five miles of a station but beyond 1,000 feet of a hydrant. Unlike the
aforementioned NFPA performance standards that set different response time goals for
volunteer and paid149 fire departments, ISO standards are the same regardless of staffing
type and whether an area is rural or urban.
Figure 10-6: ISO Ratings
ISO ratings differ for every fire provider. Fire
ISO Date
providers in Solano County have ISO ratings
Agency Rating Received
ranging from three to 10. Many providers have
CFPD 5/8B 2011
multiple ratings depending on the location of
DFPD 9/10 2012
hydrants and stations in the area. As is evident
EVFPD 3 2004
from the Figure 10-6, the best ISO rating of three
MFPD 8B/9 2004
was received by East Vallejo FPD. Dixon FPD has
SFPD 5/8B 2012
an ISO rating of 10 in its most rural areas. Most
VFPD 5/8B 2013
of the districts in Solano County have a rating of
eight in their rural and remote areas.
Coverage Adequacy
Figure 10-7: Service Area per Fire Station
In urban areas, fire stations
are typically located
VFPD
strategically within five
minutes driving distance from SFPD
potential victims. In rural
MFPD
areas, fire stations tend to be
located strategically within 15
EVFPD
minutes driving distance. The
driving distance is affected not DFPD
only by the size of the service
CFPD
area, but also by congestion,
topography and street layouts.
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
The service area sizes for Square Miles Served per Station
each fire station differ for each
fire provider, as shown in Figure 10-7. The median fire station among fire protection
149 A person whose primary employment is as a firefighter for a municipality or other agency or company and who derives
the majority of their earned income working in the fire service.
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FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
districts in Solano County serves approximately 39 square miles. Dixon FPD serves the
most expansive area of 320 square miles served per station. Densely populated areas tend
to have smaller service areas. For example, the average service area per station for
EVFPD150 is 8.3 miles per fire station.
Figure 10-8: Firefighters per 1,000 residents, 2014
Solano fire
35
protection districts rely
30 primarily on volunteer
firefighters. By
25
comparison, in a mature
20 urban area, the staffing
configuration is
15
typically four paid
10 firefighters per station
at all times.
5
The number of
0 firefighters serving
within a particular
jurisdiction is another
indicator of service adequacy; however, it is approximate. The providers’ firefighters may
have differing availability and reliability. A district with more firefighters could have fewer
resources if scheduling availability (i.e., full-time work schedule) is restricted. Figure 10-8
illustrates the number of firefighters each provider has as a rate per 1,000 residents
served. Staffing levels in Solano vary from 0.68 firefighters per 1,000 residents in EVFPD
(including the City of Vallejo) to almost 29 in MFPD.
Firefighters in Solano County vary in age from 18 to 72, with an extensive range of
experience. The median age of a firefighter in the County is 33. Rural providers tend to
have a higher median age of firefighters.
Staffing
The fire protection districts in Solano County are staffed mostly with a volunteer force,
as is evident from Figure 10-9. Only DFPD and EVFPD have high ratio of paid personnel due
to the fact that both districts are served by the respective cities through contracts and do
not have staff of their own. For the rest of the districts the share of volunteer firefighting151
staff amounted to between 88 percent in MFPD to 97 percent in SFPD.
Figure 10-9: Staffing Levels
Total firefighting
District staff Paid Share of paid staff Volunteers Share of volunteers
Cordelia FPD 52 4 8% 48 92%
Dixon FPD 42 23 55% 19 45%
E a s t V a l le j o F P D 8 2 82 100% 0 0%
Montezuma FPD 32 4 13% 28 88%
150 Territory serviced includes the City of Vallejo.
Suisun FPD 39 1 3% 38 97%
15 V 1 aFciarevfiilgleh tFinPgD personnel are pe7r7sonnel that respo3nd to incidents. A4d%ministrative perso7n4nel means person9n6el% that do not
respond to service calls (i.e. administrative assistant, bookkeeper).
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000,1
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FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Overall it was reported that the number of firefighting staff has increased overtime.
Staff turnover rates were low in the last three years, except for within Cordelia FPD. The
high turnover rate is mostly attributable to CFPD’s program of hiring trained firefighters
immediately after academy as residential firefighters who then move on to full-time paid
positions with other agencies.
A majority of the districts reported some challenges with recruitment and retaining of
volunteers. Other reported staffing challenges included decreasing and unpredictable
availability of volunteer firefighters and stringent State and local mandated training
requirements that impose a heavy burden on volunteer time.
Volunteers for the most part do not get compensated, except for limited stipends. It was
reported that the pay rates for all ranks within the fire protection districts were about half
the pay scale of the city fire departments in Solano County. Similarly, the retirement
benefits are not as high as what city firefighters may receive. To compare among the four
fire districts that rely on their own staff instead of city staff, the compensation levels were
reportedly comparable to each other with slight fluctuations.
Currently, there are three certifications in the California firefighter series; Volunteer
Firefighter, Firefighter I, and Firefighter II. While the Volunteer Firefighter focuses on skills
and tasks necessary to assure safety on the fire ground, Firefighter I & II prepares the
firefighter to perform essential and advanced fire ground tasks, as well as allowing entry
into all tracks of the certification system. The level of certification required for each
firefighter is determined by the individual fire department. However, according to the
California State Fire Marshal, there are plans to phase out the Volunteer Firefighter
certification level and the most basic level of certification will eventually be Firefighter I.
Firefighter I certification requires completion of the 259-hour Firefighter I course, which
includes training on various fire ground tasks, rescue operations, fire prevention and
investigation techniques, and inspection and maintenance of equipment. In addition to this
course, Firefighter I certification also requires that the applicant have a minimum of six
months of experience in a California fire department as a firefighter performing
suppression duties.152 In addition to the general firefighter certifications, there are also
several emergency medical and specialized certifications that firefighting personnel may
attain, including:
First Responder EMS is a person who has completed a course and received
certification in providing pre-hospital care for medical emergencies. First
Responder EMS has more skill than someone who is trained in basic first aid but
they are not a substitute for advanced medical care rendered by emergency medical
technicians, emergency physicians, nurses, or paramedics.
Emergency Medical Technician 1 is an intermediate level clinician, trained to
respond quickly to emergency situations regarding medical issues, traumatic
injuries and accident scenes.
Paramedic is a medical professional who provides medical care to sustain life in the
pre-hospital environment, usually in an emergency, at the point of illness or injury.
152 State Fire Marshal, Course Information and Required Materials, 2007, p. 44
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This includes an initial assessment of the patient after a particular health crisis.
Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma.
Apparatus Engineer drives and operates heavy fire apparatus (fire engines and
trucks). This individual is also responsible for protecting people and property from
fire. A fire apparatus engineer is responsible for the general maintenance and
operations of fire department equipment, tools and facilities. In addition, he or she
is responsible for administering rescue and emergency-medical assistance to
victims, cleaning the fire apparatus and training crews to fight fires.
Company Officer is the individual in charge of a crew of firefighters and their
responding apparatus.
Chief Officer ranks above the company officer level and is involved in supervisory
duties and fireground tactical operations.
Haz Mat FRO (First Responder Operations) is the most popular level of chemical
response certification.
In addition, there are several wildland fire certifications, including California
Incident Command Certification System (CCICCS) FF 1, CICCS FFT2, CICCS Engine
Boss, and CICCS Strike Team Leader.
Each firefighter, including volunteers, is able to hold multiple certifications, including
strike team certifications.
Figure 10-10: Firefighter Certification
Certification CFPD DFPD EVFPD MFPD SFPD VFPD
Volunteer Firefighter 87% 0% 0% 88% 0% 100%
Firefighter I 92% 90% 71% 13% 21% 65%
Firefighter II 28% 43% 71% 0% 0% 5%
First Responder EMS 0% 0% 5% 88% 31% 66%
Emergency Medical Technician 1 100% 79% 23% 19% 38% 34%
Paramedic 28% 24% 65% 0% 8% 0%
Apparatus Engineer 17% 24% 14% 19% 10% 21%
Company Officer 6% 43% 21% 22% 18% 19%
Chief Officer 6% 10% 5% 9% 13% 10%
Haz Mat FRO 85% 55% 82% 9% 18% 100%
CICCS FFT 2 26% 55% 5% 0% 0% 0%
CICCS FFT 1 60% 55% 5% 9% 0% 0%
CICCS Engine Boss 7% 43% 3% 13% 18% 0%
CICCS Strike Team Leader 4% 10% 3% 3% 2% 5%
Total number of firefighting staff 53 42 82 32 39 77
As shown in Figure 10-10, among fire protection districts in Solano County, CFPD
has the highest Firefighter I certification rate of 92 percent. DFPD staff (City of Dixon FD
staff) has a similarly high Firefighter I certification rate of 90 percent. The situation is the
same for EMT 1 certification, for which CFPD and DFPD are leading with 100 percent and
79 percent, respectively. On the other side of the spectrum, MFPD has the lowest
certification rates for Firefighter I and EMT 1 with 13 and 19 percent, respectively.
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Management
While public sector management standards vary depending on the size and scope of the
organization, there are minimum standards. Well-managed organizations evaluate
employees annually, prepare a budget before the beginning of the fiscal year, conduct
periodic financial audits to safeguard the public trust, maintain relatively current financial
records, plan and budget for capital needs, and conduct planning for future growth.
