Attachment-2-MATRIX-final-report-2.27.2023-With-Cover-Sheet — Sebastopol City Council, September 26, 2023

September 20, 2023
Mary Gourley
Assistant City Manager/City Clerk
City of Sebastopol
7120 Bodega Ave.

Sebastopol, CA 95472
Dear Ms. Gourley
The purpose of this letter is to outline the changes made to the January 2023 draft report that were included in the February 27, 2023, revised report.

Turnout time performance was updated on page 52 to include the following:

The time shown in the second table illustrates the average, or 50% or less, of the calls examined.

The following table illustrates the average, or 50% or less, turnout time for 2022 as reported by the Fire Department.

Sebastopol Fire Department Turnout Time Data
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2022
4:39 4:03 4:19 3:54 4:04 4:39 4:38 4:20
Apparatus information was updated on page 23 to include the following:

Unit 8330 updated to a 1994 versus 1993
Unit 8361 updated to a 1995 versus 1996
Unit 8350 updated to a 2003 versus 2012
If you have any questions, please contact me at 650-858-0507 or by email at [email protected].

Richard P. Brady
President
Matrix Consulting Group
Fire Department Feasibility Study

SEBASTOPOL, CALIFORNIA

FINAL REPORT
February 27, 2023
matrix
consulting group
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 5
Scope of Work 5
Approaches Utilized in the Study 6
Summary of Emergency Service Alternatives 7
Sebastopol’s Emergency Services 16
Background and Overview 16
Sebastopol Fire Department Organization 20
Physical Resources 21
Historical Workload 23
Training and Education 27
Fire Prevention 29
Financial Resources 30
Gold Ridge Fire Protection District 32
Background and Overview 32
Gold Ridge Fire Protection District Organization 34
Physical Resources 36
Historical Workload 39
Training and Education 43
Fire Prevention 43
Financial Resources 44
Evaluation of the Sebastopol Emergency Services System 46 National Emergency Service Standards 46
Response Time 48
Call Processing 50
Turnout Time 51
Distribution of Resources 52
Concentration of Resources 53
Physical Resources 56
Apparatus and Equipment 56
Fire Station Facilities 59
Financial Resources 62
Revenues 62
Expenditures 63
Volunteer Stipends 64
Emergency Services Alternatives – Enhanced Status Quo 70 Emergency Service System Performance 70
Enhancing System Performance 70
Twenty-Four Hour Staffing 71
Sixteen Hour Staffing 74
Combination System 78
Emergency Services Alternatives - Consolidation 82
Emergency Service System Performance 82
Financial Resources 82
Governance 86
Service Delivery Improvements and Implementation 87
Retention of the Sebastopol Fire Department 87
Consolidation with Gold Ridge Fire Protection District 88 Recommended Approach for Service Delivery 90
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Executive Summary
The Matrix Consulting Group was retained by the City of Sebastopol to review the current fire service delivery system and to examine the feasibility of alternative delivery systems.

This document is the result of this development and collaboration of the plan.

Scope of Work
The scope of this study included the assessment of the current fire protection system operations, response capabilities, staffing, and other resources necessary for the delivery of services to the city. This included financial resources, contracts, and alternatives to the emergency services delivery system. This project focused on the following:
• Retention of City of Sebastopol Volunteer Fire Department with Conversion to 24/7 Staffing Model
• Consolidation of City of Sebastopol Volunteer Fire Department with Gold Ridge Fire Protection District
The scope of work listed below includes but is not limited to the following, and is required for Item 1 and Item 2 above.
• Costs Estimates to Include Personnel, Equipment, Infrastructure • Calculate a per parcel cost for any required funding beyond the Sebastopol Fire Department’s current budget allocation
• The financial capacity of each option to provide long-term fire service and recommendations for any additional funding sources not already being captured • Recommend process to establish and implement either option. • Provide a financial forecast for five years out regarding cost implications for each option.

The report will develop an analysis of present resources available to meet emergency services requirements, including an inventory of both manpower, apparatus and equipment. The report needs to identify departmental strengths, weaknesses and differences, and provide recommendations to the City of Sebastopol management and City Council.

In general, this effort will provide a realistic recommendation for the resolution of implementation issues and the associated financial implications and provide a comparison to the key items listed below:

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Factors to Consider:
• Organization Overview
• Planning For Fire and Emergency Medical Protection
• Calls for Service.
• Capital Improvement Plans for Apparatus, Equipment and Infrastructure /Facility(ies)
• Suppression
• Training Programs
• Fire Prevention Program
• Loss Potential
• Contract Administration
• Fiscal Analysis
• Plan of Implementation. A plan of implementation for either 1 or 2 listed below shall be developed as a product of the evaluation.:
• Retention of City of Sebastopol Volunteer Fire Department with Conversion to 24/7 Staffing Model
• Consolidation of City of Sebastopol Volunteer Fire Department with Gold Ridge Fire Protection District
The approaches used in this study were comprehensive as described below.

Approaches Utilized in the Study
To understand and evaluate service level issues facing the city, the project team undertook an assessment of the fire department. The principal approaches utilized by the project team in this study included, but were not limited to, the following:

Internal Interviews – members of the project team individually interviewed numerous executives, management, and supervisory staff of the City of Sebastopol and Gold Ridge Fire Protection District leadership. Among those interviewed included volunteer members of the fire department, local non-profit organizations, senior citizens of the city, city department heads, and city administrative staff.

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Data Collection – the project team collected a wide variety of external and internal data documenting the structure, operations and organization, including:
• Department staffing and scheduling.
• Documentation reflecting operations management.
• Numerous output data reflecting services provided.
• Various other performance information.

This data was summarized in a ‘descriptive profile’ of the City of Sebastopol Fire Department and the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District, which was reviewed by the staff of each organization to ensure we had a factual foundation for the study. The first chapter of this report contains the ‘descriptive profile. This approach ensured that the project team had an appropriate understanding of the fire protection system.

Summary of Emergency Services Alternatives
The City of Sebastopol is seeking to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the fire department and the services provided to the residents, businesses, and visitors. There are challenges ahead for the city and the emergency services system that not only includes the physical resources but also the service delivery system. The review and analysis contained in this report is directed at one of two options; retain the current fire department and convert to a 24/7 staffing model using career and volunteer staffing or to consolidate with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District that already has a 24/7 staffing model. A staffed station or unit is defined as personnel is at the station and not responding from home.

Elements Common to All Alternatives
There are two elements that will require the attention of the city regardless of the final decision of the staffing and response system. The Sebastopol fire station will require an extensive review and renovation. The station does not have the capacity to house staff on a 24-hour basis. The sleeping area is in the training room using murphy beds folded into the wall. The washer and dryer are located in the same room as the single shower with very little privacy. Storage in the facility is very limited, personal protective equipment is located on movable racks that are in the middle of the bays behind the apparatus. The fire department uses three Conex storage containers located at the public works garage to store equipment and supplies. On the exterior, there are water leaks into the building and the wood overhang on the front is rotted. There are several ways to address these issues including adding a second floor, however, the city would be well advised to acquire the services of a design professional to provide alternatives to the city for alterations or Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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redesign of the fire station to provide for the needs of the fire department and the housing of crew members.

The next element is the apparatus and its replacement. There are several ways to determine the timing for the replacement of apparatus from using age alone to a combination of maintenance and age. While the front-line apparatus is relatively new with the Ladder Truck being the newest at 10 years old, some of the other apparatus is older and needing to be replaced. The following table highlights the older apparatus to be replaced based on age alone
Unit ID Year Description Type Replacement Cost
8381 FD 1990 Pierce Lance Type 1 Engine $750,000
8340 FD 2008 Dodge ram 2500 Utility Pickup Truck $50,000 8330 FD 1993 International Medium Rescue $450,000
8361 1995 International Type 3 Engine $450,000
Total Estimated Replacement Cost $1,700,000
The replacement of apparatus is an ongoing issue, and the city should establish and adopt a program that contains benchmarks and measurable components for the planned replacement of apparatus. In this manner the replacement can be planned, and the cost budgeted appropriately. It should be noted the apparatus manufacturers are quoted as much as 30 months from the time an order is placed for the delivery, making the planning aspect more important than ever.

Use of Stipends
A common practice in the fire services across the country is the use of stipends to help the volunteer staff to cover the costs associated with training for and responding to emergency calls for service within the community. The use of stipends is regulated by the Department of Labor and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The following points are from an opinion letter written by the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor dated December 18, 2008, as it relates to the use of stipends:
• A public agency volunteer cannot receive any compensation, but may be paid “expenses, reasonable benefits, or a nominal fee, or any combination thereof”. • The regulations allow for volunteer firefighters to be paid a nominal fee even if paid on a “per call” or similar basis, as long as such payment is consistent with certain factors denoting the relative “sacrifice” of the volunteer. (listing among the factors to be considered: the distance traveled, and time and effort expended by the volunteer; whether the volunteer has agreed to be available around-the-clock; and Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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whether the volunteer provides services throughout the year, even if those services are provided periodically).
• A nominal fee cannot be a substitute for compensation or tied to productivity. • The Department finds that the fee paid is (apart from expenses) nominal if it does not exceed 20 percent of the amount that otherwise would be required to hire a permanent employee for the same services. For example, if a volunteer firefighter staffs the equivalent of three shifts during a month, the nominal fee should not exceed 20 percent of what it would cost to employ a career firefighter to staff these three shifts. If the cost to staff the three shifts using career personnel is $10,000, the stipend cannot exceed 20% of that cost or $2,000.

Based on a review of stipend payments over the past four years, several volunteer staff members may have exceeded the limits set forth in the previous points. Also included in the stipend payments are those funds earned while assigned to callouts for wildfire responses. These payments are made by the State of California and passed through the city to the volunteers. These payments may or may not be subject to the FLSA regulations. The city should engage a workforce specialist with expertise in stipend pay systems and the Fair Labor Standards Act to provide guidance on the use of stipend funds and related volunteer pay systems. In this manner the city can be assured their payroll and system are compliant with the regulations.

Emergency Service Alternatives
There were three alternatives for the delivery of fire suppression services examined as a part of this service review. Retaining the current fire department with enhancements to the staffing model, using the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District to provide oversight to the current fire department, and consolidating with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District.

There are common themes for each of the three alternatives to understand. • The city will continue to receive the same services regardless of the alternative selected. Resources will continue to respond from the Sebastopol Fire Station and assistance will continue to be provided from Gold Ridge Fire Protection District and Graton Fire Protection District.
• The city will continue to have responsibility for capital items such as fire stations and apparatus.
• Improvements to the delivery of services are a response time issue and a staffing reliability issue.

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Retention of the Existing Fire Department
Enhancing the staffing of the existing fire services will improve both the response time and reliability issues. There are three ways to improve the staffing levels of the fire department.
• Provide 24-hour staffing using stipend volunteer staff members. • Provide 16-hour staffing using stipend volunteer staff members. • Provide 24-hour staffing using a combination staffing model using career and stipend volunteer staff members that is common in Sonoma County.

The use of stipend volunteer staff members will be dependent on the FLSA review and subsequent policies and procedures. It can be done but there may be a need for more volunteer staff members in the fire department. Providing 24-hour staffing is also dependent on the facilities. If the city would choose to install a modular trailer for living quarters, the 24-hour staffing model would work. If the city chooses not to install a modular trailer, the 16-hour staffing model would work.

The following table provides a snapshot of the cost for each of the three staffing models.

Using the 2022 – 2023 Adopted Budget as a base, the only line items that were changed are based on the staffing model. For example, moving to a 24-hour staffing model using stipend volunteers significantly increases the Salaries Part-Time (Shift) line item.

Likewise, the combination system significantly increases the Salaries line item.

Depending on the outcome of the FLSA review, the use of a combination staffing model would provide 24-hour staffing and limit the use of stipend volunteer staff to one per shift.

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2022 – 2023
Adopted
Budget
Option 1 - 24
Hour Staffing
Option 2 - 16
Hour Staffing Combination
Salaries* $311,400 $311,400 $311,400 $813,981
Overtime $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500
Salaries - Part Time (Shift)** $77,200 $657,000 $438,000 $73,000 Salaries - Part Time (Calls/Drills)** $150,000 $113,550 $118,635 $113,550 Salaries Part Time (Captain
Weekends)** $28,800 $0 $28,800 $0
Salaries - Part Time (Retention)** $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $648,900 $1,163,450 $978,335 $1,082,031
Benefits $200,800 $200,800 $200,800 $487,975
Health in-Lieu $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 $2,550
Accrual In -Lieu $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 $46,000
Medicare / FICA $60,000 $23,937 $23,937 $62,384
Retiree Health Insurance (OPEB) $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 Fire Service CSFA Award $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 $4,200
Fire Disability Insurance $3,200 $3,200 $3,200 $3,200
Contract Services $68,000 $68,000 $68,000 $68,000
Office Supplies $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Misc. Supplies and Services $39,050 $39,050 $39,050 $39,050 Dues/Subscriptions $13,500 $13,500 $13,500 $13,500
Equipment Maintenance $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000
Vehicle Maintenance $27,500 $27,500 $27,500 $27,500
Vehicle Fuel $25,500 $25,500 $25,500 $25,500
Meetings/Travel $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000
Utilities - Gas and Electric $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 Utilities - City Use $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000
Telecommunications $7,700 $7,700 $7,700 $7,700
Allocated Liability Insurance $57,600 $57,600 $57,600 $57,600 Allocated Workers' Comp Insurance $59,700 $59,700 $59,700 $59,700 Total Operational Expenditures $1,313,500 $1,791,987 $1,606,872 $2,036,190 * This line item is attributable to full-time City personnel. ** These line items are attributable to the volunteer stipends The current cost of the fire department represents approximately 11% of the revenues.

The cost of a combination fire department represents approximately 18% of the revenues, an increase of 6.3%. For comparison, public works represents 12.3% and the police department represents approximately 51% of the revenues.

Administrative Oversight
Using the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District to provide oversight is not a viable option as it did not directly enhance the service delivery to the city and therefore was not included in the body of the report.

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Consolidation with Gold Ridge Fire Protection District
Consolidation with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District is the third option examined.

Based on the estimate provided in February 2022, the district proposed using a combination staffing model with two career positions and a stipend volunteer staff position for each 24-hour shift. The estimate included apparatus maintenance, facility maintenance, training, and fire prevention activities.

