IBM report suggests fewer San Jose cops and firefighters needed

While San Jose residents and leaders alike are fretting over recent police and fire staffing cuts to fill budget holes, a new IBM analysis requested by Mayor Chuck Reed suggests the city's public safety departments are overstaffed and inefficient.

Reed has scheduled a discussion of the report Wednesday at the City Council agenda-setting committee he leads. He wants the committee to have the city manager and auditor look it over and use the analysis to develop budget recommendations for the council.

"The IBM analysis will be of great interest and value as we attempt to restore some of the services that have been cut over the last decade," Reed said. "In my review of the report, it is clear that, as we restore services, we should not assume that we will rebuild our organization exactly as it was before the cuts."

But officers and firefighters blasted the report's suggestions, which come as Reed and other city leaders are preparing for a battle with employee unions over a June ballot measure on reducing future increases in pension benefits, a key driver of city budget deficits.

"Our staffing is the lowest it's been in decades, and it's insane to think we can go lower," said Jim Unland, president of the San Jose Police Officers' Association, whose ranks were reduced last year by the layoff of 66 officers and a rash of retirements of cops whose positions faced cuts.
The IBM analysis argued that crime has fallen in San Jose since 1980 and police staffing could be reduced accordingly.

 
If San Jose increased police "productivity" -- crimes per full-time police position -- to levels it had in the 1980s or those in other large cities, the report said, the city could cut some 400 police jobs and save up to $60 million.

The report further argued that the department could get better results by using data analysis to target officers in high-crime areas and times of day.

The analysis included all department staff, not just sworn officers, whose ranks have dropped from about 1,375 in 2009 to 1,099 today. The report noted that "these are not easy changes" and would need to be "well thought out."

Unland called them crazy.

"Anyone who thinks that we can cut 300 to 400 more police from our force doesn't understand the nature of police work," Unland said. "The city's No. 1 priority should be the protection of its citizens. Clearly our mayor has other priorities."

The report said that San Jose spends more per fire department staffer than comparable cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.

With firefighters now spending most of their time on medical calls, the report suggested many could be replaced by private paramedics or firefighters from other departments to lower costs.

Robert Sapien, president of the San Jose Firefighters union, argued that IBM is only seeking to boost its own business providing services that help cities use technology to fight crime and fires.

"They want San Jose to cut an additional 350 to 400 police officers and 150 firefighters, and then buy their computers and consultants to predict where crimes and fires will occur," Sapien said.

"This Ouija board gamble is nothing more than a risky scheme to boost their corporate bottom line."

Police and fire leaders were more diplomatic in their response, but echoed the rank and file in their skepticism of the report's recommendations.

"Suffice it to say we think there's no question we're at the lowest we can go at 1,099 officers," said Assistant Police Chief Rikki Goede.

Added Fire Chief Willie McDonald: "My professional observation is that the department is very lean and that running with fewer firefighters than we already have would not be a recommendation I would have made."

While San Jose residents and leaders alike are fretting over recent police and fire staffing cuts to fill budget holes, a new IBM analysis requested by Mayor Chuck Reed suggests the city's public safety departments are overstaffed and inefficient.

Reed has scheduled a discussion of the report Wednesday at the City Council agenda-setting committee he leads. He wants the committee to have the city manager and auditor look it over and use the analysis to develop budget recommendations for the council.

"The IBM analysis will be of great interest and value as we attempt to restore some of the services that have been cut over the last decade," Reed said. "In my review of the report, it is clear that, as we restore services, we should not assume that we will rebuild our organization exactly as it was before the cuts."

But officers and firefighters blasted the report's suggestions, which come as Reed and other city leaders are preparing for a battle with employee unions over a June ballot measure on reducing future increases in pension benefits, a key driver of city budget deficits.

"Our staffing is the lowest it's been in decades, and it's insane to think we can go lower," said Jim Unland, president of the San Jose Police Officers' Association, whose ranks were reduced last year by the layoff of 66 officers and a rash of retirements of cops whose positions faced cuts.

The IBM analysis argued that crime has fallen in San Jose since

The report also concluded that San Jose spends less on parks than comparable cities and that the department could do more to generate revenue.

Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio, a Reed ally, offered an alternative idea for the police department, which Reed's committee also will take up Wednesday. Oliverio proposed fixing the police share of the city's operating budget at some percentage through a voter-approved charter change.