Figure 10-11: Fire Agency Management Practices
Management Practice
An evaluation of the adequacy of management practices is shown in Figure 10-11. The
first four indicators are self-explanatory. Adequate capital planning involves a multi-year
capital improvement plan (or comparable planning effort) for capital replacement and, if
relevant, expansion. Strategic planning is adequate when an agency sets formal short- and
long-term goals, as well as discloses its existing capacity and anticipates future needs, and
updates the plan periodically.
All of the reviewed providers evaluate staff at least annually. SFPD and VFPD reported
completing formal evaluations of only paid personnel; volunteers are evaluated informally.
All of the providers prepare timely budgets, complete financial audits on a regular basis
and were able to provide up-to-date financial records.
Of the reviewed providers, only Dixon Fire Department has an adopted a formal capital
improvement plan (CIP) that also includes needs associated with DFPD. CFPD and EVFPD
plan their capital needs through informal lists. For example, the City of Vallejo maintains an
apparatus replacement list specific to EVFPD. MFPD, SFPD and VFPD record their short-
term capital improvement needs in annual budgets; long-term needs are not currently
planned for. CFPD, SFPD and VFPD have retained the same consultant to develop a CIP for
each of these three districts; the plans are presently under development. It is
recommended that all agencies adopt capital improvement plans to identify long-term
financing needs and funding sources for these needs. CIPs can be tailored to the needs of
the agency, but should include a list of anticipated replacement and improvement needs
with an anticipated timeline for completion and a financial plan for achieving those goals.
It is recommended that a CIP have a planning horizon of at least five years and be updated
annually to reflect current conditions.
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DPFC DPFD
DPFVE
DPFM DPFS DPFV
Evaluate Employees Annually A A A A A A
Prepare Timely Budget A A A A A A
Periodic Financial Records A A A A A A
Current Financial Records A A A A A A
Capital Planning I A I I I I
Formal Strategic Planning I I N N N N
Note: A= Practiced adequately, I= Practiced, but improvement needed,
N= Not practiced
SOLANO LAFCO
FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
None of the fire protection districts in Solano County have a strategic plan or conduct
formal future growth planning for their respective service areas. CFPD reported to have an
outdated plan of goals and objectives. It is anticipated that the new incoming chief would
be conducting more formal strategic planning. City of Dixon FD maintains short- and long-
term strategic plans, but nothing specific to DFPD. The City of Vallejo possesses a master
plan that has some planning specific to fire services within EVFPD, but the information in it
is not current. MFPD, SFPD and VFPD have not developed strategic plans.
Accountability and Governance
Accountability of a governing body is signified by a combination of several indicators.
The indicators chosen here are limited to: 1) constituent interest in the agency’s activities
as indicated by vacancy rates and Board meeting attendance, 2) agency efforts to engage
and educate constituents through outreach activities, in addition to legally required
activities such as agenda posting and public meetings, 3) presence of personnel, operating
and Board policies, 4) filing of Form 700s, and 5) transparency of the agency as indicated
by cooperation with the MSR process and information disclosure.
For a majority of the fire protection districts in Solano County, the established manner
of board selection is appointment by the County Board of Supervisors. CFPD is the only
district that has an elected Board of Directors. County Supervisors comprise the governing
body of EVFPD. All Board positions within most of the districts reviewed are filled. The
exceptions are Cordelia FPD where the position of the Board chair has been vacant for a
year, and SFPD where the Board of Supervisors has not yet filled the last vacancy. Only
DFPD reported that generally, there is low public interest in the operations of the District,
as there has been no public attendance at the Board’s regular meetings in at least the last
five years.
All the reviewed agencies prepare and post meeting agendas and make minutes
available as required. Additional outreach efforts include websites and educational and
awareness programs. All the agencies conduct community outreach activities where they
participate in community events and organize educational activities. A majority of the
providers have websites to offer information by way of constituent outreach. Every district
should ensure that Board meeting information, as well as correct contact information and
district policies are readily available online. Although Vallejo FD maintains a web presence,
there is no information regarding EVFPD. The County should maintain a separate website
for the District where information may be made available to the public; alternatively, the
City can build a webpage for the District similar to DFPD, which has web presence on the
City of Dixon website.
None of the board members of the Solano fire protection districts receive
compensation, except for EVFPD, which is governed by the County Supervisors who receive
$8,000 per month. Government Code §53235 requires that if a district provides
compensation or reimbursement of expenses to its board members, the board members
must receive two hours of training in ethics at least once every two years and the district
must establish a written policy on reimbursements. Three out of six districts, including
DFPD, MFPD and SFPD have not established a policy on expense reimbursements because
their Board members do not receive reimbursements. CFPD was not aware whether the
District had adopted a policy, and VFPD was unable to provide one. EVFPD is the only
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district tthat has a ppolicy on exppense reimbursement,, since Supeervisors do receive exppense
reimbursements. Alll board meembers of five of the diistricts, inclluding CFPDD, DFPD, EVVFPD,
SFPD, annd VFPD, hhave underrgone ethiccs training in the lastt two yearrs. MFPD bboard
memberrs do not recceive ethics training reeportedly beecause theyy do not get compensateed or
receive eexpense reimmbursemennts.
Geneerally, all revviewed disttricts maintaain adoptedd policies thhat guide operations of their
governinng bodies, inncluding poolicies on coode of ethiccs, public reecords requuests and Brrown
Act comppliance. CFPPD reportedd that it hadd all the aforrementioneed policies, bbut was nott able
to providde them. SFFPD’s Policyy Manual dooes not incluude a policyy related to public requuests
for inforrmation. VFFPD is the oonly districtt that has nnot establishhed its ownn set of rules to
guide the Board’s opperations. EEfforts of itss Board are gguided by thhe insurancce guidelinees.
The Political Reeform Act (Governmennt Code §811000, et seqq.) requiress state and local
governmment agenciees to adopt and promuulgate conflict of intereest codes. TThe Fair Pollitical
Practicess Commissiion has adoopted a reguulation (California Codde of Regullations §187730),
which coontains the terms of a sstandard coonflict of intterest code, which can be incorporrated
by reference in an agency’s coode. DFPD, EVFPD, SFPPD, and VFPPD have adopted and were
able to pprovide theeir conflict oof interest ccodes. CFPDD reportedlly has adoppted the codde as
well, butt was not abble to provide it. It is unclear if MFFPD has an adopted coonflict of intterest
code beccause this innformation wwas not proovided by thhe District.
Goveernment Coode §87203 requiress persons who holdd office to disclose their
investmeents, intereests in real property aand incomees by filing appropriatte forms wwith a
designatted filing aggency each yyear. In adddition, the conflict of innterest codee of each disstrict
determinnes who ammong the offficers and directors ffiiles the Forrm 700s wiith the Couunty’s
Registrar of Voters. In Solano County select fire prootection disstricts requiire both thee fire
chief andd Board meembers to suubmit copiees to the Coounty, and inn some casees only the chief
files withh the Countty’s Registraar of Voterss. All of the districts filled approprriate forms with
the Couunty as reqquired for tthe 2012 rreporting pperiod. Seeveral of thhe districts had
submitteed forms forr the 2013 rreporting peeriod, although the deaadline for suubmittal hadd not
yet occurred when tthe informaation was reequested.
Of thhe agencies reviewed iin this repoort, the maajority demoonstrated aaccountabiliity in
their dissclosure of informationn and coopperation witth LAFCO dduring the MSR proceess. A
majorityy of the disttricts providded most oof the requeested informmation in a timely mannner.
Althoughh VFPD and EVFPD aalso providded a majorrity of the requested informatioon, it
requiredd several folllow-up atteempts.
SSERVICEE FINANNCING
The financial abbility of ageencies to prrovide servvices is affeccted by avaailable finanncing
sources and financing constraints, as well as managemment practiices. This section discuusses
the majoor financing constrainnts faced by fire servvice provideers, identifiies the revvenue
sources currently aavailable to the servicee providerss, and assessses the finnancial abiliity of
agenciess to provide services.
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Revennue Sourrces
Fire sservice provviders rely on a varietyy of revenuee sources too fund fire aagency operating
costs—pprimarily property taxxes, speciall taxes, serrvice chargees, and inttergovernmental
funds annd grants. TThe various funding souurces for eaach fire agenncy are showwn in Figure 10-
12.
Apprroximately 775 percent of the Solaano fire agencies’ operaating budgeets were funded
through ad valoremm property tax and parrcel tax revvenue in FYY 12-13. Service chargges in
the formm of reimbursement froom the State for use off strike teamms, plan revview and peermit
issuancee, and otherr charges foor services constitutedd 10 percennt of total revenue souurces.
The ageencies periiodically reeceive interrgovernmenntal funds,, grants annd donatioons—
averagedd out these funds accouunt for abouut nine perccent of the ddistricts’ buddgets.
The districts alsso make use of facilityy and develoopment imppact fees too pay for caapital
improveements. Thhese revennue sourcess are discuussed in mmore detail in the Caapital
Financinng section off this chapteer.
Figure 10-12: Revennue Sourcess (FY 12-13)
Ad Valorrem Propertty Taxes
Property taxes mmade up 67 percent of revenues ammong the Solano fire pproviders. DDixon
FPD andd East Vallejo FPD rely almost entiirely on prooperty tax reevenue to pprovide servvices,
with neggligible reveenues coming from othher sourcess. As a fundding sourcee, property ttaxes
are constrained by sstatewide innitiatives thhat have beeen passed byy voters oveer the yearss.
