Fire chief addresses growing safety concerns
At 3 a.m. on Aug. 3, multiple 911 calls of fires along Morgan Territory and Marsh Creek Roads came into the East Bay Regional Communications Center.
Upon arriving, all three fire engines of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) along with CalFire’s Sunshine Station confirmed the worst: multiple fires with significant threats to structures and residents. Ultimately, the Marsh Complex Fire consumed 757 acres and threatened multiple homes. It took 400 firefighters and other personnel to bring under control and is still under investigation.
Welcome to our “new normal.”
Longer fire seasons and greater potential of larger fires are accelerating the need for faster response times while fires are small. And the need is growing.
In 2018, ECCFPD firefighters responded to 7,782 emergency 911 calls. We operate three fire stations, each staffed by three firefighters, for nine firefighters on shift at any given time. We are not adequately staffed or equipped to serve our community of 115,000, covering nearly 249 square miles.
Let me be clear: Status quo is not acceptable. We are constantly looking for ways to improve and excel in protecting the lives and property of the residents, families and communities that ECCFPD serves. We launched a “We are Listening” initiative last fall to more actively tell our story and ask the community to join us in exploring solutions for maintaining fire service levels.
We face two serious challenges:
Past growth without adequate funding. Since 1978, East County has exploded in population growth without matching increases in funding to meet the existing demand for emergency fire protection services.
Future growth that will impact fire services even more. East County is projected to grow to 160,000 by 2040, placing even more pressure on severely underfunded firefighting service.
This is not a new set of challenges, but we are redoubling our efforts to more effectively deal with both. To address the impact of future growth, we are renegotiating developer impact fees and adding CFDs (new homeowner impact fees) to new residential projects. To address past growth’s impact on current service, we are investigating solutions that include asking the community to support a ballot measure for a new, stable funding source that secures East County’s fire protection future. (More on that in a future column.)
The bottom line: Based on National Fire Protection Standards for a community our size, we should have at least six fire stations open with 18 firefighters on duty 24/7. Without additional funding, East County residents risk living with steadily deteriorating service as the threat to life and property grows and property owner insurance rates continue to rise.
Please join this conversation. Your opinions matter. Help shape the future of your East Contra Costa Fire Protection District. Yes, this is your district. The residents of East Contra Costa own this public agency. So ask questions and weigh in. “We are Listening.”
For more information, please visit the Fire Prevention link at www.eccfpd.org.