Revenues were also included in the estimate through the annexation of the city into the fire district. This would allow the special taxes assessed by the fire district to be assessed to the residents and businesses of the city without the need for a vote by the public. Based on the projections contained in the estimate, this would generate $1,111,057 annually. In addition, the estimate relies on the city to continue contributing to the costs of fire protection through a fixed percentage of the city’s annual revenue. This fixed percentage is to be negotiated as the agreement process moves forward. To provide context to the revenues and expenditures, the following table illustrates these revenues and costs.

To enact this consolidation, the Sebastopol City Council and the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District Board of Directors would need to approve the final negotiated agreement. The consolidation agreement would also need to be approved by the Local Formation Commission (LAFCO) to be finalized. Once LAFCO approves the consolidation, the tax overlay from the fire district can be assessed to the residents and businesses of the city. Implementation of the agreement can proceed.

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Recommended Approach to Service Delivery
Based on the review and analysis the project team recommends a phased approach to the consolidation of emergency services with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. • Phase 1 would consist of contracting with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District to provide administrative services and providing oversight to the consolidation process. Begin to design a plan to renovate the fire station to house emergency services staff.
• To improve the response to calls for service, phase 2 includes staffing the fire station for a 16-hour period daily Monday through Friday. Staffing the station from 6 am to 10 pm would provide service to approximately 63% of the call volume in the City of Sebastopol.
• Phase 3 includes the development of the documentation necessary to file with LAFCO for the consolidation and annexation of the City of Sebastopol into the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. Timing for this process is unknown, however with both organizations supporting the consolidation the timing may be shortened. • The final phase begins with the consolidation approval from LAFCO and continues with the renovations to the fire station. Once the renovations are complete, the funding in place as a result of the annexation/consolidation, the staffing model would change from the 16-hour Monday through Friday to the 24 hour 7 days a week staffing model.

Advantages and Challenges to Approaches
The following table illustrates the advantages and challenges of each proposed option.

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Topic Advantages Challenges
Enhanced Status Quo City maintains local control Requires remodel of existing fire station.

City determines desired staffing,
performance, and apparatus
replacement timelines
Requires recruiting and retaining
full-time fire chief, full time career
staff and additional volunteer staff.

Support functions such as finance,
HR, and information technology are
provided by the City.

Requires voter approval of tax
increases to fund system
improvements. Special election cost
$30,000.

Total response times improve as
station is staffed more often.

Combination System City maintains local control Requires remodel of station to include sleeping quarters and areas
for female personnel.

City determines desired staffing,
performance, and apparatus
replacement timelines.

Requires recruiting and retention of
full-time fire chief, full-time career
staff and additional volunteer staff.

Support functions such as finance,
HR, and information technology
continue to be provided by the City.

Requires voter approval of tax
increases to fund system
improvements. Special election cost
$30,000.

Total response times improve as
station is staffed 24 hours per day.

Consolidation Volunteer staffing is enhanced as
Gold Ridge and Sebastopol
volunteers can work in both service
areas.

Control of service delivery is
responsibility of Gold Ridge Fire
Protection District.

Voter approval is not required to
implement parcel tax.

Must receive LAFCO approval prior
to annexation.

Responsibility for recruitment and
retention is the responsibility of the
Fire District.

Requires remodel of station to
include sleeping quarters and areas
for female personnel.

City is not responsible for providing
support functions to the Fire
Department.

Total response times improve as
station is staffed 24/7/365.

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The next table compares the costs of the options in terms of annual personnel and operating costs over the next three years. These costs do not include the costs associated with purchasing capital items such as facilities, apparatus, and equipment.

Financial Resources Projection Comparison
Staffing Plan
2022 – 2023
Adopted
Budget
2023 – 2024
Projection
2024 – 2025
Projection
2025 – 2026
Projection
Continue with Status Quo $1,313,500 $1,448,296 $1,596,925 $1,760,806 24-Hour Volunteer Staffing –
Stipends $1,879,420 $1,978,469 $2,090,974
16-hour Volunteer Staffing –
Stipends $1,694,305 $1,793,354 $1,905,859
Enhanced Staffing –
Career and Stipend $2,083,510 $2,242,483 $2,420,161
Consolidation with Gold Ridge $2,376,093 $2,390,695 $2,405,461 Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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Sebastopol’s Emergency Services
This chapter provides an overview of the general characteristics of the City of Sebastopol and the emergency services delivery system.

Background and Overview
Located in southwest Sonoma County west of the Highway 101 corridor, the City of Sebastopol is located in Sonoma County in the California wine country. Santa Rosa is approximately 7.2 miles northeast of the city and Rohnert Park is approximately 9.5 miles to the southeast.

The City of Sebastopol, incorporated in 1902, encompasses approximately 1.88 square miles of land with an estimated population of 7,664 according to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau estimate. This creates a population density of approximately 4,076 people per square mile. State Route 116 is a major north/south highway in the city and State Route 12 a major east/west highway. In 1905, the city purchased its first fire suppression equipment for its all-volunteer fire department. The first new fire engine was purchased in 1927, and the first full-time fire chief was hired in 1973.

Sebastopol is organized under the Council-Manager form of government and is governed by a five (5) member City Council which is elected at large to four-year staggered terms.

The Mayor is selected from the council on a rotating basis. The City Manager reports to the Mayor and City Council and is responsible for the overall management of the municipal departments.

Demographic Profile
The following table illustrates the demographic profile of Sebastopol with changes that have occurred since the 2010 Census.

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US Census Bureau 2010 2015 2020
Estimated Population 7,335 7,760 7,666
Median Age 47.2 51.3 48.5
Children Under Age 5 3.8% 2.6% 4.0%
Children Ages 5 to 19 years 17.2% 13.6% 14.7%
Persons Age 20 to 59 years 57.6% 48.3% 48.6%
Persons Age 60 and Over 21.3% 35.5% 32.6%
Employment Sectors:

Education, Health Care, Soc. Svc. 24.0% 19.0% 16.9%
Retail Trade 11.6% 14.8% 12.0%
Professional, Scientific, Mgmt. 6.9% 13.6% 14.6%
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate 5.6% 5.4% 6.7%
Entertainment, Recreation, Food 5.1% 8.0% 10.9%
Construction 11.0% 7.6% 12.1%
Manufacturing 16.1% 12.9% 6.2%
Transportation, Warehousing, Util. 3.4% 3.2% 5.3%
Public Administration 4.2% 6.5% 4.5%
Other Services 7.0% 2.7% 2.1%
Wholesale 1.4% 2.8% 4.6%
Information 3.8% 3.6% 2.3%
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing 0.0% 0.0% 1.8%
Within the city there are 7,666 residents in an area of 1.8 square miles resulting in a population density of 4,258.8 residents per square mile.

The population of the city has increased 4.5% over the past ten years and has witnessed a large increase in the age of the residents. In 2010 approximately 21.3% of the population was over the age of 60 and in 2020 that percentage increased to 32.6%, an increase of approximately 11.3%. As well, the median age has increased from 47.2 to 48.5 years of age since 2010.

The following map provides a view of population density by census tract for the City of Sebastopol.

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Higher density pockets of population are located primarily north and south of the centrally located fire station, and west of SR 116 near the center of the city with additional population density located in the western edge of the city along SR 12.

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The population density of Gold Ridge Fire Protection District is much lower than Sebastopol. The highest population densities in the fire district are in the eastern portion, primarily south of Sebastopol and along the SR 116 corridor. The least populated areas are west of Station 2, with a few pockets of higher population located off SR 12, east of Station 3 and northwest of Sebastopol.

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Sebastopol Fire Department Organization
The Sebastopol Fire Department operates as a volunteer department within the confines of city government. It has one full-time chief, one full-time 40-hour fire engineer, and staffs the remaining positions with twenty-two (22) volunteer firefighters and six (6) Reserve Firefighters.

The Fire Chief manages fire prevention activities as the designated fire marshal in collaboration with the fire engineer. There is a shared, full-time administrative assistant that is funded 50/50 with the Building Department performing duties as assigned for both departments.

The Sonoma County Fire District contracts with Sebastopol to provide fire and emergency services to an area immediately adjacent to the city on its eastern boundary, and northeast along SR 12. Through this contract, the city receives $10,000 annually providing approximately 150 calls for service in the SCFD district. Emergency medical transport services are provided by Sonoma Life Support (AMR)
Mission Statement:

The Sebastopol Fire Department’s mission is to be a leading emergency service organization by:
• Meet and exceed the service requirements and expectations of our community in fire prevention, fire suppression, rescue and education.
• Utilizing and improving the dedication and skills of our people. • Continually improving all of our services and operations.

Values of the Sebastopol Fire Department:

We, the members of the SFD, value the following and expect that we will demonstrate our beliefs in these values on a day-to-day basis.
• Pride
• High level of service
• Honest
• Integrity
• Competent
• Safe
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• Participation
• Teamwork
• Tradition
The organizational chart that follows illustrates the current fire department organization.

Sebastopol Fire Department

0.5 is with building.

Physical Resources
Service delivery is provided from four fire stations located throughout the region. The following map illustrates the location of the fire stations.

Fire Chief
Assistant
Fire Chief
Captain
Engineer (2)
Firefighter (3)
Captain
Engineer (2)
Firefighter (3)
Captain
Engineer (2)
Firefighter (3)
Captain
Engineer
Firefighter (3)
Training
Officer Captain
Captain Reserve
Staff
Senior Administrative
Assistant (0.5 FTE) Engineer
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The table that follows illustrate the apparatus and staffing for the Sebastopol station, administrative, and reserve apparatus.

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Sebastopol Fire Station
7425 Bodega Avenue
Description
of Use Sole station for the city and houses front-line and reserve apparatus.

Apparatus
Space Three bay drive through
Assigned
Apparatus
Unit ID Year Description Type Minimum
Staffing
8340 FD 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 Utility Pickup Truck Cross-staffed 8330 FD 1993 International Medium Rescue Cross-staffed
8350 FD 2003 Pierce Dash 105’ Ladder Truck Cross-staffed 8361 1995 International Type 3 Engine Cross-staffed
8380 FD 2011 Pierce Velocity Type 1 Engine 2
8381 FD 1990 Pierce Lance Type 1 Engine Reserve
8300 FD 2018 Ford Explorer Fire Chief 1
B83 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe Battalion Chief 1
8343 2014 Klamath Rescue Boat Cross-staffed
Historical Workload
The fire department responds to emergency and non-emergency calls for service. The following table illustrates the activities of the department grouped by the type of call or detail in Sebastopol.

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Sebastopol Calls for Service
Type of Call 2019 2020 2021 Total Pct.

Auto Accidents 53 26 34 113 3.9%
Medical Calls 608 567 629 1,804 62.6%
Total Medical and Auto Accidents 661 593 663 1,917 66.5% Fire Alarm – Activation 38 32 52 122 4.2%
Fire Alarm – False 6 0 0 6 0.2%
Fire Alarm – Malfunction 50 22 22 94 3.3%
Mutual Aid 1 6 2 9 0.3%
Other Type Fire 9 12 6 27 0.9%
Smoke Scare 10 8 10 28 1.0%
Structure Fire 12 9 7 28 1.0%
Vegetation/Brush/Debris Fires 14 26 26 66 2.3%
Vehicle Fire 2 2 5 9 0.3%
All Fire Calls 142 117 130 389 13.5%
Rescue Calls – Extrication 1 5 5 11 0.4%
Rescue Calls – Other 12 14 7 33 1.1%
Rescue Calls – Technical 0 0.0%
Rescue Calls – Water 8 0 1 9 0.3%
All Rescue Calls 21 19 13 53 1.8%
Dispatched/Canceled 1 3 1 5 0.2%
Good Intent Calls 17 16 22 55 1.9%
Hazardous Condition 83 60 67 210 7.3%
Hazardous Materials 1 1 2 0.1%
Overpressure Rupture/Explosion/Overheat 2 0 1 3 0.1%
Service Calls 82 91 75 248 8.6%
Severe Weather Alerts 0 2 1 3 0.1%
Other Type of Calls 186 173 167 523 18.1%
Total Calls for Service 1,010 902 973 2,882
Overall, medical calls represent approximately 62.6% of the call volume with auto accidents accounting for an additional 3.9% of the call volume. Fire alarms, structure fires, vegetation fires, and other fire calls account for approximately 13.5% of the calls for service.

The following table displays the total number of calls for service handled by the Sebastopol Fire Department by each hour and day of the week for the past three years.

Both emergency and non-emergency calls were included to provide an overall view of the call demand on the fire protection system.

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Calls for Service by Hour and Day of the Week
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Total
12 am 10 12 3 11 5 7 9 57
1 am 12 4 7 2 6 5 6 42
2 am 9 0 7 4 4 4 6 34
3 am 6 9 3 4 5 3 6 36
4 am 10 8 9 3 8 7 2 47
5 am 11 11 6 9 6 8 12 63
6 am 13 11 6 13 11 8 8 70
7 am 14 22 13 16 15 4 16 100
8 am 16 17 20 15 21 17 23 129
9 am 28 23 23 24 28 23 17 166
10 am 23 25 24 27 22 18 17 156
11 am 24 25 23 36 32 31 21 192
12 pm 26 24 27 25 25 22 24 173
1 pm 22 32 24 35 32 28 27 200
2 pm 20 36 39 21 31 26 30 203
3 pm 23 25 33 19 32 30 29 191
4 pm 22 32 24 24 46 31 22 201
5 pm 23 17 20 25 24 15 24 148
6 pm 22 26 19 25 22 16 26 156
7 pm 17 16 18 15 21 19 25 131
8 pm 9 15 14 21 19 13 17 108
9 pm 22 14 13 16 15 12 22 114
10 pm 15 13 12 16 6 14 17 93
11 pm 10 3 16 12 11 15 8 75
Total 407 420 403 418 447 376 414 2,885
The call volume is heaviest during the middle part of the day from late morning to the early evening, with every day of the week relatively even in terms of the number of calls except for Friday which is the slowest in terms of call demand. The calls for service varied by time of day and day of the week. The busiest hour of the day is 2 pm with the slowest hour being 2 am.

The following chart further illustrates the calls for service by hour of the day.

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As illustrated, calls increase sharply at the 9 am hour peaking at 2 pm and remain steady throughout the day. The calls sharply decline at the 5 pm hour and continue to decline throughout the evening with 3 am being the slowest hour of the day.