Proposition 13,, which Caalifornia votters approvved in 19778, limits tthe ad valoorem
propertyy tax rate, limits growwth of the assessed vvalue of prooperty, andd requires vvoter
approval of certainn local taxes. Generallyy, this meaasure fixes tthe ad valoorem tax att one
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percent of value, except for taxes to repay certain voter approved bonded indebtedness. In
response to the adoption of Proposition 13, the Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 8 (AB 8)
in 1979 to establish property tax allocation formulas. Generally, AB 8 allocates property tax
revenue to the local agencies within each tax rate area based on the proportion each agency
received during the three fiscal years preceding adoption of Proposition 13. This allocation
formula benefits local agencies which had relatively high tax rates at the time Proposition
13 was enacted.
Proposition 98, which California voters approved in 1988, requires the State to
maintain a minimum level of school funding. In 1992 and 1993, the Legislature began
shifting billions of local property taxes to schools in response to State budget deficits. Local
property taxes were diverted from local governments into the Educational Revenue
Augmentation Fund (ERAF) and transferred to school districts and community college
districts to reduce the amount paid by the State general fund. Local agencies throughout
the State lost significant property tax revenue due to this shift.
In addition to these constraints, the districts have faced declining property values over
the last five years, which has resulted in reduced property tax revenues for the agencies. As
shown in Figure 10-13, the amount of property taxes levied countywide experienced a
combined 17 percent decrease over the five-year period from FY 08-09 to FY 12-13, going
from $495 million in FY 09 to $410 million in FY 13. The most significant drop in property
tax revenue was experienced between FY 09 and FY 10, when total property taxes collected
decreased by over 10 percent.
Figure 10-13: Percent Change in Property Taxes Levied in Solano County (FYs 09 – 13)
0%
FY 08 -09 FY 09-10 FY 10-11 FY 11-12 FY 12-13
-2%
-4%
-6%
-8%
-10%
-12%
Special Taxes and Benefit Assessments
The most significant financing constraints for fire and EMS services are legal
requirements that limit property taxes and require voter approval of new taxes and tax
increases. A special tax requires approval by two thirds of voters. Several fire districts in
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egnahC
fo
etaR
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SME
tropsnart-noN
ecnalubmA
tropsnarT
secivreS
tcartnoC
maeT
ekirtS
stimreP/weiveR
nalP
secivreS
ycnegremE
stnediser-noN
the State have also made use of benefit assessment revenue, which requires a simple
majority for voter approval. For a benefit assessment it is required that the agency
attribute distinct benefit to each parcel, while a special tax may be used to fund services
with a general benefit to all parcels. Only one of the six special districts supplements
funding with special tax revenue—Cordelia FPD. None of the districts in the County levy a
benefit assessment.
In 2002, Cordelia FPD introduced Measure I to district voters to collect a special tax on
properties within the District to supplement revenue sources. District voters narrowly
approved the special tax. The amount of the tax is dependent upon land use—residential
parcels are assessed $300 and commercial parcels are assessed $400 annually. Parcels
with public uses are not assessed. The tax does not adjust according to inflation. These
special tax revenues are not tracked separately in an independent fund from other revenue
sources.
Several of the geographically larger districts that are comprised of primarily
agricultural, open space and minimal low-density residential properties face a particular
challenge in that a special tax or benefit assessment would not collect the necessary
revenue to substantially augment services. Due to the County’s development policies,
considerable growth is not anticipated outside of the cities. Consequently, the districts
have not pursued either means of parcel taxation, due to a lack of perceived benefit.
Service Charges
Service charges comprised 10 percent of revenues among the fire providers in FY 12-
13. Service charges include billing for providing emergency medical and ambulance
services, fees charged for contract services, reimbursement from the State for use of strike
teams, fees for services such as fire inspections and building approvals, charges for
specialty emergency services, and charges to non-residents for services rendered. Four of
the six districts reviewed receive revenue from some form of charges for services. Dixon
FPD and East Vallejo FPD, which contract for fire services through city fire departments, do
not directly charge and collect revenue for services offered.
Figure 10-14: Charges for Services
Of the fire protection districts reviewed, only
Cordelia FPD provides non-transport emergency
medical services in the form of advanced life support
directly through district staff. However, the District
does not receive reimbursement for support of Medic
Ambulance’s services like those fire departments that
have contracts with Medic and SEMSC for these
services.
None of the fire protection districts in the County
CFPD
provide ambulance transport services, and therefore,
DFPD
do not receive revenue from charges for those services.
EVFPD
Similarly, none of the districts provide contract services
MFPD
to other entities, such as administration or operations,
and as such do not receive income from these services. SFPD
VFPD
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FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
The four districts that provide services directly with district staff occasionally respond
to state fires with their strike teams or as members of a strike team and get reimbursed for
it from the State of California Department of Forestry and Fire. District duty on a strike
team or task force is compensated at predetermined rates depending on the rank of the
firefighter and the type of the equipment used for the fire.
Billing for services may include fees for reports and permits, plan review, operating
permits, and field inspections, to name a few. Four of the agencies charge fees for these
services; the two districts that do not receive revenue from these charges are the two fire
protection districts that contract for services—Dixon FPD and East Vallejo FPD. Instead,
the contractor city fire departments charge the fees and collect the revenue directly.
Both, Montezuma FPD and Suisun FPD charge residents and non-residents alike for
certain specialty emergency services, such as vehicle accidents. These agencies do not
charge for general emergency fire and emergency medical responses.
Of the six districts, only Montezuma FPD charges non-residents for certain services
provided. MFPD charges a fee of $35 per hour per unit with a minimum of $100 per unit
for use of equipment in response to emergency calls for non-residents of the District.
Grants
Among the fire protection districts, grant funds comprised $425,583 or nine percent of
revenues in FY 12-13. Of the six districts, Cordelia FPD and Montezuma FPDs were able to
receive the most revenue from grant sources. Cordelia FPD received $210,617 from grants
in that year. While Montezuma FPD received $201,805 from a USFA grant in conjunction
with FEMA for operations and safety purposes. MFPD has received this grant two times in
the last 10 years. Additionally, MFPD received donations and contributions towards its fire
station in that same year.
While not a direct recipient of grant funds, DFPD indirectly benefits from Dixon FD’s
grant pursuit efforts. Grants funds received by Dixon FD in the last five years include:
FEMA AFG-breathing apparatus, FEMA AFG cardiac monitors, FEMA SAFER three full-time
positions funded for 24 months, FEMA SAFER Volunteer Retention and Recruitment
Program, FEMA AFG radio hardware acquisition dual band radios, 2012 Cal Fire VFA 50/50
Wildland Firefighting PPE, and 2013 Cal Fire VFA 50/50 Wildland Fighting PPE.
Proposition 172
Proposition 172 was enacted to help offset property tax revenue losses of cities and
counties that were shifted to the ERAF for schools in 1992. Proposition 172, enacted in
1993, provides the revenue of a half-cent sales tax to counties and cities for public safety
purposes, including police, fire, district attorneys, corrections, and lifeguards. Proposition
172 also requires cities and counties to continue providing public safety funding at or
above the amount provided in FY 92-93.153 The law provides nine counties with unique
153 The maintenance of effort provision for local public safety spending requires cities and counties to fund public safety at
the 1992-93 levels, adjusted annually by a cost-of-living factor commencing with the 1994-95 fiscal year.
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allocation formulas. These formulas are the result of special circumstances and negotiated
compromises. Solano County is one such county with a unique allocation formula.154
While counties are not required to, many share Proposition 172 funds with local fire
protection districts, particularly those formed prior to 1978 (the enactment of Proposition
13), which rely heavily on property tax revenues to provide services and were greatly
impacted by the ERAF shifts. Solano County does not share Proposition 172 with the six
fire protection districts in the County.
Auxiliary Associations
Figure 10-15: Fundraising Efforts
The fire districts conduct fundraising in several forms—directly
through district staff, via a nonprofit firefighters association related
to the district, and via nonprofit auxiliary groups dedicated to
fundraising and supporting a particular district. Fundraising efforts
and donations provide a nominal supplement to fire district
revenues in Solano County.
As shown in Figure 10-15, each of the fire districts has a
firefighters association linked to it. In the case of Dixon FPD and East
Vallejo FPD, the firefighters associations are connected to the
contract city fire departments, and while accumulated funds may
benefit services within those districts, the city fire department is the
recipient of all donated funds or capital assets. The district
firefighter associations often conduct fundraising efforts on behalf of
other nonprofit foundations and organizations, such as the National
Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Firefighters Burn Institute.
Cordelia FPD and Suisun FPD are the only districts that conduct
fundraising activities via district staff and volunteers. These efforts
are reportedly minimal in nature.
Suisun and Vacaville FPDs are the only two districts with auxiliary fundraising
associations in addition to the firefighters associations. The FireBells is a group dedicated
to fundraising activities for Vacaville FPD.
154 Government Code §30055(b).
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seitivitcA
gnisiardnuF
noitaicossA
srethgiferiF
noitaicossA
yrailixuA
CFPD
DFPD
EVFPD
MFPD
SFPD
VFPD
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FIRE DISTRICT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW
Operating Expenditures
Figure 10-16: Operating Expenditures per Capita (FY 12-13)
The fire districts in
Solano County spent CFPD
approximately $3.7
million in FY 12-13 on DFPD
fire operations, which is
EVFPD
the equivalent of
approximately $137 per
MFPD
capita. The median
provider spent $105 per SFPD
capita. Operating
VFPD
expenditures per capita,
shown in Figure 10-16,
$- $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $600
is often reflective of the
Expenditures per Capita
level of service offered
by a fire provider as
determined by financing constraints. The least amount of money per capita was spent by
Dixon FPD. Montezuma FPD expended the most per capita, as it serves a relatively
expansive area with very low population density. Further details about operating
expenditures per capita for each district are included in Figure 10-17.