The police department currently receives 34.7 percent of the city's $885.8 million general-fund budget, he said.

Asked about the IBM report, Oliverio was skeptical of reducing police staffing, arguing that there always are more things for officers to do.

"With more officers you can do more things," Oliverio said.

"If there's no major crime, fine, you can give out tickets for speeding, assist with code enforcement, all the things we never have time to enforce."

Source: Mercury News - Link

California Fire News 2011 

Vacaville firefighter responding to call finds stolen items from his own home

 VACAVILLE, Calif. — Vacaville firefighter Louis Jones knew he wasn't seeing things when he responded Thursday morning to a call at a mobile home — and saw items that had been stolen from him last week.

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A home on Bishop Drive that Jones had been preparing to rent out was burglarized overnight last week. A 4-wheel dirt bike, washer and dryer, tools, lawn mower, wood chipper, power tools, hand tools and personal items were stolen.

When he arrived at the mobile home on Sunset Drive for a medical call Thursday, he noticed another missing item that looked familiar -- a plastic, bright yellow wedge used to stabilize cars during extractions was being used as a doorstop on the gate to the home.

"I recognized it right away," Jones said. "I became suspicious right away."

His suspicions were confirmed when he went inside the home and saw the missing Whirlpool washer and dryer he intended to leave to the new tenants of his rental home.

Being a firefighter and medical responder, he kept his cool, he said. The man in the mobile home was transported to VacaValley Hospital.

"We took care of our business and left," Jones said.

As Jones and the other responders were leaving, they encountered 47-year-old Ricky Mankini, who also lived at the mobile home park, according to Vacaville police Officer Debi Lopez.

"We didn't confront him," Jones said. "I called the police."

Vacaville police contacted Mankini at the hospital, where he was visiting his housemate, Jones said. A search of Mankini's vehicle revealed more stolen items and Mankini was arrested for possession of stolen property and booked into the Solano County jail, Lopez said.

Jones returned to the mobile home where he identified his property.

"The only thing we recovered was the washer and dryer, a lawn mower, some paint, hinges, paint brushes and keepsakes -- beer steins with firefighting related artwork," Jones said.

The recovered property is worth about $2,300, Lopez said.

"Ninety percent of the stuff is still missing," Jones said. He estimates it's worth between $8,000 and $10,000.

But Jones, a firefighter for 20 years, 10 of them with the Vacaville department, kept his perspective about the stolen property.

"It's just stuff," he said. "It's not like it's a life or death situation."

Source: San Jose Mercury - Link

California Fire News 2011 

BayWEB: $100 million communication network closer to approval

New regional emergency communication system plan draws critics

 Planned $100 million regional emergency communication system is one step closer to approval despite concerns about costs and the need for a $65 million overhaul of a separate emergency radio system. 

San Francisco hopes to partner with other cities to roll out a $100 million communication network known as BayWEB. Public safety workers would use the network to share information such as photographs and building plans in real time. The system is currently not capable of voice communication.

The City’s Budget and Finance Committee advanced the proposal to the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday but didn’t recommend its approval. Supervisors John Avalos and Jane Kim expressed concerns about the costs. 

“I’m actually very uncomfortable with this item,” Avalos said. “I just feel it’s a bit of a tail wagging a dog.” 

The project is partly funded with a $50 million federal grant as part of a national effort to set up such systems after the 9/11 attacks.

The big costs will be the purchase of radios and in-vehicle modems or computers and a $43-per-month charge per user. It’s unknown how many first responders would use it.

The City also maintains a radio system for 10 city departments such as police, fire and sheriff, but can’t communicate with other cities. Officials also plan to replace that system at a cost of $65 million. 

“Why do we need two systems?” asked Anne Kronenberg, executive director of the Department of Emergency Management. “The BayWEB system is a digital data system at this point. So you can share texts and photos, video, graphics over the system. It is for regional communications.”

The proposal would require approval by the full Board of Supervisors, which is expected to vote on it Tuesday. 

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: Link

California Fire News 2011 

New science used to fight arson convictions

 Death row inmate seeks 'man in red'

A death row inmate in Ohio is hoping the state parole board will give him the chance to argue that a mysterious “man in red” could have started the arson fire that killed his 3-year-old son.