The following map illustrates the call demand using GIS technology to outline where most of the calls are occurring.
0 50
100
150
200
250
12 am 3 am 6 am 9 am 12 pm 3 pm 6 pm 9 pm
2019- 2021 Calls by Time of Day
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As illustrated, the highest volume of calls occurs along the SR 12 and SR 116 corridors.

There is another hot spot in the eastern area of the city off SR 12.

Training and Education
The Sebastopol Fire Department trains its personnel through a mentor program, task books, and structured classroom training. The task books are for Truck, Rescue, and Engine. A monthly training plan is established for each year. The following table illustrates the training hours provided for the past three years.

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Topic 2019 2020 2021
Communications 2.5 0.0 2.5
Drivers Training 0.0 0.0 2.5
Engine Company Operations 25.0 7.5 37.5
Extrication 0.0 2.5 2.5
Fireground Safety 2.5 0.0 2.5
Hazardous Materials 5.5 0.0 0.0
Hose Evolutions 2.5 5.0 12.5
Hydraulics/Pump Operations 2.5 0.0 5.0
Incident Command 0.0 2.5 0.0
Ladder Operations 5.0 5.0 2.5
Medical 0.0 5.0 0.0
Personal Protective Equipment 8.5 0.0 2.5
Preplanning 2.5 0.0 0.0
Rescue 20.0 5.0 15.0
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus 0.0 2.5 2.5
Small Tools 5.0 2.5 0.0
Special Operations 50.0 2.5 22.0
Structure Fire Operations 2.5 2.5 0.0
Truck Company Operations 0.0 0.0 2.5
Ventilation 7.5 0.0 2.5
Wildland Fire Operations 7.5 5.0 5.0
Total Hours 149.0 47.5 119.5
In 2020 the number of hours offered are significantly reduced due to the pandemic and the inability to train as a team. This carried over into 2021 as the pandemic began to end.

The following table provides the number of training hours expressed as man-hours for the past three years.

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Topic 2019 2020 2021
Communications 60.0 0.0 40.0
Drivers Training 0.0 0.0 30.0
Engine Company Operations 477.5 130.0 475.0
Extrication 0.0 42.5 32.5
Fireground Safety 37.5 0.0 40.0
Hazardous Materials 47.5 0.0 0.0
Hose Evolutions 30.0 70.0 157.5
Hydraulics/Pump Operations 42.5 0.0 65.0
Incident Command 0.0 40.0 0.0
Ladder Operations 95.0 75.0 40.0
Medical 0.0 107.5 0.0
Personal Protective Equipment 181.0 0.0 52.5
Preplanning 50.0 0.0 0.0
Rescue 387.5 105.0 225.0
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus-General 0.0 40.0 40.0 Small Tools 105.0 52.5 0.0
Special Operations 971.5 60.0 320.5
Structure Fire Operations 45.0 37.5 0.0
Truck Company Operations 0.0 0.0 30.0
Ventilation 147.5 0.0 25.0
Wildland Fire Operations 152.5 82.5 72.5
Total Hours 2,830.0 842.5 1,645.5
Based on the records of 32 personnel, there has been an average of 55.4 hours per year for the past three years for each staff member. As noted previously, the pandemic in 2020 and the carryover into 2021 reduced the number of available training hours for the department.

Fire Prevention
The Chief is the fire marshal and works in conjunction with the fire engineer to perform annual inspections at schools, hospitals, residential care facilities and facilities with business licenses. Specific statistics are not kept however it is estimated 200 inspections per year are performed. The city uses a contractor for plan check reviews.

The Chief manages the City’s Weed Abatement Program which has about 50 properties in review. The properties are inspected in the summer months for compliance. There are an additional 100 inspections per year and responses to community complaints.

A CERT and Radio Communications Program is managed with approximately 100 members.

Public outreach and education information was not available for the report.

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Financial Resources
The City of Sebastopol operates on a fiscal year ending on June 30. Budget preparation is the responsibility of the City Manager with assistance from various department heads throughout the city.

Revenue
Revenue for the city includes a variety of sources. Sales tax represents the largest source at 44% of the revenue and property taxes representing approximately 28% of the total revenue. The following table illustrates the revenue sources for the operation of the fire department.

Line Item FY 2020 – 21 Adopted FY 2021 – 22 (Estimated) FY 2022-23 Adopted Fire Department Fees $30,000 $30,000 $30,000
Water fund $80,914 $83,388 $94,745
Transfer In $0 ($429,242) $0
General Fund $1,106,180 $2,000,647 $1,301,505
Total Revenue $1,217,094 $1,684,793 $1,426,250
As illustrated, approximately 92% of the revenues for the fire department are from the general fund.

Expenditures
The following table is a summary of the operating expenditures for the Sebastopol Fire Department. It is important to note that it also includes capital expenditures, which are not included in the personnel and operating cost estimates since these vary from year to year.

Line Item FY 2020 – 21
Actual
FY 2021 – 22
(Estimated)
FY 2022 – 23
Adopted
Salaries & Benefits $816,192 $888,050 $969,950
Contract Services $45,685 $61,000 $108,000
Services & Supplies $56,651 $52,300 $65,550
Equipment Rental/Maintenance $59,283 $72,700 $81,750
Telecommunications $8,765 $8,700 $9,200
Training/Meetings $9,128 $9,000 $10,000
Dues & Subscriptions $10,370 $13,200 $13,500
Utilities $11,774 $8,000 $8,000
Allocated Insurance $113,422 $101,100 $117,300
Other Community Supports $33,733 $9,500 $11,000
Capital Outlay $0 $461,242 $32,000
Total Expense $1,165,003 $1,684,792 $1,426,250
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As illustrated, personnel services for the fire department are the largest operating expenditure accounting for approximately 68% of operating expenditures in 2022.

Stipends
Volunteer staff positions are paid a $200 stipend for an 8-hour shift, on-site, at the fire station. Off-duty volunteer firefighters that respond to specified calls are paid a $15 stipend per 2-hour response, any calls over the 2-hour response is paid $20.00 per hour labeled as overtime in the following table. The table below outlines the stipends paid to the volunteer staff.

Rank Fire Calls Fire Drills On-Site Fire Shifts
Firefighter $15.00 $15.00 $200
Captain $15.00 $18.00 $200
Captain Weekend standby $500.00
Assistant Chief $15.00 $20.00 $200
Extended Call Time $20.00
In addition to the stipends paid in accordance with the above table, the department funds an additional $20,000 per quarter ($80k per year) retention stipend that is paid quarterly, based upon the number of emergency responses. This funding originally began as a FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant at $100,000 per year. The grant funding expired in 2015, however was reinstated by the City Council using general funds to enhance recruitment and retention.

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Gold Ridge Fire Protection District
This chapter provides an overview of the general characteristics of Gold Ridge and the emergency services delivery system.

Background and Overview
In the 1950s Hessel, Twin Hills, and Freestone Fire Departments provided fire protection and rescue services for the rural Sebastopol area staffed with volunteer firefighters. The Gold Ridge Fire Protection District was formed in 1993 with the merger of the Hessel and Twin Hills Fire Districts. This created a fire district that covers approximately 75 square miles to the south and west of Sebastopol. The fire department provides responses to fires, medical emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, natural and made-made disasters, mutual aid assistance to neighboring departments and related emergencies in an effort to reduce life and property loss to the communities of Hessel, Twin Hills and Freestone.

Governance of the fire district is through a seven-member Board of Directors that are elected to four-year terms as provided in California Health and Safety Code section 13842.

Demographic Profile
The following table illustrates the demographic profile of Gold Ridge with changes that have occurred since the 2010 Census.

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US Census Bureau 2010 2015 2020
Estimated Population 20,539 21,795 20,564
Median Age 48.0 50.2 50.9
Children Under Age 5 3.8% 3.2% 3.4%
Children Ages 5 to 19 years 17.5% 14.1% 15.2%
Persons Age 20 to 59 years 54.1% 50.4% 46.1%
Persons Age 60 and Over 24.5% 32.3% 35.4%
Employment Sectors:

Education, Health Care, Soc. Svc. 24.7% 23.8% 25.0%
Retail Trade 10.3% 10.8% 10.4%
Professional, Scientific, Mgmt. 11.4% 14.6% 13.7%
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate 7.2% 4.8% 3.6%
Entertainment, Recreation, Food 6.3% 8.6% 9.5%
Construction 9.7% 7.5% 9.1%
Manufacturing 8.5% 8.3% 7.0%
Transportation, Warehousing, Util. 3.9% 3.4% 3.3%
Public Administration 3.4% 4.0% 3.6%
Other Services 4.6% 5.0% 5.1%
Wholesale 3.2% 2.8% 3.0%
Information 3.5% 2.3% 3.2%
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing 3.2% 4.1% 3.5%
Within the district there are 20, 564 residents in an area of 75 square miles resulting in a population density of 274.2 residents per square mile.

The population for the district has increased 0.1% over the past ten years and has witnessed a large increase in the age of the residents. In 2010 approximately 24.5% of the population was over the age of 60 and in 2020 that percentage increased to 35.4%, an increase of approximately 10.9%. As well, the median age has increased from 48.0 to

50.9 years of age since 2010.

The following map provides a view of population density by census tract for the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District.

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The population density of Gold Ridge Fire Protection District is much lower than Sebastopol. The highest population densities in the fire district are in the eastern portion, primarily south of Sebastopol and along the SR 116 corridor. The least populated areas are west of Station 2, with a few pockets of higher population located off SR 12, east of Station 3 and northwest of Sebastopol.

Gold Ridge Fire Protection District Organization
The Gold Ridge Fire Protection District operates as a combination department utilizing career and volunteer staffing. The career staff includes a Fire Chief, 3 Battalion Chiefs, and 12 firefighters. This staffing is supplemented with approximately 50 volunteer firefighters.

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There is a minimum of two career personnel per shift at the Hessel and Twin Hills stations working on a 48/96 schedule along with a Battalion Chief. Staffing is supplemented with volunteer firefighters and firefighter interns from Santa Rosa Junior College. The intern program has six to fifteen interns assigned to the district and are required to work six (6) nine (9) hour days per month annually. Hessel and Twin Hills are the staffed stations with Freestone staffed with an all-volunteer staff. Volunteer staff are not dispatched for emergency medical calls as the on-duty staff handles those incidents.

Emergency medical transport services are provided by Sonoma Life Support (AMR) primarily, and Bodega Bay FPD as a supplemental resource if needed.

Mission Statement:

Maintain the highest level of commitment and professionalism while protecting and serving the communities of Hessel, Twin Hills, and Freestone through effective and efficient emergency response, public education, customer service, and fire prevention.

Values of the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District:

We value
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Participation
• Safety
• Taking pride in the organization.
• Teamwork
• Flexibility
• Initiative
• Courtesy
• Respect
• Leadership
The following chart illustrates the organization of the Gold Ridge Fire Department:

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Gold Ridge Fire Protection District
Physical Resources
Service delivery is provided from four fire stations located throughout the region. The following map illustrates the location of the fire stations.

Board of
Directors
Fire Chief
A Shift BC
Captain/Company
Officer (2)
Firefighter/Driver
(2)
Volunteer Stipend
(2)
B Shift BC
Captain/Company
Officer (2)
Firefighter/Driver
(2)
Volunteer Stipend
(2)
C Shift BC
Captain/Company
Officer (2)
Firefighter/Driver
(2)
Volunteer Stipend
(2)
Engineer 40 hour
(2)
Office Admin
Assistant Fire
Chief Facilities
Assistant Fire
Chief Fleet
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The tables that follow illustrate the apparatus and staffing for the three Gold Ridge Fire District stations, administrative, and reserve apparatus.

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Fire Station 1 - Hessel
4500 Hessel Road South
Description
of Use
Located in the southwest section of the district providing service the CA166 corridor and areas in the southern sections of the district. Serves as the headquarters station with the administrative offices.

Apparatus
Space 6-bays with one drive-through bay.

Assigned
Apparatus
Unit ID Year Description Type Minimum
Staffing
8181 2002 HME Type 1 Engine 2
8161 2008 Navistar/International Type 3 Engine Reserve
8171 2021 Navistar/International Type 3 Engine Cross-staffed 8191 2020 Rosenbauer Water tender Cross-staffed
8169 1997 Navistar/International Type 3 Engine Reserve
8131 2007 Ford F550 Air/Incident Support Cross-staffed
8141 2010 Chevrolet Silverado Utility
Fire Station 2 - Twin Hills
1690 Watertrough Road North
Description
of Use
Located just west of Sebastopol providing service to the northeast section of the district. Also provides support to the Freestone area.

Apparatus
Space 5-bays with one drive-through bay.

Assigned
Apparatus
Unit ID Year Description Type Minimum
Staffing
8162 2017 Navistar/International Type 3 Engine Cross Staffed 8182 2011 HME Type 1 Engine 2
8192 2005 HME Water tender Cross Staffed
8142 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Utility
B8 2022 Chevrolet Silverado Command 1
Fire Station 3 - Freestone
450 Bohemian Highway
Description
of Use
Located in the northwest section of the district providing service to the Freestone area.

Station is staffed by volunteers.

Apparatus
Space Two bays
Assigned
Apparatus
Unit ID Year Description Type Minimum
Staffing
8163 1994 Navistar/International Type 3 Engine Volunteers 8193 1995 Navistar/International Water Tender Cross-staffed Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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Historical Workload
The fire district responds to emergency and non-emergency calls for service. The following table illustrates the activities of the district grouped by the type of call or detail in the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District.

Gold Ridge Calls for Service
Type of Call 2019 2020 2021 Total Pct.

Auto Accidents 79 79 5.9%
Medical Calls 638 638 47.3%
Total Medical and Auto Accidents 0 0 717 717 53.2%
Fire Alarm - Activation 23 23 1.7%
Fire Alarm - False 0 0.0%
Fire Alarm - Malfunction 13 13 1.0%
Mutual Aid 6 6 0.4%
Other Type Fire 19 19 1.4%
Smoke Scare 15 15 1.1%
Structure Fire 21 21 1.6%
Vegetation/Brush/Debris Fires 45 45 3.3%
Vehicle Fire 7 7 0.5%
All Fire Calls 0 0 149 149 11.1%
Rescue Calls - Extrication 6 6 0.4%
Rescue Calls - Other 8 8 0.6%
Rescue Calls - Search 1 1 0.1%
Rescue Calls - Water 2 2 0.1%
All Rescue Calls 0 0 17 17 1.3%
Dispatched/Canceled 211 211 15.7%
Good Intent Calls 33 33 2.4%
Hazardous Condition 104 104 7.7%
Hazardous Materials 1 1 0.1%
Overpressure Rupture/Explosion/Overheat 2 2 0.1%
Service Calls 114 114 8.5%
Severe Weather Alerts 1 1 0.1%
Non-Coded Calls 1 1 0.1%
Other Type of Calls 0 0 467 467 34.5%
Total Calls for Service 0 0 1,350 1,350
Overall, medical calls represent approximately 47.3% of the call volume with auto accidents accounting for an additional 5.9% of the call volume. Fire alarms, structure fires, vegetation fires, and other fire calls account for approximately 11.1% of the calls for service.