Figure 10-17: Operating Expenditures per Capita (FY 12-13)
Operating
District Operating Expenditures District Population Expenditures/Capita
CFPD $826,309 2,597 $318.18
DFPD $477,826 6,057 $78.89
EVFPD $336,161 3,522 $95.45
MFPD $554,969 1,113 $498.62
SFPD $250,351 2,671 $93.73
VFPD $1,258,497 10,995 $114.46
Total $3,704,112 26,955 $137.42
A similar situation exists with operating expenditures per service call, as is clear from
Figure 10-18. Those agencies with the lowest expenditures per call tend to rely more
heavily on volunteer firefighters, which can greatly reduce costs, or rely on a contract
agency for services. Suisun FPD has the lowest cost per call, most likely due to the low paid
staffing level compared to the volume of calls received by the District. Similar to operating
expenditures per capita, Montezuma FPD has the highest expenditures per service call.
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Figure 10-18: Operating Expenditures per Service Call (FY 12-13)
CFPD
DFPD
EVFPD
MFPD
SFPD
VFPD
$- $500 $1,000 $1,500 $2,000 $2,500 $3,000
Expenditures per Service Call
Capital Financing
Fire service providers in Solano County make use of development impact fees, reserve
funds, grants, donations, and loans for capital purchases.
None of the fire districts have adopted goals or policies regarding levels of reserves to
be maintained; although, many have informal management practices to maintain certain
reserve funds and levels. As mentioned in the Management section of this chapter, only
Dixon FPD (via the City of Dixon FD) has a formal capital improvement plan in place. Other
districts maintain informal lists or address short-term capital needs in the annual budget,
and Cordelia FPD, Suisun FPD and Vacaville FPD are developing formal CIPs. Pre-planning
for future capital improvement needs is considered a best management practice, which is
recommended for all public agencies regardless of size.
A common means to finance growth induced capital needs is through development
impact fees or capital facility fees, which ensure that new construction and development
covers the cost of the related capital improvements necessary to maintain a certain level of
service. Only two of the fire protection districts presently have adopted development
impact fees—Cordelia FPD and Vacaville FPD.
Four of the fire protection districts are participating in a joint study to establish a
development impact fee throughout (Cordelia, Dixon, Suisun, and Vacaville FPDs) the
unincorporated territories of the County. Montezuma FPD has chosen not to participate in
the study, and East Vallejo FPD was not represented at the County district chiefs meetings
where the joint study has been discussed. In 2013, these districts hired a consulting firm to
conduct a nexus study to assess and make recommendations regarding a uniform
development impact fee for each of the districts. It is intended that the fee be designed to
ensure a certain level of continued service among the fire districts should development
occur within their bounds.
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Financial Resserves
Fire providers rely on ttheir financcial reservees to weather recesssions, to ccover
unexpeccted capital projects and as a form of savings tto accumulaate what is needed to mmake
requiredd capital immprovementts or replaccements. UUnrestrictedd financial reserves reeflect
savings tthat can be used for anny fire-related purposee, and are tthe most fleexible fundss and
most useeful for susttaining servvice levels dduring toughh economicc times or foor unanticippated
capital pprojects. RRestricted rreserves aree dedicatedd to a Boarrd-designated use, succh as
future caapital improovements.
Combbined restrricted and unrestricteed reserves in termss of monthhs of operating
expendittures for each agency aare shown inn Figure 10--19.
Figuure 10-19: RReserve Levvels in Monthhs of Operating Expendditures, FY 112-13
Monttezuma FPDD has the hiighest reserrve levels aamong the ssix providerrs with funds to
cover ovver 15 monnths of opeerating expenditures; a majority of these rreserves are for
contingeency purposses. Dixon FFPD also maaintains commparativelyy high reserrves; the Disstrict
has earmmarked overr 70 percennt of those rreserves forr vehicle repplacement. EEast Vallejoo FPD
retains aa very miniimal fund bbalance at tthe end of eeach year aand does noot maintainn any
reserve ffunds.
Financial Abiility
The ffinancial abbility of eachh of the prooviders is cconstrained by available revenuess and
legal limmitations on revenue inncreases. AA majority oof the agenccies revieweed in this reeport
have expperienced ddeclines in rrevenues, duue to declinnes in propeerty values,, in the facee of a
growingg demand ffor servicess. The finnancial conddition of thhe fire disstricts has been
exacerbaated by a nnumber of ssubstantial expenditurre increasess, includingg fuel, apparratus
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maintenance, liability insurance, physicals, training, and personal protective equipment
costs.
Cordelia, Dixon, East Vallejo, and Vacaville FPD’s each reported that current financing
levels were not adequate to provide the fire protection service levels desired, and indicated
that additional funding was needed to provide adequate service levels to meet both
existing and future demand. Montezuma and Suisun FPDs reported that while there were
certain financial constraints, funding levels were generally adequate to fund satisfactory
services.
The two contract districts—Dixon and East Vallejo FPDs—face the most significant
funding constraints given that they are entirely dependent on property tax income for
funding of services and opportunities for substantial additional funding (i.e., special tax)
are nonexistent. While the unincorporated area served by East Vallejo FPD should
eventually be annexed into the City of Vallejo, at which point EVFPD will cease to exist, a
majority of the area served by Dixon FPD is likely to remain unincorporated and will
continue to require a fire service provider. Unfortunately, Dixon FPD faces several
challenges to raising more revenue to significantly increase service levels or to afford fire
protection on its own. A vast majority of the parcels in the District are permanently in
agricultural or open space uses, limiting revenue potential from a new special tax.
Opportunities for supplementary revenue sources for each of the fire districts include
1) charging non-residents for services rendered in order to recoup costs for which these
customers are not paying through property taxes, 2) special tax or benefit assessment, 3)
the cooperative development impact fee that is in the process of being developed, 4) multi-
agency grant applications (i.e., for staffing or consolidation of dispatch services), and 5)
negotiating with the County to share a portion of the Proposition 172 funds. A potential
funding source that is specific to Cordelia FPD is the opportunity to get reimbursed by
Medic Ambulance for providing ALS services, similar to the set up that most of the city fire
departments have with SEMSC and the transport ambulance provider. When the Public
Private Partnership was first developed, Cordelia FPD was new to providing ALS and could
not guarantee “around the clock” ALS response. Cordelia FPD’s ALS services have become
more reliable, and the District could reap financial benefits by taking part in the
partnership.
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11. I S S U ES AND
RECOMMENDAT ION S
There are several issues and challenges faced by the fire protection districts in Solano
County, which were identified over the course of this service review. The challenges
discussed here include 1) impact of city annexations on district financing, 2) county
policies limiting development outside of city boundaries, 3) unpredictability in volunteer
firefighter force, 4) remote and hard to reach areas with extended response times, and 5)
disjointed dispatch systems.
City Annexations
Several districts cited city annexations of territory within their bounds as a particular
financial constraint to providing services. As cities annex territory and the areas are
subsequently detached from a district, the district in question can anticipate a loss in
property tax revenues. While LAFCO has a policy to ensure mitigation should an annexation
negatively impact another agency,155 as previously discussed in Growth and Population
Projections and LAFCO Policies Affecting Service Demand sections, these agreements may
sunset after a period of time. For example, Vacaville FPD recently negotiated a property tax
neutrality agreement with the City of Vacaville for a particular annexation, which sunsets
after 25 years. Consequently, once mitigation payments have ceased, the District will still
face a loss of regular income, and these mitigation efforts may only have postponed the
inevitable hardship on the District.
As will be discussed further under Governance Structure Options, the concern of cities
annexing the districts’ territory, which in many cases negatively affects the districts’
financial condition, provides a rationale for the option of consolidating city fire
departments with the neighboring fire protection districts in some form or a countywide
fire provider to balance resources between the urban and rural service areas and ensure all
providers can preserve economies of scale.
County Development Policies
Another source of financial burden for Solano County fire protection districts is the
county policies limiting most development to areas within city boundaries, as described in
the Growth and Population Projections section of this document. Because of the minimal
growth and development within the districts creating low density residential and
agricultural service areas, the agencies will never realize a significant growth in property
tax revenue, forcing the districts to search for other reliable and sustainable sources of
155 Solano LAFCO Standards and Procedures, Glossary of Terms, Fees and Forms, Meeting Schedule, and Map and Description
Requirements. Standard 11 “The application shall describe the effect which the annexation could have on adjacent areas
and outside the agency. It shall also describe any social and economic benefits, or detriments, which will accrue to the
agency and other affected agencies. The proposal should not be motivated by intercity rivalry, land speculation, or other
motivates not in the public interest, and should create no significant negative social or economic effects on the County or
neighboring agencies.”
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income. As previously outlined in the Service Financing section, opportunities for
sustainable supplementary revenue sources for each of the fire districts include 1) charging
non-resident fees, 2) special tax or benefit assessment, 3) the cooperative development
impact fee, and 4) negotiating a share of Proposition 172 funds.156 While these are all
opportunities for additional funding sources, there are substantial constraints to the
benefit and feasibility of each option.
While non-resident fees could provide some income, it is not anticipated to be
substantial enough to impact service levels. Additionally, these fees are difficult to collect.