Michael Webb doesn’t dispute the 1990 blaze was arson, but he denies starting it and says investigators using now-discredited methods came to the wrong conclusion about where in the house the flames broke out. He says the correct determination points to someone else as the culprit.

Investigators say Webb set the fire to kill his family, collect the insurance and start a new life with his mistress.

Today, the Ohio Parole Board will take up his plea for mercy in one of a series of cases around the U.S. that represent a new legal frontier: Defense attorneys are using advances in the science of fire investigation to challenge arson convictions, in much the same way they are employing DNA to clear those in prison for murder and rape.

Research in recent decades has challenged long-held assumptions about how flames spread and the tell-tale signs they leave.

“Our scientific understandings have improved in recent years, and the effect of that has to be to say, `We’ve got some innocent people who’ve been declared guilty based on misunderstandings,“’ said John Hall, director of analysis and research for the National Fire Protection Association.

For example, decades ago, it was common for investigators to conclude an accelerant like gasoline was used if a fire burned particularly hot. In fact, the new arson science has found no such correlation, experts say. Another mistaken assumption: A V-shaped pattern on a wall of a burned building is proof of arson. All it shows is where a fire started.

One of the biggest arson cases to come under attack is that of Cameron Todd Willingham, convicted in a 1991 fire in Texas that killed his three daughters. He was executed in 2004. But some experts since then have testified that the blaze was probably accidental.

The primary evidence against Willingham was the testimony of arson investigators for the state fire marshal’s office, who said they found pour patterns and puddling on the floor. They said those were signs that someone had poured an accelerant throughout Willingham’s home.

But Craig Beyler, chairman of the International Association of Fire Safety Science, wrote in a 2009 report that investigators did not have enough evidence to make an arson finding. He cited findings in the field of fire research that were arrived at since the 1991 blaze or became widely accepted after the original investigation.

For example, tests have found that pour-like patterns on the floor can occur because of radiant heat, even without accelerants, according to Beyler’s report. Experiments have also found that melted plastics can create patterns that look like liquid spills, Beyler said.

In Ohio, Webb’s chief argument is that a fire investigator wrongly concluded that the 1990 blaze started near a closet or a bathroom where Webb acknowledged he was standing.

In a report submitted on Webb’s behalf earlier this month, Gerald Hurst, a chemist and fire investigator in Austin, Texas, said that based on gasoline-spill experiments conducted around the U.S. in the years since the crime, the origin of the fire could have been anywhere on the main floor.

That is important to Webb’s case because of statements by one of his teenage daughters that she saw “a man in red” in the house the morning of the fire. Webb’s attorneys argue that that person could have been the boyfriend of Webb’s other daughter.

Webb’s lawyers acknowledge Hurst’s findings don’t exonerate Webb, but say they raise enough questions to justify a new trial.

Prosecutors dismiss the “man in red” theory, saying the girl’s statements varied, that no evidence implicating the boyfriend was found, and that the daughter could have actually seen Webb holding a red gas can. They say Webb is presenting nothing new.

Webb is making “a contention of innocence that is refuted by the hard evidence in the case,” Clermont County prosecutors said in their filing with the parole board.

Innocence Projects around the country, which previously concentrated on defendants whose convictions could be challenged through DNA, have taken on a number of deadly arson cases in recent years, including ones in Michigan, Iowa and Pennsylvania.

In Pennsylvania, Han Tak Lee has long argued that the 1989 fire that killed his 20-year-old daughter in a cabin at a religious retreat was an accident. On Friday, a federal appeals court ruled that Lee, who is serving a life sentence, can challenge testimony presented at his trial as unreliable according to newly developed scientific methods.

The investigators who testified against Lee relied on once-common beliefs when they said that because the fire spread rapidly and was particularly hot, it must have been arson.

But tests conducted in the 1990s showed that fires can hit the point of “flashover” — when all combustible surfaces ignite at once — in under four minutes with no accelerants.

Connections between a fire’s speed and heat and the possibility of arson have “been discredited and shown to be much less significant than previously thought in the investigation of a fire,” Florida-based fire scientist John Lentini, one of the country’s leading independent fire analysts, said in a 2002 affidavit on Lee’s behalf.

“Back in the day there were a lot more fires called arson that were actually accidents,” Lentini said in an interview. “There was a lot of misinformation out there.”