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The following table displays the total number of calls for service handled by the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District by each hour and day of the week for 2021. Both emergency and non-emergency calls were included to provide an overall view of the call demand on the fire protection system.

Calls for Service by Hour and Day of the Week
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Total
12 am 3 4 4 5 1 6 10 33
1 am 2 5 3 4 0 4 5 23
2 am 3 3 5 5 1 5 4 26
3 am 4 3 4 4 1 3 9 28
4 am 4 5 1 4 1 9 4 28
5 am 4 4 4 1 3 6 5 27
6 am 9 4 4 4 4 1 1 27
7 am 9 10 3 4 11 5 9 51
8 am 9 14 4 10 10 4 12 63
9 am 10 10 10 10 15 15 9 79
10 am 11 7 13 4 8 14 18 75
11 am 11 8 10 11 14 12 17 83
12 pm 9 11 10 6 14 7 16 73
1 pm 9 10 13 16 13 11 14 86
2 pm 10 5 15 21 13 7 6 77
3 pm 8 10 12 17 8 10 14 79
4 pm 12 13 11 12 6 11 13 78
5 pm 16 8 12 12 10 8 10 76
6 pm 12 13 11 16 8 7 10 77
7 pm 13 8 13 14 3 6 8 65
8 pm 7 6 7 8 8 3 14 53
9 pm 6 9 6 7 12 8 5 53
10 pm 3 3 11 7 5 6 5 40
11 pm 7 9 5 11 3 5 10 50
Total 191 182 191 213 172 173 228 1,350
The call volume is heaviest during the middle part of the day from late morning to the early evening with Wednesday being the busiest day of the week. The calls for service varied by time of day and day of the week. The busiest hour of the day is 1 pm with the slowest hour being 1 am.

The following chart further illustrates the calls for service by hour of the day.

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As illustrated, calls increase sharply at the 7 am hour peaking at 1 pm and remain steady throughout the day. The calls sharply decline at the 6 pm hour and continue to decline throughout the evening with 1 am being the slowest hour of the day.

The following map illustrates the call demand using GIS technology to outline where the majority of the calls are occurring.
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
12 am 3 am 6 am 9 am 12 pm 3 pm 6 pm 9 pm
Gold Ridge FPD 2021 Calls by Time of Day
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As illustrated, the highest volume of calls occurs along the SR 116 corridor. Additionally, there are clusters of calls south and west of Sebastopol.

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Training and Education
Training for the Gold Ridge Fire Protection is managed by a Battalion Chief. The following table highlights the general topics presented to the personnel.

Topic/Area
Department SOG's
Drivers Training
Drivers Training
Fire Investigations
Fire Officer I
Firefighter I
Firefighter Safety
Forcible Entry
Hazardous Materials
Human Resources Education
Ladder Operations
Medical
Personal Protective Equipment
Physical Fitness
Rescue
Structure Fire Operations
Wildland Fire Operations
Gold Ridge reported 4,215 man-hours of training through August 2022 to the district staff.

Fire Prevention
Engine companies conduct approximately 225 defensible space inspections on an annual basis, pre-plan fire inspections, and state mandated inspections of schools, residential care facilities, and assemblies. Approximately 15 home safety inspections are conducted each year. Community meetings are held to discuss defensible space, evacuation, emergency notifications, and community preparedness. A Juvenile Fire Setters Program is managed by Sonoma County Fire Prevention Officers and the District participates in that program.

Further specific statistics were not available for this report.

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Financial Resources
Gold Ridge Fire Protection District operates on a fiscal year ending on June 30. Budget preparation is the responsibility of the Fire Chief with final approval of the Board of Directors.

Revenue
The Gold Ridge Fire Protection District receives revenues from a variety of sources including taxes, fees, and intergovernmental services. Tax revenue represents approximately 63% of the total revenues for the district. The table below is a summary of the revenues for the fire district.

Line Item FY 2019 - 20 Budget FY 2020 - 21 Budget FY 2021 - 22 Budget Tax Revenue $2,022,812 $3,180,955 $3,219,262
Use of Money $25,278 $25,178 $27,506
Intergovernmental Revenues $1,010,480 $1,290,480 $1,310,100 Charges for Services $2,334 $560 $560
Misc. Revenues $26,537 $20,840 $20,840
Carryover from prior year(s) $0 $0 $500,000
Total Revenue $3,087,441 $4,518,013 $5,078,268
Expenditures
The following table is a summary of the operating expenditures for the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District.

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Line Item FY 2019 - 20 Budget FY 2020 - 21 Budget FY 2021 - 22 Budget Payroll Expenses $1,518,734 $1,923,824 $2,067,708
Extra Help $2,010 $8,500 $8,500
Strike Team Payroll Expenses $100 $100 $100
Boards $1,700 $2,100 $2,100
Overtime $18,000 $60,000 $60,000
FICA Retirement $9,000 $9,957 $12,500
PERS $318,365 $496,934 $439,183
Medicare $22,283 $28,765 $31,106
Health Insurance $282,939 $369,340 $341,942
Disability Insurance $5,099 $5,111 $5,111
Unemployment $0 $2,000 $2,000
Workers Comp $138,261 $162,504 $162,504
Total Salaries/Emp Benefits $2,316,491 $3,069,135 $3,132,754 Services & Supplies $315,000 $380,950 $690,334
Other charges $69,005 $69,005 $69,422
Assets $0 $100,000 $255,000
Contingency Appropriations $386,946 $898,922 $930,759
Total Expenditures $3,087,442 $4,518,012 $5,078,269
As illustrated, personnel services for the Fire District are the largest operating expenditure for the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District, accounting for approximately 62% of operating expenditures in FY 2022.

Stipends
Non-resident/resident volunteers and interns that are FF I and EMT certified are paid a stipend of $100 for a daytime shift and $50 for a nighttime (sleeper) shift or $150 for a twenty-four shift. Non-resident/resident volunteers and interns that do not have EMT certifications are paid a $50 stipend for a sleeper shift with no stipend for a daytime shift.

Non-resident/resident volunteers and interns are paid a $40 stipend for attending the weekly Thursday training drill. The table below outlines the stipends paid to the volunteer staff.

Rank 24-hour Shift Day Shift Sleeper Shift Training
Firefighter I/EMT $150.00 $100.00 $50.00 $40.00
Without FF I + EMT N/A N/A $50.00 $40.00
Staffing is supplemented with volunteer firefighters and firefighter interns from Santa Rosa Junior College. The intern program has six to fifteen interns assigned to the district and are required to work six (6) nine (9) hour days per month annually. The stipend program does not pay for emergency call response. Volunteer members are not dispatched for emergency medical calls as the on-duty staff handles those incidents.

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Evaluation of the Sebastopol Emergency Services System
This chapter compares and evaluates the current deployment and performance of the fire department and provides an analysis of core elements needed to provide emergency services to the city.

National Emergency Service Standards
There are four notable sources of information to which responders and local policymakers can refer when determining the most appropriate response objectives for their community:
• The Insurance Services Office (ISO) provides basic information regarding distances between fire stations. However, this “objective” does little to recognize the unique nature of every community’s road network, population, calls for service, call density, etc.
• The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) promulgated two documents:
one for career fire departments and one for volunteer fire departments. These documents have generated a great deal of dialogue and debate – which is still ongoing.
– “NFPA 1710: Objective for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments.” This document (NFPA 1710) was originally published in 2001 and last updated in 2020. – NFPA 1720 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments was last published in 2020.
• The Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) in its “Objectives of Coverage” manual, places the responsibility for identifying “appropriate” response objectives on the locality. These objectives should be developed following a comprehensive exercise in which the risks and hazards in the community are compared to the likelihood of their occurrence.
• The American Heart Association (AHA) provides information on the response to cardiac events, the preferred methods of treatment, and the timing of the delivery of the medical care and treatment.

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To further define response time components there are benchmark performance and baseline performance. Benchmark performance are those values or standards that represent superior performance or best practice. These are also defined as goals to which an organization strives to meet. Baseline performance are those values or standards that represent actual performance based on past data and history. In terms of response time, the baseline performance is generally based on three to five years of data.

The applicability for the NFPA models is based on the definitions of the fire department servicing the community.
• NFPA 1710 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments was last published in 2020. It defines a career fire department as one that utilizes full-time or full-time equivalent (FTE) station-based personnel immediately available to comprise at least 50 percent of an initial full alarm assignment.
• NFPA 1720 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments was last published in 2020. This defines a combination fire department as having emergency service personnel comprising less than 85% of the majority of either volunteer or career membership. • The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) had previously defined benchmark and baseline response times for each of the three response time components (call processing time, turnout time and travel time). They have since determined they are not a standard making organization and decided to leave the establishment of benchmark performance standards to others but allows communities to establish local baseline standards. The body of work of CPSE is significant and has been and continues to be used by numerous communities across the country when establishing community standards for fire department performance. Their performance objectives were based on population density demographics.

Currently the use of the previous three (3) years of performance data is accepted by CPSE to illustrate the baseline performance capabilities of the fire department. • ISO continues to use their standard 1.5-mile and 2.5-mile criteria for engine company and ladder company placement. Although they now accept a systematic performance evaluation that demonstrates the department can meet the time constraints outlined in NFPA 1710.

The scope of NFPA 1720 identifies the Standard as applicable to fire service organizations that are combination and / or volunteer agencies. The Sebastopol Fire Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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Department fits this definition therefore NFPA 1720 will be used to provide guidance and analysis of fire service operations. Additional guidance from the CFAI will be utilized for analysis of these operations.

Appendix A contained in the NFPA 1710 document provides additional information and background as it pertains to service delivery objectives for the jurisdiction as follows:
“There can be incidents or areas where the response criteria are affected by circumstances such as response personnel who are not on duty, unstaffed fire station facilities, natural barriers, traffic congestion, insufficient water supply, and density of population or property. The reduced level of service should be documented in the written organizational statement by the percentage of incidents and geographical areas for which the total response time criteria are achieved.

Additional service delivery performance objectives should be established by the area having jurisdiction (AHJ) for occupancies other than those identified within the standard for benchmark single-family dwellings. Factors to be considered include specific response areas (i.e., suburban, rural, and wilderness) and occupancy hazards.”
This passage acknowledges the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), in this case the City of Sebastopol, is responsible for determining the level of service to be provided by its fire department. Considerations for the level of service include, but not limited to, the way the fire department responds, travel time, staffing, emergency calls versus non-emergency calls, roadways, financial resources, and those calls involving different occupancies.

Response Time
Response time to an emergency or call for assistance has been broken down into measurable and non-measurable segments. The response time continuum begins when the state of normalcy changes to a recognizable emergency. The following chart outlines the cascade of events that occur once an emergency starts or is recognized. Those highlighted points represent hard data or that which is quantitative versus soft data or that which is subjective and unknown.

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Response Time Continuum
State of Normalcy
Discovery of Emergency
Reaction to Emergency
Call Received by PSAP
Call Processing
Response Units Notified
Turnout Time
Units Responding
Travel Time
Units Arriving
Mitigation Begins
Mitigation Completed
State of Normalcy Returns
The highlighted points in the chart above represent three segments that can be used for evaluation; call processing, turnout time, and travel time. Each of these components represent a different point in the response time continuum and through their measurement and evaluation areas for improvement can be identified. Below are the definitions for the three components:
• Call Processing is defined as beginning when the call taker answers the call and ends with the dispatching of appropriate emergency services. • Turnout Time is defined as beginning when the emergency service receives the call and is on the apparatus responding (wheels rolling) to the call. • Travel Time is defined as beginning when the apparatus and personnel begin the response (wheels rolling) and ends once on location of the emergency (wheels stopped).

Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) data for 2019, 2020, and 2021 was examined and evaluated. The data is not without issues such as coding problems, transcription errors, and equipment failures. The project team used the following mechanism to address these issues.

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Only qualified data is used to calculate response time and any related components. To be considered the data must meet the following criteria:
• The incident must have been unique.
• The incident must have involved at least one Fire Department unit being dispatched to the call.
• Calls that are missing data are not used in the computations for call processing, turnout time, travel time, or call duration.
• Any call with usually long times or times sorted incorrectly (arrived before dispatch time) were removed.
• Non-emergency responses are removed; only emergency responses, Charlie, Delta, and Echo types, are included.

After filtering the data using the methodology outlined above, the remaining incidents represent the response time for calls for service handled by the Fire Department.

Call Processing
Performance Standards
Dispatch services for the Sebastopol Fire Department are provided by REDCOM. NFPA 1221 Standard for the Installation, Maintenance and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems establishes the call processing benchmarks as outlined in the chart below.

NFPA 1221 Performance Objective
Component Target Performance
Calls Answered
Within 15 seconds 90%
Within 20 seconds 95%
Call Processing Within 60 seconds 90%
Call Processing for:

These types of calls are exempt from
the call processing time illustrated
above.
* Language Translation
* TTY/TDD Device Services
* Hazardous Materials
* Technical Rescue
* Text Message
* Calls Received during a Disaster
* Unable to Determine Location
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Both CPSE and ISO use the 60 second call processing time benchmark performance objective as outlined in NFPA 1221 for their requirements. NFPA 1720 does not address call processing in any statements and does not reference NFPA 1221.

System Performance
The fire department does not have direct control over the dispatch center or the call processing performance. The following table illustrates the performance of the REDCOM communications system.