Because the revenue generating potential of a special tax/benefit assessment or
development impact fees is greatly dependent on land use and new development, the
agencies will likely reap only marginal additional revenues from these sources given the
limits placed on development in the unincorporated areas and the low density residential
and limited commercial uses that would be paying a special tax. Finally, Solano County has
not historically shared Proposition 172 funds, and has not indicated any intentions of
sharing this resource with the fire protection districts.
As property tax revenues start to become further constrained, the districts will need to
find funding sources to maintain current service levels. Alternatively, another option may
be creation of a countywide fire protection district. While a consolidated district serving
only the unincorporated areas of the County is also an option and may act as a stepping
stone towards countywide consolidation, it would not address the identified financing
constraints of the rural areas. As previously discussed, a countywide fire agency could help
in balancing resources between the urban and rural service areas and ensure economies of
scale are preserved. This option will be discussed further under Governance Structure
Options.
Volunteer Unpredictability
A challenge common to every reviewed district, which is a significant capacity
constraint, is the unpredictability of each agency’s volunteer force. This challenge is
common to most rural fire protection districts that rely heavily on volunteers to provide
services. With the exception of the two districts that contract with the city fire
departments for services, the districts almost entirely rely on volunteers, call, or resident
firefighters that receive no or minimal stipends for their services. Availability of volunteer
and call firefighters is often a problem, leading to times when too many or too few
personnel respond to incidents. Cordelia FPD has a program of hiring trained firefighters
immediately after academy as residential firefighters, meaning that these firefighters
conduct shifts at the station, thus creating a reliable level of response for each incident.
However, as a tradeoff, Cordelia FPD suffers from a high turnover rate in its staff as these
firefighters move on to full-time paid positions elsewhere.
The districts also indicated that it was challenging to attract and retain volunteers, and
time consuming training requirements pose a particular challenge given the volunteers’
busy schedules.
156 Grant funds are not included here as they are not considered a sustainable and long term funding source.
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A collaborative volunteer recruitment program among all of the fire districts could
allow them to pool resources and efforts, and create a uniform volunteer recruitment and
support system. For example, all fire districts in Calaveras County (via the Calaveras
County Fire Chiefs Association) applied and received grant funding from SAFER to
implement a volunteer recruitment and retention program. Funding was able to cover a
regional volunteer benefit program, which includes insurance packages, childcare
expenses, tuition assistance for higher education, and a Length of Service Award program
or other retirement benefits, such as 401K contributions. Additionally, the program
includes a marketing program to recruit new volunteers through television advertising, an
informational website, and an online application process. Solano County fire districts could
greatly benefit from a similar collaborative program. Some of the Solano fire districts are
currently involved in a similar effort in conjunction with other providers as part of a
regional grant that will provide a monetary incentive for becoming and remaining an active
volunteer firefighter. This grant has been submitted, but there had been no outcome on the
application as of the drafting of this report.
Longer Response Times
Each district reported areas that were particularly challenging to serve, whether it be
due to rural roads with limited access, landscaping and hydrology (i.e., marshes), or
remoteness of an area. This challenge is typical of rural fire departments that serve remote
less developed areas. Often these areas are located where it is not practical to construct a
station to enhance response times, because service calls are infrequent and sometimes
seasonal. There are two means to addressing and improving response times in these
areas—being aware of response times in these areas to promote efficiencies and track
improvement and/or transitioning to a “closest available resource” system. By being
aware of what response times are to each area within a district’s boundaries, the agency is
able to identify where there is room for improvement. During the drafting of this report,
most of the districts struggled in providing accurate response time data for the district at-
large, especially in a form that is suitable for data analysis. It is recommended that each
district be able to not only identify and analyze districtwide response times, but also
perform data analysis within specific zones that comprise the district to identify with
greater specificity where problem areas area located. The other option is to transition to a
closest available resource system where the closest resource is dispatched regardless of
which agency’s boundaries the incident is within. At present, the districts make substantial
use of mutual and automatic aid agreements to ensure the speediest response in particular
areas. A closest unit response system would ensure that all areas, not just those defined in
the agreements, receive the fastest response possible throughout the County. A closest unit
response system would require a more centralized dispatch system compared to the
existing communication system that is in place to ensure proper coordination among all
providers in the County.
Dispatch
As previously discussed in the Context section of this report, fire providers in Solano
County suffer from a severely disjointed communication and dispatch system.
Incompatibility of equipment and inability to coordinate multi-agency incidents between
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several dispatch centers leads to longer response times and poses a public safety risk,
particularly should there be a large multi-agency emergency incident. These issues were
addressed in a countywide feasibility study report in 2010. At that time, full consolidation
of dispatch center operations into the same room was recommended as the viable financial
alternative. The consultants stated that full consolidation would “result in significant
enhancements to the interagency coordination that is required when more than one agency
is responding to an emergency.” All of the districts as well as several cities indicated
support of this recommendation in some form during the course of this review. The
recommendation included a financing plan whereby the cities and County would provide
annual funding based on the ratio of the agency’s service calls to total countywide calls.
Since that time, although all districts agree with the need to implement the dispatch
consolidation, there has been no movement toward this recommendation, due to a lack of
funding and the lack of an apparent agency to spearhead organizational efforts. Although
the districts support consolidation, as the primary funders of the consolidated system, the
cities and the County may need to create momentum towards implementation of a
consolidation plan.
Each of the districts made recommendations as to how to properly address dispatch
concerns, as outlined in Figure 11-1.
Figure 11-1: Dispatch Recommendations by District
District Recommendation
1. Have all fire agencies on the same frequency;
Cordelia FPD
2. Centralize fire dispatch separately from law enforcement
dispatch;
3. Have dispatchers specialized in fire incidents;
4. Use available technology for up-to-date dispatching
capabilities;
5. Make use of willing support from the various fire
agencies;
6. Make improvements to the current system as soon as
possible to minimize liability related to potential serious
miscommunications in the field; and
7. Keep the solution simple and easy to understand—an
example of which is Contra Costa Fire Dispatch.
1. Consolidate the fire dispatch functions from the seven
Dixon FPD
dispatch centers in the County into a single central
dispatch center. There are several existing facilities
within Solano County that have either been recently built
or remodeled that can accommodate the fire dispatching
functions of the entire County.
2. If getting to one center is not achievable, consolidate the
fire dispatch functions of select centers into two of the
existing centers.
3. If two is not achievable, consolidate the fire dispatch
functions into three of the existing centers; North, South
and Central.
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4. Link the seven dispatch centers electronically, if
consolidation is not feasible.
5. Increase interoperable communications to ensure each
agency can communicate with another.
1. All Solano County fire agencies should use the same
East Vallejo FPD
frequencies for incidents and be dispatched from a
central PSAP.
2. Medic Ambulance (current provider of countywide
ambulance transport) should be dispatched from a joint
center and be required to respond on a countywide radio
system.
3. Gaining buy-in from the respective agencies, based on a
cost-benefit analysis and an equitable funding formula, is
necessary to achieve this goal.
Montezuma FPD 1. Creation of a central consolidated dispatch center, which
would allow for all the fire departments and districts in
the County to know which units are in service.
Suisun FPD 1. Supports the solution proposed by the Solano
Consolidated Dispatch Feasibility Study.
1. Creation of a central consolidated dispatch center, which
Vacaville FPD
would allow all the fire departments and districts in the
County to know which units are in service.
2. Interested in working with other fire protection agencies
on cost sharing to finance a central dispatch system.
It is apparent that there are several issues regarding the existing dispatch system, and
all agencies are in agreement that there is a need for improvements. The immediate stage,
however, is to develop a path towards a solution and start implementing specific steps. The
following is a list of possible milestones that will assist in taking steps toward the agreed
upon solution.
1) Form a joint powers authority consisting of representatives of each of the cities, the
County and the fire protection districts, which would act as a decision making body
that can actively discuss options, determine the ideal outcome, and hammer out any
issues necessary to initiate a solution.
2) Deciding on the desired plan and implementation strategy is the next step. While full
consolidation was recommended in the feasibility study and all the districts
currently support this option, there may be concerns about the specifics of how to
accomplish that end. The JPA member agencies will need to identify concerns, find
the solutions and develop detailed steps to achieving the desired outcome by a
certain date.
3) Determine operational cost sharing among member agencies.
4) Develop a multi-year budget/CIP with potential financing sources and project
schedule.
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5) Apply for grants to finance initial capital needs.
6) Follow next steps identified by the created JPA.
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GGOVERNNANCE STRUCTUURE OPTTIONS
This section disscusses issuues with andd alternativves to the ccurrent orgaanization of fire
service in Solano Coounty in lighht of current financial cconstraints and anticipated demannd. It
identifies options to the current goveernment sttructure off fire provision, incluuding
consoliddation of serrvice providders.
Mutuaal and AAutomatic Aid AAgreemeents
Therre are extennsive mutuaal and autoomatic aid aarrangemennts for fire and emerggency
medical services thhat cross jurisdictionall boundariees throughoout Solano CCounty. Muutual
aid referrs to reciprrocal servicce providedd under a mmutual aid aagreement, a pre-arraanged
plan andd contract bbetween aggencies for reciprocal assistance upon requeest by the first-
responsee agency. Inn addition, tthe fire servvice provideers rely on automatic aaid primarilly for
coveragee of areas wwith street aaccess limittations andd freeways. Automatic aid is baseed on
the conccept that thhe nearest aavailable unnit respondds first. It rrefers to reeciprocal service
providedd under ann automaticc aid agreement, a prrearranged plan or coontract betwween
agenciess for an autoomatic respponse for seervice with no need forr a request to be madee (i.e.,
the assissting providder is dispaatched directly). All ppublic safettyy agencies are requireed to
provide mutual aid in times off extreme disaster as ppart of the CCalifornia GGovernor’s OOffice
of Emerggency Services Master Mutual Aid Agreementt.