Just over a year ago in Massachusetts, a federal judge granted James Hebshie a new trial on charges he burned down his convenience store for the insurance money, and prosecutors subsequently agreed to drop the case. The judge said Hebshie’s lawyers should have challenged a weak government case.

“By 2006, when Hebshie’s trial took place, a number of articles in legal journals and cases cast a critical eye on the scientific reliability of arson evidence, methodologies, and techniques,” wrote Judge Nancy Gertner.

The judge also noted that the testimony of the handler of the dog used to detect an accelerant “was a lengthy, almost mystical, account of the dog’s powers.”

Source: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/02/01/new-science-used-to-fight-arson-convictions.html

California Fire News 2011 

LAFD to pay nearly $500K to settle federal discrimination charges

The Los Angeles Fire Department will pay $494,150 and institute anti-harassment training to settle federal discrimination charges on behalf of a male firefighter who was harassed by coworkers over a sexual abuse suit linked to the Catholic Church.

Anthony Almeida, a firefighter and engineer with the department, filed a discrimination charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2007, alleging that he was continually harassed by fellow firefighters at his station.

The alleged harassment began in 2006 after Almeida filed a lawsuit against the L.A. Archdiocese over sexual abuse.

According to the commission, a coworker learned about the suit and several others mocked him, using explicit and offensive religious and sexual epithets.

On Tuesday, the department announced a $494,150 settlement in the case. The department must continue to enforce its policies against discrimination, harassment and retaliation. The department will also offer an external equal employment opportunity complaint procedure.

"By working with the EEOC this way, the Department is sending a message that no further civil rights abuses will be tolerated -- a key responsibility of all employers," said Olophius Perry, district director for the EEOC’s Los Angeles district office, in a statement.

California Fire News 2011 

LACoFD: L.A. firefighters come to each others' rescue

Over past 25 years, specially trained firefighters have helped their brothers handle strain inevitable with job

LOS ANGELES — Sometimes, heroes need saving too.

Firefighter Richard Conejo fell into depression after a fellow firefighter, Glenn Allen, perished in a blaze at a Hollywood Hills home almost a year ago.

"I had nightmares and could hardly eat," Conejo said.

The men had been standing only a few feet apart when the ceiling collapsed on Allen. Conejo performed CPR but the 61-year-old veteran died days later, just missing the birth of his first grandchild.

It was all too much for Conejo, 36, particularly the thought of how he himself barely escaped. He and his wife had been planning to start a family.

"When I got home, that's what made me break down and cry," Conejo said.

That's when the Los Angeles County Fire Department's peer support program jumps in.

Over the past 25 years, specially trained firefighters have helped their "brothers" handle the strain inevitable in a job that requires rushing into burning buildings, hanging from helicopters to pluck people out of swollen rivers, and prying open train wrecks to look for survivors.

"Firefighters are this macho crew who think, 'We've got to be tough,' but the bottom line is we're all human," said fire Capt. Scott Ross, a team leader in the program who reached out to the despondent Conejo.

"The stuff that we see on a daily basis, all the tragedy and suffering, it can be overwhelming," Ross added. "There's a breaking point in everybody."

About 60 firefighters volunteer to help colleagues shaken by a particularly harrowing incident, like the death of a child.

"We definitely look out for our brothers," said fire engineer/paramedic Dan Timboe, another team leader on the program, which does not provide any extra pay.

Some firefighters experience a form of depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Others complain of being burned out and stop going to work.

And then there are those who resort to alcohol, drugs or gambling to numb the pain, and those who take out their frustrations on their families, or act distant and isolated from them.

Firefighters have one of the highest rates of divorce of any profession in the country.

"We're not counselors," Timboe said. "But because we're firemen, they're more willing to talk to us than to a total stranger."

Many members of the peer support program have endured crises themselves.

Ross helped recover the body of his son's girlfriend after she fell overboard during a boating accident in Arizona. He had watched the teenager grow up and considered her a member of the family.

Timboe is the designated team leader for cases involving alcohol abuse, because he himself used to drink, many years ago.

Most of the time, they are able to ease their fellow firefighters' stress by simply meeting with them over coffee, letting them vent, and talking about their own struggles and how they overcame it.

Occasionally, however, they recommend a call to mental health professionals who contract with the LACoFD.

