Councilman and Fire Chief spar during preliminary budget talks
May 15, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
There was some sparring between the Fire Chief Rick Araiza and City Councilman Jim Tovias during preliminary budget discussions when the latter questioned why the city does not have a volunteer fire department.
The exchange occurred at the May 4 council meeting where Araiza told the council the SPFD is in limbo on whether the SAFER grant, which provides five full-time firefighters, will be funded for a second time. There is now one SAFER firefighter on duty and the department is authorized for 45 reserve firefighters, including those used to supplement duty shifts.
The SPFD is “Broken down into administration, operations and prevention…we have no full-time prevention officer,” and such duties are handled by the engine companies, the assistant chief and Araiza.
He noted that just that day the SPFD had been a first responder to the Limoneira Co. packinghouse fire, an assignment that lasted all day
The SPFD Engine “was part of the initial attack,” on the fire, an “extremely dangerous situation,” that firefighters handled expertly.
So well in fact that a Ventura County Fire official called “about what an excellent job they did, gave accolades to our staff…”
Araiza said his budget for the department and its two stations is $2.9 million a year: “The county runs $2.3 million per station,” and Santa Paula firefighters, although tackling the “same hot structure” in the Limoneira fire, are paid well below Ventura County.
Fire personnel need new turnouts at a projected cost of about $2,000 each and Araiza said a $50,000 training cut taken about five years ago was never reinstated.
Both stations were being renovated, work that has since stopped and the SPFD also needs a new engine to replace the unit damaged at the November 2014 toxic chemical explosions and fire at Santa Clara Waste Water.
Ventura County Fire also is looking to replace the engine—their fleet’s newest—that was involved in the incident.
Araiza noted that the city’s newest engine—ordered last year before the SCWW explosions—was due to arrive but the engine he is seeking to replace was the one that after the incident was stripped and decontaminated, work not guaranteed.
The SPFD Command Vehicle is also in poor shape; the 2002 Tahoe, “moans and shakes” but Araiza said a five-year vehicle lease on a replacement, “would reduce the cost a significant amount…”
Good news is Station 82 was the recipient of a donation of new cabinets and kitchen appliances.
Araiza said with a third station planned for the East Area 1 development operations would have to be fine-tuned.
In addition, the county is upgrading their communication system, which would necessitate an upgrade to the city’s system.
Tovias asked Araiza why the SPFD should not again be a volunteer department, which it was until 1995.
Ever rising call volume—primarily for medical emergencies—and response times said Araiza prompted the change: “Reponses are now under five minutes,” when before with a volunteer force they were nine minutes.
With several recent fires Araiza said damage had been kept to a minimum, but if the city still relied on volunteers, “They would have been complete rebuilds…”
Tovias said Fillmore “Is all volunteer and we have an excellent ambulance company,” serving the public.
“We share an ambulance,” said Araiza, “that’s the ambulance you see parked at Hallock Drive,” and Highway 126, halfway between Santa Paula and Fillmore to respond when the first ambulance is on a call.
Tovias said he is asked “a lot” about SPFD becoming a volunteer force.
Vice Mayor Martin Hernandez asked Araiza “How much to make the department whole?”
Manpower, namely the two years of the SAFER grant for five firefighters was about $916,000 and equipment would cost “roughly” $200,000.
“When I heard about the fire today at Limoneira my heart sank,” said Hernandez, and not only because the building a “cultural treasure…”
The rapid response of fire “Saved a large amount of money for Limoneira…if that burned to the ground,” the loss would probably have delayed the construction of East Area 1, “that would be on the backburner… it’s unfortunate that the fire happened,” the fact that it had minimal damage was attributable to the mutual response and the cost of that response was minimal when compared to the potential loss.
“I would put our fire department up against any department in the county,” said Hernandez. “They’re that good…”
He also reminded Tovias that Fillmore is half the size of Santa Paula in population.
Fillmore, said Araiza, will examine their budget to see if they can hire full-time fire captains.