Solanno County providers ooperate witth an intriccate set of mutual andd automatic aid
agreemeents with neeighboring providers iin the Counnty and neaarby counties. Figure 11-2
shows thhe mutual aand automaatic aid agrreements wwith individuual agencies in which each
district pparticipatess.
Figgure 11-2: Mutual andd Automatic Aid Agreemments
Aggency MMutual Aid Automatic AAid
Ciity of Fairfieldd FD
Cordelia FFPD Countywide Agreement
Naapa County FDD (in progresss)
WWinters FPD
Vaacaville FPD
Countywide Agreement Ciity of Vacaville
Dixon FPDD
Winters FPDD Ciities of Davis, West Sacrameento, and
WWoodland
Unniversity of Caalifornia at Daavis
Ciity of Benicia
East Valleejo FPD Countywide Agreement
Ammerican Canyon FPD
Montezumma FPD Countywide Agreement Suuisun FPD
Faairfield FD
Suisun FPPD Countywide Agreement Montezuma FPD
Naapa County FDD/Cal Fire
Ciity of Vacaville (in progresss)
Countywide Agreement
Vacaville FPD Ciity of Winters FD
California Staate Prison - Vaacaville
Caalifornia Mediical Facility FDD
Califoornia Disasster and Civvil Defense Master Muutual Aid AAgreement calls for alll the
parties tto the agreement to volluntarily aidd and assistt each otherr in the evennt that a disaster
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should occur, by the interchange of services and facilities, including, but not limited to fire,
police, medical and health, communication and transportation services and facilities, to
cope with the problems of rescue, relief, evacuation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.
The six fire districts, seven city fire departments, Cal Fire, State Office of Emergency
Services, and USFS work together to provide mutual aid for structure fires, wildland fires,
vehicle accident extrication, and mass casualty incidents (MCI). Solano County fire chiefs
further work together through the Fire Chief’s Association by discussing common issues
and applying for grants; however, discussions and meetings are generally held separately
for the chiefs of the city fire departments and the special districts as interests and factors
affecting services are different for the two provider types.
Facility and Resource Sharing
As previously mentioned, fire and EMS providers in the County rely on each other for
mutual and automatic aid assistance to optimize response times and engage in sharing of
fire station space with other organizations. Five of the fire districts rely on the County for
dispatch services. A few providers share their stations with other agencies for occasional
use. Additionally, two districts capitalize on receiving contract services from city fire
departments with full-time paid staff that would otherwise not be affordable. In addition to
sharing of facilities the agencies practice extensive collaboration and participate in local
and regional organizations.
CFPD practices facility sharing by renting the hall at Station 31 to local nonprofit
organizations and community service clubs.
DFPD practices facility sharing by making use of Dixon FD’s services and station by
contract. Dixon FD also allows Solano Community College Firefighter Academy to
make use of the Department’s training site as the institution’s sole training site.
EVFPD practices facility sharing by making use of Vallejo FD’s services and stations
by contract. In addition, Vallejo FD makes space available to the Vallejo Police
Department and shares its portable water supply unit with Vallejo Water
Department.
MFPD shares its facilities by renting a single room of the main fire station (Station
51) to Medic Ambulance Inc. The ambulance company’s employees use the room to
stand by and sleep between calls for service.
SFPD practices facility sharing by allowing the Sheriff’s Department to utilize Station
32 as a meeting and briefing location for on duty officers. The District also allows
the County Public Works Department to store its equipment at Station 32 while
working on projects in the area.
VFPD allows the Rural North Vacaville Water District to use one of its stations for
their board meetings.
The districts occasionally participate in joint training exercises with neighboring fire
departments.
All county fire districts are represented by one member on the Board of SEMSC. A
majority of the districts also participate in regional planning efforts, including the joint
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development impact fee study that is in progress among several fire districts, the recent
dispatch study, and the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan conducted by the County. The
districts also take part in several collaborative organizations, including the County Training
Officers Association, the County Chiefs Association, the Operations Section Chiefs, the
Terrorist Liaisons, the California Special Districts Association, and the California Fire
Districts Association.
Opportunities for future facility sharing and collaborations include further access to
station space for outside organizations and other fire providers, joint training
opportunities, and additional ways of collaboration, which would increase efficiency and
safety.
An opportunity for further facility sharing and collaboration may be centralized
dispatch center for all fire providers in the County, as previously discussed.
EVFPD reported that Station 26 could also be used jointly with the Benicia Fire
Department and there is the potential to provide ladder truck service to the City of
Benicia.
Vallejo FD may be able to take part in additional collaborations among the fire
protection districts in the County to further the interests of EVFPD, which consists
of unincorporated territory and may have differing interests from that of the City, by
participating in the County Fire Chiefs Association breakout meetings for district
chiefs (in addition to those for city chiefs).
Additional opportunities for facility sharing may be possible when MFPD adds
another room at the main station with certain necessary accommodations for other
agencies to use.
VFPD reported that Station 68 could be used jointly with Cal Fire.
The districts have been open to collaboration with various partners, most recently
conducting the joint development impact fee study. Future opportunities for collaboration
include a joint grant to fund a program to recruit and retain volunteers and the proposed
centralized dispatch center. With few exceptions, such as the contract service arrangement
in DFPD and EVFPD, there appears to be a separation between the city and special district
fire departments with regard to collaborative efforts, and these future opportunities may
provide a chance for the various agencies to partner and further their relationships with
one another.
Consolidation Options
As part of this MSR, LAFCO is required to identify potential governmental structure and
operational efficiencies upon which the agencies may be able to capitalize. Additionally,
the County maintains a policy to promote and encourage consolidation of fire districts
through the LAFCO process.
Generally, consolidation of fire providers promotes efficiency, professionalism and
public safety. The primary benefit of consolidation is economies of scale, which may be
achieved in several areas. Larger fire providers can more efficiently coordinate
deployment of fire personnel when multiple incidents occur simultaneously or large
incidents occur, as they control staffing at a greater number of adjacent fire stations.
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Consolidation may offer opportunities to share and/or reconfigure fire station locations
and apparatus, particularly in the more urbanized portions of the County. This may apply
to training and communication facilities, as well as fire stations. Restructuring of staff
could result in a more efficient fire service organization. Surplus administrative staff could
be reassigned to operational assignments delivering improved services to the public.
Newly consolidated districts reported observing cost savings from reduced management
personnel and insurance costs.157 Other cost savings opportunities may be the closing of
redundant stations and the elimination of surplus administrative staff. Combining
resources may allow districts to sell surplus vehicles, reducing the overall age of fleet.
Over the course of this review several forms of collaboration and reorganization were
recognized that may benefit the fire districts. Options include functional consolidation
alternatives where fire providers consolidate a portion of the fire functions or full
consolidation of two or more agencies. Examples of functional consolidation include 1) a
joint powers authority between two or more agencies to conduct specific types of services
(i.e., administration) or all functions and operations related to fire services, 2) contracting
for services from another provider, 3) consolidation of dispatch services, or 4) a closest
resource response system where agency boundaries become irrelevant during dispatch.
These options are discussed in more detail in the following sections.
Compatibility Factors
Compatibility among the providers plays a large role in determining appropriate
consolidation options. There are several manners in which agencies may or may not be
compatible, including staffing levels, type and level of services provided, funding levels and
sources, resources available such as stations and equipment, and geographical proximity,
topography and hydrology.
As was previously shown in the Service Adequacy section of this Overview chapter, the
staffing levels of the districts that do not rely on city staff for service provision fluctuate
slightly with VFPD being the only outlier. Vacaville FPD, however, serves a larger
population and its firefighting staff per 1,000 capita ratio is the lowest among the four
districts that rely on their own staff. CFPD, MFPD and SFPD have comparable staffing
ratios. In regard to paid staff, there are further similarities among these districts. Within
the same four districts, the number of paid staff varies between one and four personnel,
some of whom are part-time staff.
As was also discussed in the Service Adequacy section of the report, but is relevant in
this section to illustrate compatibility, volunteers of all four aforementioned districts
generally do not receive compensation, except for limited stipends. Among the same
districts the compensation levels were reportedly comparable to one another with slight
variations. These districts also reported that their pay rates for all ranks were about half
the pay rates of the city fire departments in the County. Similarly, the retirement benefits
are not as high as what city firefighters may receive.
157 Marin LAFCO.
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It appears that the districts that rely on their own staff are similar in their staffing and
compensation structures, while DFPD and EVFPD, which rely on city staff are comparable
with other city departments.
The type and level of services provided by each agency appears to generally be
consistent among the four fire districts that rely on their own staff. The districts largely
provide the same basic services. Some of the providers offer additional services; for
example, SFPD has a boat with fire suppression capabilities, and VFPD provides dive rescue
services. Cordelia FPD is atypical in that it provides non-transport ALS. Among the city fire
departments in Solano County, the City of Vacaville FD is distinctive as it provides
transport ambulance services in addition to the non-transport ALS services that all the city
fire departments provide (with the exception of Suisun City).
For the most part, no district in the County relies heavily on a source of revenue that is
dissimilar to the other districts’ or could not be adopted by a newly consolidated agency.