All Emergency Calls –
90th Percentile Times
2019 -
2021 2019 2020 2021
Call Processing Pick-up to Dispatch 1:33 1:26 1:34 1:36 All Emergency Calls – Average Times
2019 –
2021 2019 2020 2021
Call Processing Pick-up to Dispatch 0:59 0:57 0:59 1:02 The call processing performance is illustrated here as it does have an impact on what the resident or visitor experiences if emergency services are needed. The time shown in the first table illustrates the performance for 90% or less of the calls examined. The time shown in the second table illustrates the average, or 50% or less, of the calls examined.

Turnout Time
Performance Standards
NFPA 1720: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments in section 4.3.3 provides the following performance objectives for turnout time of staffed stations:
• “One minute thirty seconds (90 seconds) for turnout time for fire and special operations.”
• “One minute (60 seconds) for turnout time for emergency medical services.” System Performance
It should be noted that NFPA does not provide a turnout time performance objective for volunteer (unstaffed) companies or stations. The intent for illustrating unstaffed units is not to disparage a volunteer (unstaffed) system. In a volunteer system the personnel respond from home to the fire station to get the apparatus before responding to the call for service. This extends the turnout time, and it is what is expected of that type of staffing Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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model. It is shown here simply to illustrate how this time has an overall effect on the response time continuum. Data from REDCOM was used to provide the turnout time and included all Sebastopol units that responded to the call.

All Emergency Calls –
90th Percentile Times
2019 -
2021 2019 2020 2021
Turnout
Time 1st Unit
Medical Calls 5:40 5:15 5:41 6:09
Fire Calls 5:47 5:07 5:52 6:05
All Emergency Calls - Average Times 2019 -
2021 2019 2020 2021
Turnout
Time 1st Unit Medical Calls 1:45 1:34 1:41 2:00
Fire Calls 1:31 1:20 1:45 1:33
The time shown in the first table illustrates the performance for 90% or less of the calls examined. The time shown in the second table illustrates the average, or 50% or less, of the calls examined. The following table illustrates the average, or 50% or less, turnout time for 2022 as reported by the Fire Department.

Sebastopol Fire Department Turnout Time Data
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2022
4:39 4:03 4:19 3:54 4:04 4:39 4:38 4:20
Distribution of Resources
Distribution of resources is the measure of getting initial resources to an emergency to begin mitigation efforts. It has also been described as the speed at which the first unit arrives at the emergency. The models measure this in a variety of ways including percentage of square miles, percentage of road miles and travel time. With the advent of GIS technology and improved computer aided dispatch (CAD) systems, the use of actual travel time is another more accurate measure for the distribution of resources.

Performance Standards
Travel time is a measurable time segment that begins when the apparatus and personnel begin the response (wheels rolling) and ends once on location of the emergency (wheels stopped). It is the most appropriate measurement available for the distribution, or the locations, of resources and has a proven record of developing successful deployment of resources.

NFPA 1720 does not provide a performance objective for the first arriving unit. Previously the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) had defined benchmark and baseline response times for each of the three components. They have since determined they are Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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not a standard making organization and decided to leave the establishment of response time standards to others. However, their body of work is significant and has been used by numerous communities across the country. The following table highlights the performance objectives from the CPSE.

Service Area / Population Density based Travel Time Performance Objectives Urban: Population density of over 1,000 per square mile 1st Unit 2nd Unit 1st Alarm Balance Performance
Benchmark 4 minutes 8 minutes 8 minutes 90%
Baseline 5 minutes/12
seconds
10 minutes 24
seconds
10 minutes/24
seconds 90%
Suburban: Population density between 500 and 1,000 per square mile Benchmark 5 minutes 8 minutes 10 minutes 90%
Baseline 6 minutes/30
seconds
10 minutes/24
seconds 13 minutes 90%
Rural: Population density of less than 500 per square mile Benchmark 10 minutes 14 minutes 14 minutes 90%
Baseline 13 minutes 18 minutes/12
seconds
18 minutes/12
seconds 90%
System Performance
The chart below illustrates the travel time performance of the Sebastopol Fire Department.

All Emergency Calls –
90th Percentile Times
2019 -
2021 2019 2020 2021
Travel Time 1st Unit 3:16 3:02 3:15 3:28
All Emergency Calls –
Average Times
2019 -
2021 2019 2020 2021
Travel Time 1st Unit 1:39 1:33 1:41 1:45
As illustrated in the first table, the travel time for the first Sebastopol fire unit to arrive was 3 minutes and 16 seconds for 90% or less of the calls exceeding the travel time benchmark performance objective of 4 minutes. The time shown in the second table illustrates the average, or 50% or less, of the calls examined.

Concentration of Resources
Concentration of resources is generally described as the ability of the fire protection system to get the appropriate number of personnel and resources to the scene of an emergency within a prescribed time to effectively mitigate the incident. There are two Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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parts to this component – the first is providing an effective response force and the second is the amount of time to get those resources in place.

Performance Standards
The following table is from NFPA 1720 illustrating the response time and staffing for the response to structural fires. The response time is measured from the time the call is received until the minimum staffing is on the scene.

Demand Zone Demographics Minimum Staff Response Time Meets Objective Urban Greater than 1,000
per sq. mile 15 9 minutes 90%
Suburban Area 500 - 1,000 per sq.
mile 10 10 80%
Rural Area Less than 500 per
sq. mile 6 14 80%
Remote Area
Travel Distance
greater than /
equal to 8 miles
4 Dependent on
Travel Distance 90%
System Performance
Sebastopol fits the definition for an urban demographic with a population density greater than 1,000 people per square mile. Based on the previous table from NFPA 1720, the fire department should have a minimum of 15 personnel arriving in 9 minutes for 90% of the calls. The response in Sebastopol for a structure fire includes apparatus from Gold Ridge Fire Protection District and Graton Fire Protection District.

Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) data was used for the evaluation of resource concentration. To be considered for inclusion the following conditions were required to be met:
• Calls for service designated as a structure fire.
• All the units dispatched must have a recorded arrival time. An assumption was made that if the unit did not arrive on scene that it was cancelled while enroute.

The data used were from 2019, 2020, and 2021. For purposes of this analysis, staffing of suppression apparatus was 2 personnel and any command or chief officer responses were counted as a single person.

Over the past three years a total of 32 structure fire calls met the criteria as outlined. Of those 32 calls, 2 calls met the minimum of 15 personnel arriving on the scene. These two calls had a response time of 15 minutes and 3 seconds and 15 minutes and 21 seconds.

Recall this response time is from the time of dispatch to the time of arrival. Therefore, the Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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current response and deployment plan has difficulty developing an effective response force in a timely manner for a structure fire call.

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Physical Resources
This chapter provides an analysis of the physical resources required to provide emergency services to the city.

Apparatus and Equipment
One of the more difficult tasks facing a community is the replacement of fire apparatus due in large part to available funding, the timing of when to replace and the cost associated with replacing the apparatus. As the apparatus ages, it becomes more difficult to maintain, less parts are available for replacement and the pumps begin to fail their annual testing. Like the distribution and concentration of resources, a one size fits all approach does not work well with apparatus. Some vehicles and apparatus do not last as long as others. This could be due to higher call volumes, extreme wear and tear and varied preventive maintenance measures.

An effective apparatus replacement program will have benchmarks established to drive the replacement schedule. These benchmarks should establish a replacement guideline to categorize the various units and their target replacement date, definitions for the determination of the condition of the vehicle and other criteria to be used in the evaluation of the vehicle. Many fire departments replace apparatus based on the age of the vehicle; one such type of schedule is illustrated in the following table.

Type of Apparatus Replacement Frequency
Engines and Rescue Every 25 years
Aerial or Ladder Apparatus Every 30 years
Ambulances Every 15 to 20 years
Other Vehicles As Needed
The following replacement guideline uses a point system to determine when a unit should be replaced. It utilizes a variety of factors such as mileage, reliability, and maintenance costs to score the apparatus. The table that follows identifies those factors and the recommended point system to use.

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Replacement Guidelines
Factor Points
Age One point for each year of chronological age.

Mileage / Engine Hours One point for each 10,000 miles or 1,000 engine hours.

Type of Service
Points are based on severity of service
5 points - Engine Company
3 Points - Aerial Ladders / Specialty Units
1 Point - Administrative Vehicles
Reliability
Points are based on the frequency a vehicle is in the
garage for repair
5 points - Two or more times per month (average)
3 Points - Two times every three months (average)
1 point - Once every three months (average)
M & R Costs
Maintenance and repair costs on the total life of the
vehicle, excluding accident damage.
5 points – M & R costs equal to or greater than
original purchase price
4 points – M & R costs 75% to equal to the original
purchase price.
3 points – M & R costs 50% to 75% of the original
purchase price
2 points – M & R cost 20% to 50% of the original
purchase price.
1 point – M & R costs 20% or less than original
purchase price.

Condition
Consideration given to body condition, rust, interior
condition, accident history, anticipated repairs, etc.
5 points - Poor Condition
4 points - Fair Condition
3 points - Good Condition
2 points - Very Good Condition
1 point - Excellent Condition
This system uses the major components typically considered in evaluating vehicles and then puts a numeric value to the vehicle. It can be adjusted to fit the local perspective.

For example, if the maintenance costs are a more important factor, then adjusting the percentage to the original cost will provide a higher weight to that category.

The following table outlines the total score and the expected outcome of that score.

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Replacement Guideline Scoring
Point Range Condition
Fewer than 18 points Condition I - Excellent
18 to 22 points Condition II - Good
23 to 27 points Condition III - Qualifies for Replacement 28 points and above Condition IV - Needs Immediate Consideration Another component to this type of system is the collaboration between the Fire Department and those involved in the maintenance of the fleet. All involved should discuss the results of the survey to determine the needs of the apparatus in terms of mechanical issues. It is possible there is a unit or units that will need major repairs that would influence the decision to replace the apparatus.

The most important function of fire apparatus is the safe movement of personnel and equipment to and from an emergency scene and the investment in fire apparatus is a significant endeavor for any community or fire district. Changes in the standards by which they are built and the performance standards by which they are tested continue to evolve and have resulted in rapidly increasing costs for fire apparatus. A typical engine will cost in the range of $600,000 to $750,000 depending on the manufacturer, configuration of the truck and other needs of the fire department. In addition, the aerial ladders will cost in the range of $900,000 to $1.3 million again depending on the same variables. Many departments will borrow the funds to purchase the apparatus while others will have set aside funds based on the depreciation of the current apparatus and planned replacement schedule.

Considering a replacement schedule based on age as outlined previously, the following list provides the year of replacement for the current apparatus and vehicles used by the fire department.

Unit ID Year Description Type Replacement Year
8381 FD 1990 Pierce Lance Type 1 Engine 2015
8340 FD 2008 Dodge ram 2500 Utility Pickup Truck 2018
8330 FD 1994 International Medium Rescue 2019
8361 1996 International Type 3 Engine 2021
B83 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe Battalion Chief 2025
8300 FD 2018 Ford Explorer Fire Chief 2028
8343 2014 Klamath Rescue Boat 2029
8380 FD 2011 Pierce Velocity Type 1 Engine 2036
8350 FD 2012 Pierce Dash 105' Ladder Truck 2042
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As shown, there is a Type 1 Engine, and Type 3 Engine, a Medium Rescue, and a utility vehicle that are beyond due to be replaced based on age. The estimated cost to replace these units is illustrated in the following table.

Unit ID Year Description Type Replacement Cost
8381 FD 1990 Pierce Lance Type 1 Engine $750,000
8340 FD 2008 Dodge ram 2500 Utility Pickup Truck $50,000 8330 FD 1994 International Medium Rescue $450,000
8361 1996 International Type 3 Engine $450,000
Total Estimated Replacement Cost $1,700,00
There are two additional items to consider with the estimated costs illustrated in the previous table. First, this considers the cost at the prices as of the writing of this report.

Increases in the cost of materials such as steel are driving the cost higher. One manufacturer is anticipating a 20% to 25% increase in the next six months. The second factor is the timing. Most manufacturers are quoting 28 to 32 months to deliver a Type 1 Engine. This means if the replacement for the 1990 Pierce Type 1 Engine was ordered in 2022, the truck would be 35 years old before its replacement arrived.

Recommendation:

Establish and adopt a program that contains benchmarks and measurable components for the planned replacement of apparatus.

Fire Station Facilities
The fire station was toured in September 2022 and a “walk through” assessment of the facility’s exterior, interior, and technical systems was completed. The evaluation is not based on a detailed analysis, but rather as a broad index of each facility’s relative physical condition and viability. Conditions were rated on a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor, as defined below.
• Excellent – conditions are newly renovated or constructed, basic standards are met or exceeded.
• Good – conditions meet basic standards and potential exists for expansion or redevelopment at low expense.
• Fair – conditions may be reasonable for improvement or redevelopment at substantial expense.
• Poor – conditions do not meet basic standards and have little potential for improvement without significant effort and resources.

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Sebastopol Fire Station
7425 Bodega Avenue
Description of Use:

This is the sole station for the city. It houses the administrative offices for the fire department and the building department. The threes bays provide space for front-line and reserve apparatus
Overall Conditions of the Facility
Total Parking Spaces: 13 spaces in the front of the facility that are shared with Ceres Community Project. 13 spaces in the rear of the facility, some of which are used for storage of equipment.

ADA Parking Spaces: 6 in the front of the facility
Apron/Street Visibility: Fair – Front apron has enough space for apparatus to clear the facility.

Visibility to the east is limited as there is a curve in the road. Visibility to the west is good.

Accessibility Issues: Fair – There are two entrances to the parking areas, one in the front and one in the rear. There is no internal connection between the two parking areas.

Expansion Capability: Poor – With the exception of adding a second floor, expansion is limited to the west side of the apparatus bays with enough room to add a fourth bay.

Building Exterior
Exterior Walls: The overall condition of the exterior walls is fair. There is evidence of water leaks on the interior sections of the apparatus bays indicating the exterior walls are not secure.

Aprons: The overall condition of the aprons is fair. There are cracks noted in the concrete. There is not drainage in front of the apparatus bays Roof Drainage: Fair – Gutters along the front of the facility above the apparatus bays are leaking and causing the wood overhang to become rotted. The wood overhang on the rear of the facility was removed due to a similar issue.

Building Interior/Living Quarters
Overall The interior condition is fair.

Sleeping Quarters Poor – No sleeping quarters.

Restroom Facilities Poor – Two restroom facilities
Shower Facilities Poor – A single (unisex) shower is available and is located in the same room as the clothes washer.