Marriage and family therapist Steve Froehlich said without the intervention of the peer support program, firefighters might never go to him for the help they need.

"As a group, firefighters are psychologically very, very hardy and resilient, ... much more quick to step up to help somebody else rather than themselves," Froehlich said. "What makes this program incredibly valuable is that a first responder might not be comfortable talking to a mental health professional, but a peer supporter can change their mind by giving that professional their seal of approval."

LACoFD created the peer support program after the 1986 Cerritos air disaster, when a small plane and an airliner collided in midair and crashed into a residential neighborhood.

All 67 people aboard both aircraft and 15 others on the ground were killed.

Ten of the dead were children.

"Firefighters were exposed to all this carnage on the streets, and we noticed its emotional effect on them was not going away," said Assistant Chief Gerald Heinzel, the department's current peer support coordinator.

"By introducing some peer supporters and mental health professionals to let the firefighters talk about what they experienced, and the frustration they felt, we were able to bring them back to normalcy."

Heinzel said the program gets about 200 to 600 referrals a year. Sometimes firefighters seek out the help themselves. Often, however, their spouse or fellow firefighters make the call on their behalf.

The department also proactively deploys teams to particularly sensitive incidents, so they can be on the scene to offer help when asked. They never force the intervention.

The teams were summoned to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and have also offered advice to local municipal fire departments.

They were particularly needed when fire Capt. Ted Hall and firefighter specialist Arnie Quinones were killed during the Station Fire in 2008. The men were well known in the department, having served for a combined 35 years in about a dozen fire stations.

Ross welcomed the phone calls, even those that came in the middle of the night.

"We get up for the public 24/7," he said. "I most certainly am not going to have a problem with a firefighter calling me. I'm here for them, any time."

The program is not always successful. Some firefighters rebuff offers of help and end up quitting to avoid the stress, or being terminated because they cannot stay sober on the job.

There also have been rare cases of suicide.

Ross met Conejo at the hospital where the latter underwent a checkup after the Hollywood Hills house fire. Conejo lost 15 pounds over the span of a month while struggling to come to terms with what happened, but Ross and other firefighters eventually pulled him through.

Conejo and his wife are now expecting their first child. He has applied to join the peer support program, which is holding a recruitment drive to boost the number of its volunteers to 100.

"They helped me out a lot, and if I can give that same comfort and solace to somebody else, that's something I have to do," he said. "I think it's my duty as a fireman."
Source: ggg

California Fire News 2011 

San Ramon Valley Firefighters to Teach California Assembly Members CPR

 The visit by the fire department is part of the Go Red event at the capital, which aim is to raise awareness of the danger of heart disease in women.

Firefighters from the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District will head to the state capital on Thursday to teach members of the California State Assembly CPR.

The firefighters will be joined by the San Ramon Valley Emergency Preparedness Citizen Corps Council’s HeartSafe Committee to teach "hands only" CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) as part of the Go Red event at the capital.

Go Red has been organizied by Legislative Women's Caucus and the American Heart Association to raise awareness about the threat of heart disease in women, which is the No. 1 killer of women, responsible for one in three deaths.

“The HeartSafe Committee is honored to have been invited, by Assembly Member Joan Buchanan, to teach this life saving skill to all Assembly members and their staff,” said Captain Andy Swartzell, EMS Coordinator for the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District. “Saving a life has never been easier, everyone should learn hands-only CPR.”

The HeartSafe Community Committee is made up of representatives from the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, San Ramon, Danville, The San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Services and many committed community members. The mission of the group is to insure that all elements of the Chain of Survival are in place throughout the San Ramon Valley and to encourage resident to learn CPR and for local businesses and community building to provide public access AEDs.
Source: http://danville.patch.com/articles/san-ramon-valley-firefighters-to-teach-california-assembly-members-cpr
California Fire News 2011 

Inmate Fire Crews Focus Of New Bill From Lake Elsinore Lawmaker

 A new bill introduced by Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries (R-Lake Elsinore) aims to keep intact inmate fire crews.

Lake Elsinore Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries introduced legislation Monday that would put in place one option for keeping inmate fire crews up and running.

The bill, AB 1562, was drafted to address anticipated cuts in the number of inmate fire crews available to Cal Fire as a result of a new law that shifts prisoners from state-run fire conservation camps into county jails, according to Jeff Greene, spokesman for the Assemblyman’s office.