The services of all the fire protection districts in Solano County, with the exception of CFPD,
are primarily financed through property taxes. Cordelia FPD is the only district that
supplements its income with special tax income; in fact, it is the largest source of income
for the District. CFPD and MFPD rely heavily on grants, and CFDP, SFPD and VFPD collect
service charges. These funding differences do not create a barrier to reorganization as
these funding sources could be made consistent prior to or during the reorganization
process. For instance, as was already discussed in multiple sections of this report, the
districts could either collaborate in grant sharing or in the case of full consolidation apply
for grants as a single large agency, which would increase their chances of success. CFPD’s
special tax does pose a particular challenge to consolidation, as voter approval makes it not
so easily duplicated by agencies. In the case of full consolidation, the formed agency would
have to either relinquish this source of income, pass a new special tax or create a zone of
service.
In terms of territorial proximity, geographical terrain and station locations, the Solano
County districts would experience certain challenges dependent upon the regional
consolidation scenario, as will be discussed in detail further in this section.
Functional Consolidation
Functional consolidation and other cooperative service agreements have the potential
to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of emergency services, which can be
achieved by a more efficient use of scarce resources, a reduction in equipment needs and
duplicate efforts, and promote greater flexibility. Operational and political issues can be
overcome as a result of functional consolidation. Boundary disputes can be minimized with
the closest and most appropriate resources being dispatched. This will foster rational
service response zones and the likelihood of faster response. A functional consolidation
would allow each agency to retain its identity while at the same time combining resources
or specialty assets.
A consolidation will likely require one or both organizations to relinquish their names.
Consolidations can create animosity by and between firefighters, fire officers and elected
officials. Although a long-term goal may well be a full consolidation, a functional
consolidation may be better suited within the volunteer fire agencies or as an initial step in
the process. This arrangement may also allow each party the opportunity to enjoy the
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benefits of the relationship, while at the same time considering any loss of autonomy and
local control.
There are two basic types of agreements that fire providers can enter–contracts and
joint powers agreements. Contracts are used when jurisdictions agree to provide a service
to another for a set fee. Joint agreements include the fire service standard of mutual aid
(which was already discussed above) as well as joint power agreements. A joint power
agreement is a partial consolidation of functions among two or more jurisdictions. It can be
further expanded to create a joint power authority agreement where a completely separate
organization is established to provide a service on behalf of the participating jurisdictions.
Joint Powers Authority
Joint powers are exercised when the public officials of two or more agencies agree to
create another legal entity or establish a joint approach to work on a common problem,
fund a project, or act as a representative body for a specific activity.
A joint powers agreement is a formal legal agreement between two or more public
agencies that share a common power and want to jointly implement programs, build
facilities or deliver services. Officials from those public agencies formally approve a
cooperative arrangement. A joint powers agreement is like a confederation of
governments that works together and shares resources for mutual support or common
actions. The government agencies that participate in joint powers agreements are called
member agencies. With a joint powers agreement, a member agency agrees to be
responsible for delivering a service on behalf of the other member agencies. Each joint
powers agreement is unique as there is no set formula for how governments should use
their joint powers. One agency will administer the terms of the agreement, which may be a
short-term, long-term or perpetual service agreement.
A joint powers authority (JPA) is a new separate government organization created by
the member agencies, but is legally independent from them. Like a joint powers agreement
(in which an agency administers the terms of the agreement) a JPA shares powers common
to the member agencies and those powers are outlined in the JPA agreement. Agencies
create JPAs to deliver more cost-effective services, eliminate duplicative efforts and
consolidate services into a single agency.
A joint powers authority offers the advantages of a more ephemeral and potentially
more limited consolidation (e.g., training), continued accountability and local control, and a
potential structure to overcome inherent financial incompatibilities among the providers
towards future consolidation.
Collaboration by the means of JPAs does not currently exist among the Solano County
fire districts and fire departments. As mentioned earlier, creation of a JPA would be a
significant step towards full consolidation (if this is a goal) for both districts and fire
departments.
One example of where creation of a JPA between city fire departments delivered lower
costs and better services is the functional consolidation of the City of Livermore FD and
City of Pleasanton FD. The consolidated department is operated by a JPA board. While a
formal joint powers structure was put in place, the powers assigned to the JPA board were
limited: all major fiscal and labor relations decisions are made by the two cities’ City
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Councils, with the JPA board serving in an advisory capacity to each body. The Board is
comprised of the Mayor and a City Council member from each city. The City Managers of
the two cities serve as joint Executive Directors and appoint the Fire Chief.
By forming the consolidated department, the partner cities avoided creating another
agency with its own overhead costs for fiscal and personnel management. The new
department uses existing city support services. The City of Pleasanton provides payroll,
personnel and budget services, and the City of Livermore provides risk management and
workers compensation services. Legal services for code enforcement are provided by both
cities’ legal departments.
To properly allocate the joint department’s management expenses, the two cities use a
four-part cost-sharing formula that takes into account factors such as the number of
emergencies or fire prevention inspections occurring in each city. Currently, Livermore is
covering 54 percent of these expenses, Pleasanton 46 percent. Each city maintains the right
to determine the number of fire stations and firefighters it needs, so growth in one city
does not affect the other city’s fire service costs.
One of the management improvements resulting from the consolidation was the
movement of top officers in both departments into full-time specialty roles. Before
consolidation, division chiefs in both departments managed responsibilities such as
emergency operations, training and emergency medical services on a part-time basis.
Effectiveness is improved in the consolidated agency with full-time managers for each
function. The separate Fire Prevention Bureaus also were consolidated; the single bureau
jointly serves both cities, including their one-stop building permit centers.
Initially, all fire station personnel remained in their parent cities but were cross-trained
in the other city’s stations and on its fire equipment; currently, firefighters regularly work
in the other city’s stations, providing coverage for those on vacation or sick leave. The two
fire union locals also merged, and the five-year labor agreement negotiated by the cities
with the newly combined International Association of Fire Fighters local contributes to the
consolidated fire department’s long-term cost stability. The JPA immediately agreed to joint
promotional testing, and the several promotions, which since being made have contributed
to the blending of the two cities’ fire services.
A single training system serves both cities’ firefighters. Managed by a division chief, it
uses a modern training tower and classroom located in Pleasanton. Emergency operations
also have been completely merged, with a single "duty officer" responding to emergencies
wherever they occur and both cities’ fire equipment responding wherever needed.
Dispatch services were consolidated in Livermore’s public safety communications center,
as it was larger and better suited to handle the workload created by the consolidation of
the departments. The consolidated department has focused on the creation of one "culture"
and one set of operating procedures which combines the "best practices" that were in use
in both cities.
In Solano County, both city fire departments and fire districts could be member
agencies in one single joint powers authority. Alternatively, at first only compatible
agencies could enter in two different JPAs. For example, the four districts with compatible
operational structures (CFPD, MFPD, SFPD, and VFPD) could form a JPA. City departments
(which would include DFPD and EVFPD) would form a separate JPA. The two JPAs then
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would work on consolidating into a single JPA while working out differences and building
bridges.
Contracting for Services
Contracting for certain services from other agencies offers an opportunity to test a
service structure prior to committing to full reorganization and may also offer cost
efficiencies depending on the structure and participating agencies.
At present, DFPD and EVFPD are benefitting from urban level services at minimal cost.
DFPD enjoys the lowest cost per capita and second lowest cost per call and simultaneously
receives services from a fire department with a high ratio of paid staff and high certification
levels.
There may be opportunities for the districts to mirror a similar contractual service
setup with a neighboring city or contract for specific services, such as administration, to
reap similar benefits. Such a service configuration would also offer a means to address
concerns regarding city annexations of district territory resulting in reduced revenues for
the district. By the contracting city agreeing to provide continued services within the
district for a fee, with consideration given to loss of income due to annexations, would
provide for continued services within the district’s budget regardless of loss revenue.
Closest Unit Response
One option that is in essence a form of consolidated effort to improve efficiency to the
extent practicable is a dispatch and response system where both the nearest provider and
the provider having jurisdiction are dispatched simultaneously to allow for faster response
times and enhanced efficiency. Implementation of this system would be a significant step
towards countywide consolidation, given that in essence bounds would no longer
determine the first responder to an incident.
While in general there are relatively few challenges to implementing a closest unit
response system., a study on implementation of a closest unit response system conducted
by FEMA cites tradition and unwillingness to change as the primary impediments to
transitioning to this kind of response system.158 Additionally, Solano County providers face
the particular challenge of addressing needed improvements to the dispatch system. As the
dispatch system presently exists, there is no reliable way to coordinate responses across
jurisdictional boundaries, which would be necessary in the case of a closest unit response
configuration.
The first and the most essential step towards the closest response system is resolving
the existing problems with dispatch discussed previously in this report. Districts reported
that they strive for closest unit response; however, the existing dispatch system is a barrier
to fully realizing the benefits of such a system. The Consolidated Dispatch Feasibility Study
conducted in 2010 proposed full dispatch consolidation and outlined proposed steps in this
process, along with challenges. For more information regarding the full dispatch
consolidation proposed by the discussed study, please refer to the 2010 Consolidated
Dispatch Feasibility Study.
158 FEMA, Exploring Closest Unit Response to Fire and Medical Emergencies in Spokane County, 2009.
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While full consolidation often has the largest start up costs (initial investment) it
typically provides the greatest long-term cost savings. A consolidated center offers many
advantages:159
Employs common electrical, HVAC, and emergency power subsystems;
Employees may be cross-trained;
Employee schedules may be combined for added personnel efficiency;
Flexible arrangements may amplify the commonalties in fire and medical
dispatch;
Better interagency information sharing;
Elimination of duplicate services;
Opportunities to pool financial resources to fund system upgrades;
Increased ability to communicate between agencies;
More efficient dispatch collaboration for fire and EMS; and
Potentially, a more cost effective overall solution.