Renovation Suitability Poor – Limited renovation availability Apparatus/Storage Areas
Apparatus Bays Three apparatus bays with enough depth for two apparatus PPE Storage Fair – All personal protective gear is stored in mobile racks in the apparatus bays
Exhaust System Good – Plymo-vent exhaust system is in place Decontamination Room None
Technical Systems
Plumbing: Fair Condition
Mechanical (HVAC): Fair Condition
Electrical: Building electric system has 6 circuit panels Lighting: Good Condition
Back-up Power: Generator is in place
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Storage is a significant issue for the fire department. Not only are some of the parking spaces being used to store equipment but also there are three 40’ steel storage containers being used to store equipment off site. In fact, these storage containers are located at the public works facility and need to be removed to allow additional storage for the public works department. Storage space at the fire station is non-existent as noted during the station tour with the personal protective equipment being stored on mobile racks and other equipment being stored along the walls of the apparatus bay.

The fire station does not have any capacity to house personnel for a 24-hour shift. While there are murphy beds in the training room that could be used for emergency staffing, other accommodations for showers and restrooms are not available. This issue would need to be remedied prior to any personnel staying or living at the station for a 24-hour period.

With the current configuration of the station and the property, there are a number of methods to address the issues noted in this assessment. However, each method has their own issues as noted in the following points:
• Adding a second floor to the existing structure for living quarters provided the current structure has the structural integrity for this addition. • Adding a fourth apparatus bay or storage area to Jewell Street side of the building, provided the required setbacks can be met.
• There is limited expandability of the station as some of the parking areas are being used by others within the city block.
• Redesign the facility by demolishing the building and rebuilding with a newer design in the space.

The city should acquire the services of a design professional familiar with the design of modern fire stations and the planning and zoning regulations as there may be other options available. This will assist the city with the decisions necessary to address the needs of the fire department and to have a facility capable of housing emergency crews on a 24-hour basis.

Recommendation:

Acquire the services of a design professional to provide alternatives to the city for alterations or redesign of the fire station to provide for the needs of the fire department and the housing of crew members.

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Financial Resources
This chapter provides an analysis of the financial resources required to provide emergency services to the city and includes a five-year projection.

Revenues
The city has a variety of revenue sources to support the operations of the city that include property taxes, sales taxes, use taxes, and transient occupancy taxes. For the past four year these taxes have increased an average of 2.5% annually. As illustrated in the following table the average annual changes vary between these various sources.

Revenue Summary 2019 – 2020
Actual
2022 – 2023
Adopted Budget
Average Annual
Change
Property Tax $2,820,051 $3,153,610 3.9%
Sales Tax $3,697,725 $4,957,800 11.4%
Use Tax $763,643 $817,200 2.3%
Transient Occupancy Tax $518,175 $400,000 -7.6%
Franchise Fee $336,738 $370,000 3.3%
Licenses & Permits $449,875 $345,600 -7.7%
Fines & Forfeitures $48,171 $13,000 -24.3%
Interest and Rents $237,347 $68,500 -23.7%
Intergovernmental $1,729,540 $938,950 -15.2%
Charges for Current Services $179,196 $124,900 -10.1%
Other Revenue $555,280 $77,000 -28.7%
Transfer In $4,493 $102,500 727.1%
Total Revenues $11,340,234 $11,369,060 0.1%
The total average annual change for the past four years is 0.1%. This will be used to provide a projection for the revenues for the city as illustrated in the following table. 2022 – 2023
Budget
2023 – 2024
Projection
2024 – 2025
Projection
2025 – 2026
Projection
2026 – 2027
Projection
2027 – 2028
Projection
Revenues $11,369,060 $11,378,693 $11,388,334 $11,397,984 $11,407,641 $11,417,307 As noted, the general fund revenues increased annually by 0.1% for the past four years.

Based on this past experience, the revenues for the 2027 – 2028 budget will be approximately $11,417,307.

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Expenditures
For the expenditures, the percentage change from 2021 – 2022 Estimated Actual to the 2022 – 2023 Adopted Budget was used. This was done to provide a more realistic financial projection.

Description 2021 - 2022
Estimated Actual
2022 - 2023
Adopted Budget
Pct.

Difference
Salaries $283,600 $311,400 9.8%
Overtime $500 $1,500 200.0%
Salaries - Part Time (Shift) $77,600 $77,200 -0.5%
Salaries - Part Time (Calls/Drills) $150,000 $150,000 0.0% Salaries - Part Time (Captain Weekends) $28,400 $28,800 1.4% Salaries - Part Time (Retention) $80,000 $80,000 0.0%
Benefits $193,800 $200,800 3.6%
Health In-Lieu $2,550 $2,550 0.0%
Accrual In-Lieu $0 $46,000 0.0%
Medicare + FICA $60,000 $60,000 0.0%
Retiree Health Insurance (OPEB) $4,300 $4,300 0.0%
Fire Service CSFA Award $4,200 $4,200 0.0%
Fire Disability Insurance $3,100 $3,200 3.2%
Contract Services $61,000 $68,000 11.5%
Office Supplies $2,000 $2,000 0.0%
Misc. Supplies & Services $33,000 $39,050 18.3%
Dues / Subscriptions $13,200 $13,500 2.3%
Equipment Maintenance $25,200 $25,000 -0.8%
Vehicle Maintenance $23,500 $27,500 17.0%
Vehicle Fuel $20,000 $25,500 27.5%
Meetings & Travel $9,000 $10,000 11.1%
Utilities - Gas & Electric $5,000 $5,000 0.0%
Utilities - City Use $3,000 $3,000 0.0%
Telecommunications $7,200 $7,700 6.9%
Allocated Liability Insurance $49,200 $57,600 17.1%
Allocated Workers' Comp Insurance $51,900 $59,700 15.0% Total Operations Expenditures $1,191,250 $1,313,500 10.3% To provide a more realistic increase in the operational expenditures, only a single year was evaluated. In the 2019 – 2020 budget, there were no expenditures shown for Accrual In-Lieu and for Vehicle Fuel. Including these line items in a four-year evaluation would have increased the average annual increase to 11.6% overall. Note b in the 2022 – 2023 adopted budget indicated a $40,000 one-time expenditure that also would have provided an inflated increase. This amount was removed for the purposes of this evaluation.

Likewise in 2020, there was an additional full-time employee added that created a 37% Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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increase in salaries. This addition increased the four-year annual average by approximately 10% that inflated the same four-year evaluation.

Using the 10.3% increase in operational expenditures, the following table illustrates the operational expenditures for the next five years.
2022 –
2023
Budget
2023 –
2024
Projection
2024 –
2025
Projection
2025 –
2026
Projection
2026 –
2027
Projection
2027 –
2028
Projection
Operations
Expenditures $1,313,500 $1,448,296 $1,596,925 $1,760,806 $1,941,506 $2,140,750 Using an annual increase of 10.3%, the operational expenditures will be approximately $2,140,750 in the 2027 – 2028 fiscal. This assumes there are no changes to the operations of the fire department.

Volunteer Stipends
Many fire departments and fire districts across the country provide a stipend to their volunteers, including the City of Sebastopol. It should be noted, there are Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations that must be followed in the dispersing of these stipends. A volunteer is defined as an individual that receives no compensation or is paid expenses, reasonable benefits, or a nominal fee to perform the services the individual volunteered to perform.

The following points are from an opinion letter written by the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor dated December 18, 2008, as it relates to the use of stipends:
• A public agency volunteer cannot receive any compensation, but may be paid “expenses, reasonable benefits, or a nominal fee, or any combination thereof”. • The regulations allow for volunteer firefighters to be paid a nominal fee even if paid on a “per call” or similar basis, as long as such payment is consistent with certain factors denoting the relative “sacrifice” of the volunteer. (listing among the factors to be considered: the distance traveled, and time and effort expended by the volunteer; whether the volunteer has agreed to be available around-the-clock; and whether the volunteer provides services throughout the year, even if those services are provided periodically).
• A nominal fee cannot be a substitute for compensation or tied to productivity. • The Department finds that the fee paid is (apart from expenses) nominal as long as it does not exceed 20 percent of the amount that otherwise would be required Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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to hire a permanent employee for the same services. For example, if a volunteer firefighter staffs the equivalent of three shifts during a month, the nominal fee should not exceed 20 percent of what it would cost to employ a firefighter to staff these three shifts.

The International Fire Chief’s Association (IAFC) posed several hypothetical scenarios to the Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL found the following payments may qualify as nominal fees.

Amount of
Payment Requirements Additional Payments Average Worked (Minimum) $1,200 per year
Regardless of number of
shifts or amount of time
spent responding to
calls
n/a 24 shifts and/or 60 hours
responding to calls per year
$100 per month
Regardless of number of
shifts or amount of time
spent responding to
calls
n/a 4 shifts and/or 8 hours
responding to calls per month
$100 per month
Minimum of 2 shifts
and/or 5 hours
responding to calls
$25 for each
additional shift over
4 and/or each
additional 2.5 hours
responding to calls
over 12 hours
n/a
$25 per 4-hour
block of time
Regardless of the
amount of time spent at
the station house or
responding to calls
n/a n/a
$20 per shift
Regardless of the length
of shift or amount of
time spent responding to
calls
n/a 6-hour shift and/or 2 hours
responding to calls per shift
$25
Minimum of 8 hours per
shift and/or 2.5 hours
responding to calls
$15 per shift that
exceeds 8 hours
and/or 5 or more
hours responding to
calls
n/a
$15,000 annual fee n/a n/a 3,000 hours waiting and
responding to calls per year*
$20 per shift
Regardless of the length
of shift or amount of
time spent responding to
calls
Fee increases by $1
per shift for each
year with a
minimum of 12
shifts**
n/a
* Fair Labor Standards found that the payment of $15,000 annually may qualify as nominal under the 20% rule but also observed that 3,000 hours of service or 57 hours a week is an excessive number of hours for an individual to be considered a volunteer.

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The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) posed these hypothetical scenarios to obtain guidance in the application of the Department of Labor (DOL) rules and regulations pertaining to stipends for volunteer firefighters. This table should not be considered as a final determination from the DOL in the application of their rules and regulations. While it does provide guidance in the application of these rules and regulations, it remains the responsibility of the fire departments and fire districts to ensure they are in compliance.

In Sebastopol, volunteer staff positions are paid a $200 stipend for an 8-hour shift at the fire station. Off-duty volunteer firefighters that respond to specified calls are paid a $15 stipend per 2-hour response, any calls over the 2-hour response is paid $20.00 per hour labeled as overtime in the following table. The table below outlines the stipends paid to the volunteer staff.

Rank Fire Calls Fire Drills Fire Shifts
Firefighter $15.00 $15.00 $200
Captain $15.00 $18.00 $200
Captain Weekend standby $500.00
Assistant Chief $15.00 $20.00 $200
Extended Call Time $20.00
In addition to the stipends paid in accordance with the above table, the department funds an additional $20,000 per quarter ($80k per year) retention stipend that is paid quarterly, based upon the number of emergency responses. This funding originally began as a FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant at $100,000 per year. The funding was discontinued in 2015, however was reinstated to enhance recruitment and retention.

The rule stipulates that any stipend for volunteer personnel cannot exceed 20% of the cost for a full-time employee, the regulations do not consider overtime or benefits of the full-time employee in the calculation. Stipend payments to volunteer members must also consider any benefits provided to the member such as life insurance, retirement or other such benefits. While the use of stipends is legal and permitted, fire districts and fire departments should be careful not to use stipends in lieu of a regular salary which could violate the regulations.

Within the fire department there is a single career position that performs duties similar to a volunteer staff member. Using the annual pay from the most current pay rate approved by the city council, the Step A annual rate for this position is $71,549. Applying the 20% rule from the FLSA rules means the volunteer staff member may only be paid $14,309 per year. This is just under the $15,000 annual fee noted in the previous table.

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A part of the response to the wildfires in California includes the response from various cities and fire districts across the state. In return, the state pays a fee for the rental of the apparatus and pays for those that respond with that apparatus. The city receives the pay for the personnel from the state and passes that to the personnel. The following table illustrates the volunteer stipends paid to the personnel for work in the city, the monies paid as a part of the wildfire response, and the total for each volunteer staff member.

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2019 2020 2021 2022 4 year
Staff Sebastopol Total Outside
Services
2019
Total Sebastopol OutsideServices
2020
Total Sebastopol OutsideServices
2021
Total Sebastopol OutsideServices
2022
Total
4 $19,050 $11,344 $30,394 $27,066 $46,999 $74,065 $30,089 $50,376 $80,465 $33,114 $33,114 $218,038 24 $6,021 $41,748 $47,769 $6,891 $59,507 $66,398 $9,218 $63,321 $72,539 $5,471 $24,438 $29,909 $216,615 33 $27,772 $6,057 $33,829 $31,160 $24,844 $56,004 $27,299 $46,008 $73,307 $30,359 $20,908 $51,267 $214,407 32 $25,542 $25,547 $51,089 $26,925 $4,725 $31,650 $25,327 $30,381 $55,708 $31,186 $24,335 $55,521 $193,968 9 $4,235 $4,235 $32,341 $38,607 $70,948 $33,434 $16,988 $50,422 $35,582 $14,082 $49,664 $175,269 29 $16,757 $11,063 $27,820 $18,000 $41,082 $59,082 $22,532 $22,689 $45,221 $24,880 $14,082 $38,962 $171,085 18 $17,886 $9,338 $27,224 $20,852 $26,644 $47,496 $18,615 $18,615 $10,873 $10,873 $104,208 34 $22,122 $3,150 $25,272 $19,388 $8,719 $28,107 $15,141 $4,691 $19,832 $16,592 $16,592 $89,803 11 $20,189 $20,189 $15,293 $2,250 $17,543 $17,290 $17,290 $19,276 $19,276 $74,298 30 $10,600 $10,600 $10,270 $20,344 $30,614 $8,571 $13,039 $21,610 $7,750 $7,750 $70,574 3 $16,976 $16,976 $14,315 $14,315 $13,868 $13,868 $15,233 $15,233 $60,392 2 $7,005 $7,005 $7,436 $2,700 $10,136 $12,028 $20,307 $32,335 $7,975 $7,975 $57,451 6 $19,640 $1,800 $21,440 $14,889 $900 $15,789 $2,939 $2,939 $5,090 $5,090 $45,258 27 $2,530 $2,530 $6,089 $6,089 $9,670 $9,670 $24,653 $24,653 $42,942 8 $13,155 $13,155 $12,596 $12,596 $10,192 $10,192 $5,569 $5,569 $41,512 20 $2,451 $2,451 $26,510 $26,510 $11,867 $11,867 $72 $72 $40,900 23 $13,952 $10,153 $24,105 $8,338 $8,338 $4,683 $4,683 $2,211 $2,211 $39,337 1 $14,203 $10,153 $24,356 $3,992 $3,992 $3,474 $3,474 $5,631 $5,631 $37,453 28 $18,873 $2,250 $21,123 $13,309 $900 $14,209 $0 $0 $0 $0 $35,332 16 $10,229 $6,432 $16,661 $5,314 $900 $6,214 $2,226 $2,226 $2,676 $2,676 $27,777 21 $18,032 $2,250 $20,282 $5,562 $5,562 $668 $668 $1,226 $1,226 $27,738 10 $9,715 $5,400 $15,115 $5,260 $5,260 $3,683 $3,683 $1,314 $1,314 $25,372 26 $9,588 $9,588 $9,222 $9,222 $4,592 $4,592 $0 $0 $23,402 22 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $13,687 $13,687 $13,687
12 $2,917 $2,917 $4,256 $900 $5,156 $1,939 $1,939 $1,456 $1,456 $11,468 31 $3,511 $3,511 $2,550 $2,550 $1,575 $1,575 $1,875 $1,875 $9,511 19 $7,356 $7,356 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $7,356
5 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $6,679 $6,679 $6,679
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13 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $4,800 14 $3,842 $3,842 $728 $728 $146 $146 $0 $0 $4,716
15 $3,187 $3,187 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $3,187
7 $415 $415 $167 $167 $0 $0 $0 $0 $582
17 $463 $463 $28 $28 $0 $0 $0 $0 $491
25 $0 $0 $0 $0 $203 $203 $0 $0 $203
$349,414 $146,685 $496,099 $349,947 $280,021 $629,968 $292,469 $267,800 $560,269 $311,630 $97,845 $409,475 $2,095,811 Based on the stipend pay received from Sebastopol, eight of the volunteer members are over $15,000 for the year 2021 and nine are over $15,000 for the year 2022. In terms of total compensation, eleven volunteer members are over $15,000 for the year 2021 and ten are over $15,000 for the year 2022. Over the past four years, eleven volunteer members have averaged over $15,000 per year.

