A blog about Music, Family & Home, and Arts & Entertainment.
Real Name: Christina Veiga Gender: female Member Since: May 01, 2006 Last Signed In: August 27, 2008 Profile Views: 8313 Blog Views: 14758 Midwife question?? Programs/classes for young kids in Tehachapi As if things weren't bad enough......... Earthquake!!?? House Burn Photos Appreciate the arts? FYI 7-24-08 Has anyone else had problems or noticed........ Woohoo! Mark your calenders....Don't miss a great show! November 06 December 06 January 07 February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 
RSS 2.0    |
|
|
Council approves draft of fire services cont.
So here we go again. Are you ready? I'm gonna go all "Sam Heath" on you, but it is IMPORTANT that everyone knows this info. We, the residents of Tehachapi City paid money to have a professional study done and the results of that study to be implemented. The council has chosen to to go against the recommendations that the study purposed, which was to add additional staffing at station 12 by at least 1 firefighter. Here it is for you taken from the fire study draft : Recommendations The City should proceed with negotiations to establish a full fire services contract with KCFD, assuming that the County will develop a cost effective agreement that includes fully committing to a positive working relationship. This agreement should also include the option to increase KCFD Fire Station 12, from a daily 24-hour on duty fire-company staffing of three firefighters to four firefighters. This staffing level would allow the fire company to be more effective in initial attack of structure fires and would enhance the entire regional delivery system. This next part explains why and was also taken from the study: Findings
Neither the current staffed KCFD nor the TFD fire-company as a single fire company may engage in interior fire fighting without assistance from another fire company. Both the City and County fire company staffing level is three (3) personnel. Four (4) fire fighting personnel are required before engaging in interior operations, as required under the current regulations, usually described as the two-in and two-out rule under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The only exception exists when there is a known rescue which must be accomplished before the arrival of necessary support and backup fire fighting personnel.
*** To break it down, when firefighters go to a structure fire two firefighters go inside and two stay outside. KCFD has 3 ff'rs on duty so unless there is a person inside they have to wait for the next engine for an extra ff in order to go in and contain the fire. If a forth person was added they wouldn't have to wait for anything minimizing the loss of property. Caudle says an extra ff won't get them to the fire faster , what he failed to mention is that it WILL get the fire PUT OUT faster!!
The city council and manager have decided that this would be a waste of money because engine 12 responds to calls in other county areas and isn't always within city limits, BUT they also are the 1st in to any emergency within the city limits.
Another thing that the city council and manager seem to want to ignore was the mutual aid agreement or an automatic aid agreement that the TFD would have had to have taken part in. Read on(from fire study):
Currently, the Department (TFD) is serving as backup to KCFD Fire Station 12. In that capacity, it may or may not be dispatched as part of an alarm make-up, depending on the judgment of the Kern
County battalion chief. In assuming prime jurisdiction, the TFD would be in a different position. Over time, many fire departments have signed automatic aid agreements so that smaller departments can field an effective response force using neighboring organizations. It should be noted that automatic aid is an agreement between parties that is based on meeting the interest of covering response areas with the closest engine concept. Automatic aid is not the same as mutual aid. Mutual aid is based on the premise that a department must exhaust all of its own resources before it can ask for outside assistance.
Notably, both automatic and mutual aid are dependent on reciprocity, i.e., like services in exchange for like services.
This last little bit of info is very important because TFD would have HAD to use KCFD for any structure fire they had for the reasons we just discussed. They would have only had 3 persons on duty and would have needed a 4th(provided by KCFD) in order to go into the structure, because of this they(TFD) would have been bound to "reciprocate" meaning they would have had to do the same for KCFD in COUNTY areas. If they are responding to help KCFD who is protecting the city??? NO ONE!
Either the council didn't fully understand this or they just didn't care because they were willing to spend over a MILLION dollars for TFD and now they won't pay for additional staffing at a fraction of the price because that FF won't remain within the city limits at all times??? Sounds slightly hypocritical to me. How about you?
Something the council might also want to consider. Again taken from the study:
According to the preliminary report, the KCFD has planned construction of a new station in the area of Golden Hills sometime between 2007 and 2010. That station has not been identified on a map for ESCi, but a description of the facility includes an Engine Company and a Truck Company, as well as an additional Type III Engine. While ESCi was not told specifically what the staffing levels are to be, it is assumed that this Type III will not be staffed on a permanent basis and will be cross-staffed when needed. The plan also discusses a helicopter facility but does not provide a specific location. SandCanyon is proposed to have a fire station built
between 2011 and 2016. That station is slated for an engine company and a cross-staffed Type
IV Engine (Patrol).
Well thank you all for your time. Sorry this was so long, but I felt the need to get this info out!
Here is the link to the full context of the fire study:
http://www.tehachapinews.co... 20 comments from 11 users
posted by
anonymous
on Jun 30, 2007 at 07:32 PM
I have also talked with Shane. I feel he has a plan on how he is going to run. Just because he has not announced this officially does not indicate to me he is not going to run. He has some good ideas on growth and our city. He also knows what it takes to protect our city. I feel he would be a good Councilman for us. What do you guys think? What do you guys know about this man? I don't think he is one of the good ol' boys. Can he get more votes then Grimes or Hand? -JBM- posted by
anonymous
on Jul 1, 2007 at 01:46 PM
So what happend to the personnel from the TFD, I happened to drive by the station and it is all closed up and no cars there. I know they were done as of today, but what happened with there Chiefs, Captains, Firefighters. Just curious.
posted by
anonymous
on Jul 1, 2007 at 02:26 PM
Their Chief, Asst. Chief will go back to being firemen at CCI, the two remaining captains will become firefighters and be absorbed by the County Fire and that is all they had.
They closed their doors and told no one that it was their last day. I guess the county will now have to start waiting for back-up help from Keene or Bear Valley. posted by
anonymous
on Jul 1, 2007 at 02:52 PM
So the TFD is not going to be a volunteer fire dept anymore. Are we going to se there equipment driving around painted white now.
posted by
anonymous
on Jul 2, 2007 at 03:49 PM
The 2 captians are going over to the county as firemen and the other 2 reserves just got a "thank you, there's the door." The chief and assistant chief went back to CCI and the equipent will be used as a payment for the cities county contract.
|
