News: Lathrop owed over $200K for mutual aid

Lathrop owed over $200K for mutual aid

Concow home
Story Photo credit: Sun Post/Photo contributed

WILD FIRE: Lathrop-Manteca Fire Protection District firefighters were among the eight strike teams called to provide mutual aid at wildland fires that broke out across the state earlier this year.

Written by Denise Ellen Rizzo Friday, 03 October 2008

LATHROP — Wildfire season is weeks from ending, but state and federal agencies are already in debt to the Lathrop-Manteca Fire Protection District for more than $200,000 for their mutual aid work across California.

As part of a statewide agreement to help other departments fight large fires, the Lathrop-Manteca Fire District has been called upon several times this season by the state Office of Emergency Services.

Because of the high number of fires this year, the number of calls for assistance across the state has been overwhelming.

Wildland fire season typically starts May 1, but this year the dry vegetation and ideal fire conditions brought the fires on early. And although the season generally ends around Nov. 15, officials say it could go longer.

So far this season, San Joaquin County has sent out eight separate strike teams. Lathrop firefighters have found themselves battling blazes for days or even weeks in spots across California, including the Chester fire near Lake Almanor, Indian fire near Big Sur and the Concow fire near Chico.

“This year they were asked to go above and beyond their normal assignments,” said Lathrop Fire Chief Fred Manding. “They constructed fire lines and even assisted in building a bridge in Mariposa.”

While battling a blaze in Concow, Lathrop firefighters saved a life after a family dog was left behind and the house caught on fire.

“We were reassigned to Concow structure protection and as we turned the corner down Concow Road, we saw a house becoming engulfed in flames,” said Division Chief Gene Neely. “I walked over to an OES film crew and he told me a dog was barking inside.”

Neely said he had a Stockton engine company break down the door and firefighters went inside looking for the dog, Buster. With smoke filling up the house, he asked the film crew where the dog was last seen and they said the front window.

“I took the screen off and there was the dog, looking up at me,” he said. “I reached in and (Lathrop) Captain Rod Pinnelli assisted me in pulling him out. The house was fully engulfed after the rescue.”

The cost of sending a strike team, which could tie up an engine company for a week or more, is quite costly and averages $5,000 for the engine, three firefighters and a commanding officer. All of them are paid from the district’s regular salary and overtime budget and is later reimbursed through invoices from OES.

“It’s been really busy this year,” Neely said. “Firefighters are paid time-and-a-half for every hour they are there. We have to pay overtime to fill in. It adds up quick.”

Reimbursement to Lathrop is expected to come from two different funding sources, fire officials said. Fires declared major federal incidents, which include national forests, come from the federal government, while the state pays for other firefighting efforts.

Manding said once they receive their reimbursements, the money would be put into the county's general fund for the Lathrop-Manteca fire district. The county has yet to receive any invoices from OES outlining the monies they will be due.

Source: http://sunpost.net/content/view/2206/190/