With the pay from California for the response to wildfires being passed through the city, it is unclear how this may impact the rules of the Fair Labor Standards Act. If those payment are exempt from the FLSA rules, there are still a number of volunteer members that are exceeding the $15,000 limit and the 20% rule for career employees. In any instance, the city should engage professional assistance to address the Fair Labor Standards Act and the pay issues involving the stipends being paid to the volunteer staff of the fire department.

Recommendation:

The city should engage a workforce specialist with expertise in stipend pay systems and the Fair Labor Standards Act to provide guidance on the use of stipend funds and related volunteer pay systems.

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Emergency Services Alternatives – Enhanced Status Quo
The current delivery of emergency services in the City of Sebastopol utilizes a career Fire Chief, a career Engineer, with the balance of the staffing being volunteer. Resources for the city are housed and respond from a single fire station with automatic and mutual aid available from the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District and the Graton Fire Protection District.

Emergency Service System Performance
Response time has three components, call processing, turnout time, and travel time. As noted in a previous chapter, the fire department does not have control over the call processing time as that is controlled by REDCOM. Travel time is not controllable by the fire department as it is primarily a result of resource location. Turnout time is a controllable component within the response time continuum. The following table illustrates the response time components for the past three years for the Sebastopol Fire Department.

All Emergency Calls –
90th Percentile Times
2019 –
2021 2019 2020 2021
Call Processing 1:33 1:26 1:34 1:36
Turnout Time
Medical Calls 5:40 5:15 5:41 6:09
Fire Calls 5:47 5:07 5:52 6:05
Travel Time 3:16 3:02 3:15 3:28
Total FD Response 7:51 7:22 7:48 8:35
Total Response 9:46 8:54 9:47 10:30
The Total Fire Department Response illustrated in the previous table represents the response time from the time the fire department receives the call until the first Sebastopol fire unit arrives. For example, in 2021 the fire department responded to the call in 8 minutes and 35 seconds 90% of the time.

The Total Response provides the perspective of the caller measuring the time from when the call is placed until the first Sebastopol fire unit arrives. In 2021, the residents experienced a response time of 10 minutes and 30 seconds for 90% of the calls.

Enhancing System Performance
Turnout time is a component of the response time continuum that is controllable by the fire department. However, with a volunteer staffing model this time is not as controllable as the system relies on the availability of personnel to respond from outside the station.

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Staffing a unit at the station will reduce the turnout time and the overall response time as the personnel will be at the station and not responding from home.

Within the current system, the city provides an Engineer (career position) on a Monday through Thursday schedule. There is 1 volunteer stipend position seven days a week for an eight-hour shift that is paid a $200 stipend at an annual cost of $73,000. This system relies on a second person to respond to the call for service during the daytime hours.

The addition of a staffed unit will reduce the turnout time and improve the overall response time to calls for service. The following table compares the turnout time between the Sebastopol Fire Department and the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District.

Turnout Time –
90th Percentile Times
2019 –
2021 2019 2020 2021
Sebastopol
Medical Calls 5:40 5:15 5:41 6:09
Fire Calls 5:47 5:07 5:52 6:05
Gold Ridge Medical Calls 2:48 2:54 2:38 2:51
Fire Calls 2:02 2:08 1:47 2:15
As noted previously, the NFPA does not provide a turnout time performance objective for volunteer (unstaffed) companies or stations. The intent for this comparison is not to disparage a volunteer (unstaffed) system. In a volunteer system the personnel respond from home to the fire station to get the apparatus before responding to the call for service. This extends the turnout time, and it is what is expected of that type of staffing model. It is shown here to illustrate the effect a staffed station can have on the overall response time continuum.

Twenty-Four Hour Staffing
Improving the performance of the existing fire department will necessitate the addition of a staffed unit in the fire station. The staffed unit would be staffed 24 hours a day for 365 days a year. This can be accomplished using volunteer personnel.

As noted, there is a stipend volunteer during the day that receives $200 for an eight-hour shift that translates to $25 per hour. In this staffing model, using the existing shift stipend a 24-hour shift with three personnel per shift would cost the city $1,800 per shift. Annually this cost would be $657,000 for shift staffing. This model would allow for the staffed unit to handle a large number of the calls thereby reducing the need for additional personnel to respond and reducing the cost of these responses. The following table illustrates the cost for staffing a 24-hour shift.

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Proposed 24 Hour Shift $657,000
Part Time Salaries (Shift) (Three Year Avg.) $80,726
Sub-Total $576,274
Single Company Calls (Three Year Avg.) $36,450
Total Net Increase $539,824
In the previous table the part-time salaries for the shift are an average of two years of actual expenditures and the estimated actual for 2021 – 2022 fiscal year. Medical calls, auto accidents, hazardous conditions, service calls, and good intent call were considered single company calls. Based on three years of data, an average of 810 calls were used with an average of 3 personnel at $15 per call was used to establish the cost. As illustrated, the cost to deliver services using a 24-hour staffing model would increase the current cost by approximately $539,824.

Considering the FLSA requirements, to maintain each stipend volunteer member under $14,000 per year there will need to be additional volunteer staff added to the fire department. Recall the $14,000 annual stipend is approximately 20% of Step A of the base pay for the career Engineer.
$657,000 (Total Cost) = 46.92 Volunteer Staff Members $14,000 (Annual Stipend Ceiling) To keep each of the stipend volunteer members at or under the $14,000 FLSA ceiling, the system will need approximately 47 volunteer members just to serve the 24-hour staffing model. Additional volunteer staff will be needed to provide support and add to the response capability of the fire department. Although these may change based on a review and recommendations from a workforce and pay specialist. To acquire the additional volunteer staff needed to staff the station, the city would likely need to go outside the city and recruit non-resident volunteers.

Financial Impacts
In a previous chapter the financial resources were analyzed and a projection for the fire department was included. The following table provides a five-year projection based on a 24-hour staffed unit using stipend volunteer personnel.

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Financial Resources Projection – 24 Hour Stipend Volunteer Staffing Line Item
2022 – 2023
Adopted
Budget
2023 – 2024
Projection
2024 – 2025
Projection
2025 – 2026
Projection
2026 – 2027
Projection
2027 – 2028
Projection
Salaries $311,400 $341,925 $375,442 $412,245 $452,656 $497,028 Overtime $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500
Salaries - Part Time (Shift) $77,200 $657,000 $657,000 $657,000 $657,000 $657,000 Salaries - Part Time (Calls/Drills) $150,000 $113,550 $113,550 $113,550 $113,550 $113,550 Salaries Part Time (Captain Weekends) $28,800 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Salaries - Part Time (Retention) $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 Total Salaries Expenditures $648,900 $1,193,975 $1,227,492 $1,264,295 $1,304,706 $1,349,078 Benefits $200,800 $208,053 $215,568 $223,354 $231,421 $239,780 Health in-Lieu $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 Accrual In -Lieu $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 Medicare / FICA $60,000 $26,272 $28,836 $31,652 $34,743 $38,137 Retiree Health Insurance (OPEB) $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 Total Personnel Expenditures $962,550 $1,481,150 $1,524,746 $1,572,151 $1,623,720 $1,679,845 Fire Service CSFA Award $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 Fire Disability Insurance $3,200 $3,303 $3,410 $3,520 $3,633 $3,751 Contract Services $68,000 $75,803 $84,502 $94,199 $105,009 $117,059 Office Supplies $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 Misc. Supplies and Services $39,050 $46,209 $54,681 $64,706 $76,568 $90,606 Dues/Subscriptions $13,500 $13,807 $14,121 $14,442 $14,770 $15,105 Equipment Maintenance $25,000 $24,802 $24,605 $24,409 $24,216 $24,024 Vehicle Maintenance $27,500 $32,181 $37,658 $44,068 $51,569 $60,347 Vehicle Fuel $25,500 $32,513 $41,453 $52,853 $67,388 $85,919 Meetings/Travel $10,000 $11,111 $12,346 $13,717 $15,242 $16,935 Utilities - Gas and Electric $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 Utilities - City Use $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 Telecommunications $7,700 $8,235 $8,807 $9,418 $10,072 $10,772 Allocated Liability Insurance $57,600 $67,434 $78,947 $92,426 $108,206 $126,680 Allocated Workers' Comp Insurance $59,700 $68,672 $78,993 $90,865 $104,521 $120,229 Total Supplies and Maintenance $350,950 $398,270 $453,722 $518,823 $595,394 $685,627 Total Operational Expenditures $1,313,500 $1,879,420 $1,978,469 $2,090,974 $2,219,114 $2,365,472 Existing Fire Department Projection $1,313,500 $1,448,296 $1,596,925 $1,760,806 $1,941,506 $2,140,750 Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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There are a couple of items that need to be addressed from the previous table. Recall the contract services line item had a one-time cost assessed. This was eliminated to provide a realistic projection. The part-time shift salaries increased significantly, however; the weekend duty officer was eliminated as the staffed unit would have an officer assigned to the unit. The Medicare/FICA rate is 7.65% of salaries and there are no taxes taken from the stipend payments, so this amount was reduced in the projection.

Staffing Challenges
There is a challenge for this staffing model that is the condition of the fire station. The facilities are not adequate to house personnel for a 24-hour period. The use of a modular trailer to create a temporary living space for the 24-hour personnel is an option. This is a unit that would be placed outside in the parking lot to provide living space while the conditions of the fire station are addressed. This option also presents issues such as using existing parking spaces exacerbating the existing lack of parking spaces. The cost for this option will vary depending on the size and configuration of the trailer as well as any utilities that will be required to make it habitable.

Sixteen Hour Staffing
Another option would be to provide a staffed unit for less than a 24-hour period. As illustrated in the following graph the busiest hours of the day begin at the 8 am hour and slowing at the 10 pm hour.
0 50
100
150
200
250
12 am 3 am 6 am 9 am 12 pm 3 pm 6 pm 9 pm
2019- 2021 Calls by Time of Day
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Adding a staffed unit for the 16-hour period, from 7 am through 10 pm, would provide an immediate response to calls for service during that part of the day that has the heaviest call volume. Volunteer staff would then handle those calls overnight and supplement the daytime crews for those calls requiring additional resources. It would also reduce the volunteer response to those single company calls such as medical calls. This staffing model would eliminate the need for temporary facilities and improve the provision of services to a large portion of the calls for service.

The second option includes staffing for 16 hours per day at a cost of $400 per stipend volunteer firefighter and staffing a unit with three personnel would be $1,200 per shift.

Annually this cost would be $438,000 for shift staffing.

In this staffing model, using the existing shift stipend a 16-hour shift with three personnel per shift would cost the city $1,200 per 16 hour shift. Annually this cost would be $438,000 for shift staffing. As with the 24-hour staffing model this would allow for the staffed unit to handle a large number of the calls thereby reducing the need for additional personnel to respond and reducing the cost of these responses. The following table illustrates the cost for staffing a 16-hour shift.

Proposed 16 Hour Shift $438,000
Part Time Salaries (Shift) (Three Year Avg.) $80,726
Sub-Total $357,274
Single Company Calls (Three Year Avg.) $31,365
Total Net Increase $325,909
In the previous table the part-time salaries for the shift are an average of two years of actual expenditures and the estimated actual for 2021 – 2022 fiscal year. Medical calls, auto accidents, hazardous conditions, service calls, and good intent call were considered single company calls. Based on three years of data, an average of 697 calls were used with an average of 3 personnel at $15 per call was used to establish the cost. Only those calls between 7 am and 10 pm were considered. As illustrated, the cost to deliver services using a 16-hour staffing model would increase the cost by approximately $325,909.

Considering the FLSA requirements, to maintain each stipend volunteer member under $14,000 per year there will need to be additional volunteer staff added to the fire department. Recall the $14,000 annual stipend is approximately 20% of Step A of the base pay for the career Engineer.
$438,000 (Total Cost) = 31.28 Volunteer Staff Members $14,000 (Annual Stipend Ceiling) To keep each of the stipend volunteer members at or under the $14,000 FLSA ceiling, the system will need approximately 32 volunteer members just to serve the 16-hour staffing Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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model. Additional volunteer staff will be needed to provide support and add to the response capability of the fire department. Although these may change based on a review and recommendations from a workforce and pay specialist. To acquire the additional volunteer staff needed to staff the station, the city would likely need to go outside the city and recruit non-resident volunteers.