The legislation gives counties an option over the current alternatives of hiring added fire personnel or losing the inmate firefighters altogether, Greene said.

Riverside County contracts with Cal Fire for fire protection services.

“It’s a mess and an unanticipated consequence of realignment,” Greene said of anticipated fire crew reductions.

The state currently operates 42 adult conservation camps, utilizing nearly 4,000 inmates on 194 fire crews, according to figures provided by Greene. Under the new public safety “realignment” plan passed by California legislators and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown last year, up to 1,500 prison inmates serving on fire crews will either be shifted into local county jails or be released early, Greene's figures show.

Additionally, the state is facing the closure of a dozen or more state-run fire conservation camps, Greene said, noting that the cuts mean the state is potentially losing almost 40 percent of its fire crews.

“Without the inmate fire crews, California will either need to hire additional professional firefighters at a much higher cost, or the state will have a greatly reduced wildland fire protection capacity," the Assemblyman said in a released statement.

Under AB 1562, counties would have the option of contracting with the state to keep some inmates in the fire conservation camps. In exchange, participating counties would pay for inmate medical care, which they are already doing under realignment, Greene said. Counties would also take on the added cost of inmate housing in the camps, which Greene said is approximately $46.19 per day, not including medical care.

Still, Greene argues that counties' costs to participate in the optional program would be cheaper than hiring firefighters.

"What we're doing now is clarifying the law," he added, explaining that AB 1562 gives Cal Fire the legal authority to implement the program. "We're simply putting the structure in place."

Greene said the bill would also help alleviate the problem of jail overcrowding.

Under the newly adopted realignment plan, the number of convicted criminals housed inside Riverside County jails is growing, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. As of January 5, 2012, Riverside County jails are housing 735 inmates who would have otherwise been sent to state prisons, according to the Sherrif's Department.

And department officials contend county jails are at capacity.

“As a result, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department will be forced to relieve overcrowding by exercising measures such as electronic ankle bracelet monitoring, return parole violators to the supervision of parole, and the early release of some lower-level inmates,” the department stated in a Jan. 6 news release.

While AB 1562 may offer some respite, it's not clear whether all parties concerned will buy off on the proposal.

As Chair of the Rural Fire Protection Working Group, on Dec. 5 Assemblyman Jeffries conducted a meeting in Sacramento to hear from representatives of Cal Fire, the Department of Corrections, the State Sheriffs Association, and the County State Association of Counties. The meeting was also attended by a bi-partisan group of legislators concerned about wildland firefighting issues, according to Greene.

"The agencies are very aware of the problem," Greene said, although he admitted there isn't concensus on the best way forward, citing concerns by counties of the costs levied on them if they choose to participate in the program.

"It's a complicated issue," Greene said.

Source:  http://lakeelsinore-wildomar.patch.com/articles/inmate-fire-crews-highlighted-in-new-bill-from-lake-elsinore-lawmaker

California Fire News 2011 

CAL FIRE to Close Fresno Air Base July 1st - CBS Video News Report

 CAL FIRE to Close Fresno Base
 Word that budget cuts will soon hit valley residents in fire prone areas right where they live.

CAL FIRE is closing the Air Attack base at the Fresno Airport. That's where a tanker is based that drops fire retardant on wildfires, especially in areas that are hard to reach.

The cuts are part of CAL FIRE's plan to cut $80-million from their budget.



They take effect July 1, 2012.

For 57 years, fire fighting planes have flown into the foothills and mountains out of Fresno.

But this summer that will change.

CAL FIRE is closing the base that's home to a tanker and an attack plane that directs the tanker where to drop fire retardant.

"We did a very deliberative and thoughtful study to figure out which one would have the minimal impact statewide to our initial attack firefighting capability," said Daniel Berlant with CAL FIRE.

Mountain communities like Yosemite Lakes near Coarsegold rely on those tankers to keep fire from their homes.

"Fires up here take off very, very fast and if no one's there to take care of them, this place is just gonna go," said Sherry Guest Baumbach who lives near Coarsegold.

The tanker from Fresno is moving to Porterville. In the future, if there's a fire in Fresno County, CAL FIRE says it could take an extra ten minutes for the tanker to arrive.