Further steps
Solano County providers must overcome several challenges in order to realize full
consolidation, including lack of initial start up funding, lack of political will, and reluctance
to give up control. In order to begin the functional consolidation process, the Solano
County fire agencies may consider the following initial steps:
1) Establish an exploratory committee (possibly through the Fire Chief’s
Association) to cultivate the concept of functional consolidation. The committee
should determine what level of interest exists between the agencies.
2) If sufficient interest exists, establish a task force to formally study the feasibility
of entering into a functional consolidation arrangement.
3) Identify key individuals or positions to serve on a task force. Members should
include fire chiefs, government officials and citizens.
4) There is also a possibility of retaining the services of an outside neutral
facilitator to assist with charting the future roadmap toward functional
consolidation.
5) Determine which services can be consolidated and the potential benefits that
may be realized.
6) Ensure that all key stake holders are kept abreast of the status and progress.
Full Consolidation
Solano County fire agencies have a history of consolidation. There have been three
consolidations among the fire protection districts of Solano County, including the
159 Currier, Walter and James Dye, Consolidated Dispatch: Embraced or Feared?, 9-1-1 Magazine.com, 2011
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consolidation of Cordelia FPD with Benicia FPD in 1978, Vacaville FPD with Elmira FPD in
1986, and Montezuma FPD with Ryer Island FPD in 2006.
Consolidation could take many forms legally and geographically. There are two basic
legal approaches: consolidate providers into a newly formed fire district with an
independently elected board or consolidate providers into existing fire agencies.
Consolidation into a newly formed fire district has the advantages of offering local control
and accountability to participating areas and the opportunity to develop funding and
service configuration approaches that benefit all participants. Consolidation into an
existing agency has the advantages of fewer transition costs; disadvantages include pre-
existing financing structures that limit compatible consolidation partners, as well as
reduced local control and accountability for consolidating agencies.
A majority of the districts in the County rely on part-time administrative staff, including
chiefs and other officers. This staffing constraint limits public access to staff and minimizes
the time these personnel can direct towards professional management efforts, such as
strategic planning. Through sharing of full-time administrative staff, consolidation could
allow for a higher degree of management and improved accountability to the public.
Additionally, larger more professionally run agencies have greater public visibility and
invite greater public interest in their operations, as well as potentially greater funding
sources. As these providers consolidate and grow, enhanced accountability will be
required.
There are three basic geographic approaches to consolidation: a more regional
approach among neighboring providers, all unincorporated areas, and countywide. The
advantage of focusing on neighboring agencies is that these providers are more likely to
have compatible needs with respect to service level enhancements and available financing;
whereas, agencies with different land use composition, demand, and service levels may lack
the compatibility necessary to reap any benefits from consolidation. Consolidation of
similar providers that already conduct mutual and automatic aid response for one another,
and participate in other joint activities, such as training, could potentially reduce
administrative, training and facility costs, capitalize on pooled resources, and promote
more comprehensive planning efforts for fire service facilities and needs in each sub-
area/region of the County. Options for regional consolidations in the County include 1)
districts along the I 80 corridor and 2) districts and neighboring city fire departments.
Cordelia, Suisun and Vacaville FPDs show the most compatibility and potential for
future regional consolidation. These agencies appear to have similar challenges, services
levels and structures, and level of demand. Consolidation of these agencies could provide
continuity of services along the I 80 corridor. As it presently exists, the interstate changes
fire jurisdiction 17 times through Solano County, traveling in an out of the same cities and
districts several times. There have been informal discussions among some of the districts
regarding the possibility of reorganization in some form. While Montezuma FPD could be
included here as well, it serves a more rural area, which is separated from the I 80 corridor.
Although DFPD is also located along I 80, its service configuration (contracting for services
from a city) and lack of its own fire station would pose a substantial obstacle to
consolidation with other districts. Consolidation of CFPD, SFPD and VFPD would serve the
purpose of creating logical boundaries along the corridor and around the cities, where all
three of the districts largely divided by city territory. While VFPD is somewhat separated
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from the other districts by hills, this would not impact level of service upon consolidation
as stations would continue to exist where required to provide services. Certainly, CFPD is
dissimilar in its financing sources, staffing setup, and services offered from the other two
districts; however, these differences can be overcome during the consolidation process.
Additionally, Suisun FPD is more expansive than the other two agencies, which was cited
by the District as a concern about consolidation; however, inclusion of SFPD would allow
for more logical boundaries (preventing a district made of non-contiguous areas) and
would be a logical step towards further consolidation in the County.
Full consolidation between a city and a district is a possibility. At present, the districts
are struggling to maintain a certain financing level in the face of declining property values
and city annexations of district territory. This lack of funding creates a barrier to
transitioning to more paid staff and fully covering capital needs. Full consolidation of a city
function with a district would require that either the district become a subsidiary of the
city whereby the City Council would act as the governing body of the district or as an
independent special district that serves within the city limits in addition to the surrounding
unincorporated area. Formation of a subsidiary district requires that 70 percent of the
territory and 70 percent of the population be within the City. Given the size of the districts,
it is not likely that 70 percent of the territory would be located within the city limits;
however, given that a majority of the population in the County is within the incorporated
cities, a district may be able to meet the 70 percent of population requirement. It is
unlikely that a city would support consolidation with service from an independent special
district inside city limits. Formation of a subsidiary district managed by a city may have the
benefits of addressing financing constraints on the districts as a result of city annexations,
enhancing paid staffing levels within the district served areas, and allow for more logical
service areas.
Another option is consolidation of all districts serving the unincorporated areas. This
option would provide consistent service levels across the unincorporated areas of the
County and allow a single entity to greater leverage limited resources. However, while
consolidation of the districts would create efficiencies allowing for cost reductions,
particularly with regard to administration, this option will not address the declining
property tax revenue and other financial challenges presently faced by the districts.
Finally, formation of a countywide fire provider to serve unincorporated and
incorporated areas alike is an option. This option will reap benefits similar to the other
consolidation options, with the added benefit of balancing rural and urban resources and
solving a lot of the financing problems, including property tax revenue loss by the fire
districts. A large countywide fire protection agency would attract larger and more diverse
financing sources. Countywide fire service would provide a larger tax base to allow larger
expenditures with less tax payer burden.
According to multiple FEMA studies, countywide fire protection agency increases
coordination and unified leadership by eliminating the fragmentation of government. In
areas of the United States with more fragmented government, economic decline and
stagnation has been more prevalent. Fragmentation takes place when there is an absence
of a single government with the ability to look out for what is best for the whole region.
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Opportunities are created simply by the larger size of an organization. Consolidation
would allow staff to respond in a larger geographical area such as the jurisdiction in which
they work, in addition to where they live (for example, if they live in unincorporated
County and work in one of the cities). This may be particularly beneficial in light of the
trend of many volunteer fire districts struggling to maintain daytime staffing because of
local residents commuting for their jobs.
Consolidation of government entities makes them more socially and fiscally balanced by
improved citizen participation, a more equitable distribution of taxes and services, and the
potential for better economic development opportunities.
The fire agencies have demonstrated extensive collaboration with one another in the
form of joint studies and grants, which may be indicative of the potential for consolidation
of all providers countywide. The providers appear to be open to consolidation in some
form and have initiated informal discussions among one another. For example, Cordelia
and Vacaville FPDs, as well as Vacaville and Dixon FPDs, have reportedly entered into some
casual discussions. It is recommended that consolidation be encouraged while the timing
appears to be ripe in terms of both, fire agency enthusiasm and declining financial stability
of fire protection districts in Solano County.
Considering the limited scope of this study, which exclusively covers the fire protection
districts and excludes the cities in Solano County that provide fire and emergency services,
as well as dispatch services, further stakeholder input is required to account for the
interests of the cities in regard to the various consolidation options. The final conclusion of
this report recommending countywide consolidation is supported mainly by quantitative
data and to a lesser degree by the opinions expressed by the districts. To further
investigate the feasibility of a countywide fire protection agency and steps needed for its
implementation, a more in-depth study is recommended that would concentrate
specifically on consolidation possibilities and include quantitative and qualitative data of
all fire service agencies in the County, as well as include a detailed analysis of how service
delivery would be improved by conducting a thorough comparative cost/benefit analysis of
response times, coverage, rate of expenditures, to name just a few indicators. In the
meantime, as was already mentioned above, Solano County fire agencies, by means of a
newly formed JPA or the existing committee on dispatch consolidation, may choose to
collect public and stakeholder input and determine the level of support of the various
consolidation options. However, the foremost priority should be given to dispatch
consolidation.
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Cordelia Fire Protection District, Ordinance 2008-01.
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I N T E RVI EWS
Agency Name and Title
Solano County Birgitta Corsello, Clerk of the Board
Solano County Counsel Dennis Bunting, County Counsel
Solano County EMS Agency Rachelle Canones
Solano County Sheriff's Office Ramona Margherio, Deputy County Counsel
Cordelia FPD Jay Huyssoon, Fire Chief
Dixon FPD Aaron McAlister, Fire Chief
East Vallejo FPD Ron Prince, Fire Chief
Montezuma FPD Joe Rosewall, Fire Chief
Suisun FPD Ron Glantz, Fire Chief
Vacaville FPD Howard Wood, Fire Chief
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