In Madera County, a tanker may be sent from Tuolumne County to cover.

"It absolutely makes you nervous that we won't get the quick response that we would have gotten out of Fresno," said Beth Villanueva who lives near Coarsegold.

The cuts come at a time when we haven't had much rain. The area is dry. And that could mean a very busy fire season.

"Even though we've had a few storm systems, conditions across the state have been very dry. That's lead to an increase of fire activity throughout the state," said Berlant.

The Air Attack base has seven employees. Two will be reassigned. The five others are seasonal employees and those positions will not be filled.

The state is imposing an additional $150 per year for each home that's protected by CAL FIRE or state resources. Those are homes in rural areas. Those bills should start to arrive in mailboxes this summer, just as the fire fighting resources are reduced.

Source: http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story/CAL-FIRE-to-Close-Fresno-Base/6woAEdqvx0e7zXyesHBQSA.cspx

California Fire News 2011 

CAL FIRE Wife starts recall when city tries to change CAL FIRE contract

Recall effort against Atwater councilman draws some disapproval, still moving forward

By MIKE NORTH - mnorth@mercedsunstar.com

ATWATER -- A recall drive sparked by a councilman's consideration of ousting Cal Fire to save money is rolling forward, but doesn't have support from all local movers and shakers.

A group of residents have taken steps to recall Councilman Jeff Rivero after he supported the idea of ridding the city of its Cal Fire contract and instead shifting back to a city-run fire department.

Recall organizer Danielle Buzbee, whose husband is a Cal Fire employee, said getting rid of Cal Fire would reduce public safety in her growing city and wouldn't save the budget any money. Supporters of the change think the move would save thousands without dealing a crippling blow to the city's fire protection.

Buzbee said her group's gathered 22 signatures that were needed for the intent to circulate a recall petition. Once the paperwork goes through, the group can look toward getting signatures for the recall.

"I'm extremely passionate about this and I'm not going to let it go," she said.

Buzbee said she plans to run for the council position, adding that she wouldn't take any monetary council benefits if she wins the spot.

During a meeting with City Manager Kathy Kivley at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Buzbee hopes to talk about the plan for the fire department and the plan to bring the city out of debt. She'll also be meeting with Rivero at 2:30 p.m. Friday about the same issues.

During last week's City Council meeting, Andy Krotik, a strong public safety advocate and former Atwater councilman, urged the backers of the recall not to pursue the endeavor.

"While I recognize it's every voter's right to do so, the timing could not be worse," he said. "The city is struggling financially, and I am told that a recall -- and I'm told by city officials -- the costs are around $40,000."

With an already short-staffed Atwater Police Department, the recall could take more resources away from that entity, Krotik said.

"Scrap the recall idea," he said, adding that voters will have the opportunity to vote in new council members when the November election rolls around.

Though Jeff Rivero's term isn't up until 2014, the terms of both Mayor Pro Tem Joe Rivero and Councilman Gary Frago -- the other two council members who supported moving back to a city-run fire department -- expire this year.

"I do find it ironic, though, that a group supporting the recall are proponents of public safety, yet a recall would take away valuable general fund money that supports the Atwater Police Department," Krotik said. "So again, I plead with folks, scrap the recall idea."

Buzbee said she spoke with Krotik about the recall.

"I told him, 'Give me another way, because in five months, we're not going to have a fire department, or we won't know what kind of fire department we're going to have,'" she said.

Cal Fire and the city are still in talks over budget numbers. Kivley didn't return phone calls to discuss where the negotiations are at.

Jeff Rivero said because of issues with city's Cal Fire contract, he motioned to end it and negotiate with Cal Fire for a new contract while looking into a city-run fire department at the same time.

"It would not be prudent for a council person to blindly sign an old contract in which management showed great concerns," he said.

Since he hasn't been presented with the numbers yet, Jeff Rivero hasn't made a decision whether to stay with Cal Fire or move back to a city-run fire department.

"But a special interest group that has obvious self-profiting intentions will neither bully me nor scare me into voting their way," said Jeff Rivero, who was re-elected to his seat in November 2010.

Read more here: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2012/01/31/2212659/recall-effort-against-atwater.html

Read more here: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2012/01/31/2212659/recall-effort-against-atwater.html#storylink=cpy

California Fire News 2011