It should be noted in the previous two tables only the personnel costs for the staffing of the response apparatus are considered. Staffing a single apparatus with three stipend personnel allows the current Engineer to focus on risk reduction activities. As well the fire station renovation and fire apparatus replacement costs will need to be addressed. These costs do not change.

Financial Impacts
In a previous chapter the financial resources were analyzed and a projection for the fire department was included. The following table provides a five-year projection based on a 16-hour staffed unit using stipend volunteer personnel.

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Financial Resources Projection – 16 Hour Stipend Volunteer Staffing Line Item
2022 – 2023
Adopted
Budget
2023 – 2024
Projection
2024 – 2025
Projection
2025 – 2026
Projection
2026 – 2027
Projection
2027 – 2028
Projection
Salaries $311,400 $341,925 $375,442 $412,245 $452,656 $497,028 Overtime $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500
Salaries - Part Time (Shift) $77,200 $438,000 $438,000 $438,000 $438,000 $438,000 Salaries - Part Time (Calls/Drills) $150,000 $118,635 $118,635 $118,635 $118,635 $118,635 Salaries Part Time (Captain Weekends) $28,800 $28,800 $28,800 $28,800 $28,800 $28,800 Salaries - Part Time (Retention) $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 Total Salaries Expenditures $648,900 $1,008,860 $1,042,377 $1,079,180 $1,119,591 $1,163,963 Benefits $200,800 $208,053 $215,568 $223,354 $231,421 $239,780 Health in-Lieu $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 Accrual In -Lieu $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 Medicare / FICA $60,000 $26,272 $28,836 $31,652 $34,743 $38,137 Retiree Health Insurance (OPEB) $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 Total Personnel Expenditures $962,550 $1,296,035 $1,339,631 $1,387,036 $1,438,605 $1,494,730 Fire Service CSFA Award $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 Fire Disability Insurance $3,200 $3,303 $3,410 $3,520 $3,633 $3,751 Contract Services $68,000 $75,803 $84,502 $94,199 $105,009 $117,059 Office Supplies $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 Misc. Supplies and Services $39,050 $46,209 $54,681 $64,706 $76,568 $90,606 Dues/Subscriptions $13,500 $13,807 $14,121 $14,442 $14,770 $15,105 Equipment Maintenance $25,000 $24,802 $24,605 $24,409 $24,216 $24,024 Vehicle Maintenance $27,500 $32,181 $37,658 $44,068 $51,569 $60,347 Vehicle Fuel $25,500 $32,513 $41,453 $52,853 $67,388 $85,919 Meetings/Travel $10,000 $11,111 $12,346 $13,717 $15,242 $16,935 Utilities - Gas and Electric $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 Utilities - City Use $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 Telecommunications $7,700 $8,235 $8,807 $9,418 $10,072 $10,772 Allocated Liability Insurance $57,600 $67,434 $78,947 $92,426 $108,206 $126,680 Allocated Workers' Comp Insurance $59,700 $68,672 $78,993 $90,865 $104,521 $120,229 Total Supplies and Maintenance $350,950 $398,270 $453,722 $518,823 $595,394 $685,627 Total Operational Expenditures $1,313,500 $1,694,305 $1,793,354 $1,905,859 $2,033,999 $2,180,357 Existing Fire Department Projection $1,313,500 $1,448,296 $1,596,925 $1,760,806 $1,941,506 $2,140,750 Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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There are a couple of items that need to be addressed from the previous table. Recall the contract services line item had a one-time cost assessed. This was eliminated to provide a realistic projection. The part-time shift salaries increased significantly, however the weekend duty officer was maintained unlike the 24-hour staffing model. The Medicare/FICA rate is 7.65% of salaries and there are no taxes taken from the stipend payments so this amount was reduced in the projection.

Combination System
A combination fire department is another option to enhance the current operations of the fire department. In this option, career personnel would be introduced to the operational aspects of the department with stipend volunteer personnel to supplement the staffed unit and any responses requiring additional support.

Job classifications and pay rates for the fire department are limited to the Fire Chief and Engineer with other positions considered stipend employees. Pay classifications between the city and Gold Ridge Fire Protection District are similar for the position of Engineer. The city has a base salary of $71,549 for step A and the district has a base salary of $73,642 for step one.

For this evaluation, the assumption for scheduling is 24-hour coverage, three 24-hour shifts. Second, using the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District pay scales provides a reasonable salary range for compensation. For the purposes of this evaluation, Step 1 of the pay scales will be used to illustrate the personnel costs. Finally, each shift will be supervised by a Captain, using the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District staffing model. The following table illustrates the cost for a Captain and an Engineer.

Captain Engineer
Step 1 Base Pay $89,527 $73,642
Scheduled OT $2,391 $1,967
PERS $23,991 $19,734
Health $23,000 $23,000
Dental/Vision $2,000 $2,000
Medicare $1,333 $1,096
Disability $1,000 $1,000
W Comp $9,546 $7,852
Total Cost $152,787 $130,291
For purposes of this evaluation, PERS is calculated at 26.1%, Medicare is 1.45% and workers compensation is calculated at 10.4% of the base pay and scheduled OT.

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Staffing for the 24 hours shifts will require 3 full-time personnel in each position for a total of 6 full-time personnel. To complete the staffing model, a stipend volunteer would be used for each shift at a cost of $200 per shift for an annual cost of $73,000.

Position Number of Personnel Cost per Person Total Cost Captain 3 $152,787 $458,361
Engineer 3 $130,291 $390,873
Stipend Volunteer $200 $73,000
Total Cost $922,234
This represents the base cost for a three person staffed unit. It does not address any overtime that may be needed due to sick leave or other forms of leave such as vacation.

With the $73,000 for the stipend volunteer, the number of volunteer staff members is reduced.
$73,000 (Total Cost) = 5.21 Volunteer Staff Members $14,000 (Annual Stipend Ceiling) To keep each of the stipend volunteer members at or under the $14,000 FLSA ceiling, the system will need approximately 6 volunteer members just to serve the 24 hour combination staffing model. With the current 30 staff members on the roster, this would allow for the stipend volunteers to fill in as needed for leave time and to provide support for those incidents where additional personnel are needed. Although these may change based on a review and recommendations from a workforce and pay specialist.

Staffing Challenges
The challenge for this staffing model is the same as the 24-hour stipend volunteer option and that is the condition of the fire station. The facilities are not adequate to house personnel for a 24-hour period. The use of a modular trailer to create a temporary living space for the 24-hour personnel is an option. This is a unit that would be placed outside in the parking lot to provide living space while the conditions of the fire station are addressed. This option also presents issues such as using existing parking spaces exacerbating the existing lack of parking spaces. The cost for this option will vary depending on the size and configuration of the trailer as well as any utilities that will be required to make it habitable.

Financial Comparison
In a previous chapter the financial resources were analyzed and a projection for the fire department was included. The following table provides a five-year projection based on a combination staffing model using career and volunteer personnel.

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Financial Resources Projection – Combination Staffing Model Line Item
2022 – 2023
Adopted
Budget
2023 – 2024
Projection
2024 – 2025
Projection
2025 – 2026
Projection
2026 – 2027
Projection
2027 – 2028
Projection
Salaries $311,400 $813,981 $893,772 $981,384 $1,077,585 $1,183,215 Overtime $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500
Salaries - Part Time (Shift) $77,200 $73,000 $73,000 $73,000 $73,000 $73,000 Salaries - Part Time (Calls/Drills) $150,000 $113,550 $113,550 $113,550 $113,550 $113,550 Salaries Part Time (Captain Weekends) $28,800 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Salaries - Part Time (Retention) $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 $80,000 Total Salaries Expenditures $648,900 $1,082,031 $1,161,822 $1,249,434 $1,345,635 $1,451,265 Benefits $200,800 $487,975 $505,601 $523,863 $542,784 $562,390 Health in-Lieu $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 $2,550 Accrual In -Lieu $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 $46,000 Medicare / FICA $60,000 $62,384 $68,488 $75,191 $82,550 $90,631 Retiree Health Insurance (OPEB) $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 $4,300 Total Personnel Expenditures $962,550 $1,685,240 $1,788,761 $1,901,337 $2,023,819 $2,157,136 Fire Service CSFA Award $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 $4,200 Fire Disability Insurance $3,200 $3,303 $3,410 $3,520 $3,633 $3,751 Contract Services $68,000 $75,803 $84,502 $94,199 $105,009 $117,059 Office Supplies $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 Misc. Supplies and Services $39,050 $46,209 $54,681 $64,706 $76,568 $90,606 Dues/Subscriptions $13,500 $13,807 $14,121 $14,442 $14,770 $15,105 Equipment Maintenance $25,000 $24,802 $24,605 $24,409 $24,216 $24,024 Vehicle Maintenance $27,500 $32,181 $37,658 $44,068 $51,569 $60,347 Vehicle Fuel $25,500 $32,513 $41,453 $52,853 $67,388 $85,919 Meetings/Travel $10,000 $11,111 $12,346 $13,717 $15,242 $16,935 Utilities - Gas and Electric $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 Utilities - City Use $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 Telecommunications $7,700 $8,235 $8,807 $9,418 $10,072 $10,772 Allocated Liability Insurance $57,600 $67,434 $78,947 $92,426 $108,206 $126,680 Allocated Workers' Comp Insurance $59,700 $68,672 $78,993 $90,865 $104,521 $120,229 Total Supplies and Maintenance $350,950 $398,270 $453,722 $518,823 $595,394 $685,627 Total Operational Expenditures $1,313,500 $2,083,510 $2,242,483 $2,420,161 $2,619,213 $2,842,763 Existing Fire Department Projection $1,313,500 $1,448,296 $1,596,925 $1,760,806 $1,941,506 $2,140,750 Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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There are a couple of items that need to be addressed from the previous table. Recall the contract services line item had a one-time cost assessed. This was eliminated to provide a realistic projection. The salaries increased significantly, and part-time shift salaries were reduced. The weekend duty officer was eliminated as the staffed unit would have an officer assigned to the unit. The Medicare/FICA rate is 7.65% of salaries and there are no taxes taken from the stipend payments, so this amount was reduced in the projection.

Moving from the current delivery system to a combination department with career and volunteer staff would increase the operations cost by $720,449 per year. The current cost of the fire department represents approximately 11.7% of the revenues. The cost of a combination fire department represents approximately 18% of the revenues, an increase of 6.3%. For comparison, public works represents 12.3% and the police department represents approximately 51% of the revenues.

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Emergency Services Alternatives – Consolidation
In February 2022, the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District provided information for the consolidation of the Sebastopol Fire Department and the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. The document recommended a staffed station in Sebastopol with a Captain, an Engineer, and a stipend volunteer providing 24-hour staffing.

Emergency Services System Performance
As discussed in a previous section, the current delivery system for emergency services in the city responds from a single station located in the city. Automatic and mutual aid is available from Gold Ridge Fire Protection District and the Graton Fire Protection District.

The proposed consolidation does not change the response to calls for service as the resources will remain in the same locations and the automatic and mutual aid will remain the same. Also, as noted in a previous chapter, a staffed station will improve the response time by reducing the turnout time. The following table illustrates the difference between an unstaffed station and a staffed station.

All Emergency Calls –
90th Percentile Times
2019 -
2021 2019 2020 2021
Turnout Time - Sebastopol
Medical Calls 5:40 5:15 5:41 6:09
Fire Calls 5:47 5:07 5:52 6:05
Turnout Time – Gold Ridge
Medical Calls 2:48 2:54 2:38 2:51
Fire Calls 2:02 2:08 1:47 2:15
It should be noted that NFPA does not provide a turnout time performance objective for volunteer (unstaffed) companies or stations. The intent for illustrating unstaffed units is not to disparage a volunteer (unstaffed) system. In a volunteer system the personnel respond from home to the fire station to get the apparatus before responding to the call for service. This extends the turnout times, and it is what is expected of that type of staffing model. It is shown here simply to show the contrast between the two staffing models.

Financial Resources
Gold Ridge Fire Protection District provided a detailed estimate of the revenues and expenditures for the operations in Sebastopol.

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Revenue
Gold Ridge is supported by property taxes within their district. The following table provides the highlights of the property taxes assessed in Gold Ridge.

Year Passed Tax Notes
Property Tax 1992 $5.00 per unit of risk A typical residential home is 4 units of risk
Measure O 2008 $45.00 per parcel Applies only to improved parcels.

Measure E 2019 Residential: $200 per Assessors
Parcel Number plus $100 per
additional unit.

Commercial: $300 per Assessors
Parcel Number plus $0.14 per
square foot.

Pasture Land: $50
Agricultural and Vacant Land: $100
per Parcel
Based on the above tax rates, a typical single-family home in Sebastopol would be assessed $265.00 on an annual basis. According to the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District the city would generate approximately $1,111,058 in property tax revenue using the tax measures outlined in the previous table.

Included in their estimate is the need for the city to continue to contribute to the cost of providing emergency services. Gold Ridge suggests the use of a fixed percentage of the revenues of the city. There is no percentage suggested but rather indicates this should be negotiable based on financial needs. To provide context for the percentage of total revenues as suggested, the following table illustrates the current fire department total expenditures expressed as a percentage of total revenues.

Line Item 2019 – 2020
Actual
2020 – 2021
Actual
2021 – 2022
Estimated
2022 – 2023
Adopted Budget
Total Revenues $11,340,234 $11,217,327 $11,996,837 $11,369,060 Fire Department
Expenditures $1,024,444 $1,158,718 $1,191,250 $1,360,250 Fire Department Percent
of Total Revenues 9.0% 10.3% 9.9% 12.0%
As illustrated, the fire department currently averages approximately 11% of the total revenues of the city. Using the average 11% of total revenues and the anticipated revenue Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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generated from the new property taxes, the combined revenues for emergency services is approximately $2,361,655.

Expenditures
The proposed staffing model from Gold Ridge is to staff the Sebastopol Fire Station with four career Captains, three career Engineers, and a stipend volunteer. This would create a three-person unit on a 24 hour basis 365 days a year. The proposed cost to provide this staffing is highlighted in the following table.

Position Annual Cost
Captains $646,751
Engineers $365,662
Stipend Volunteers $85,162
Total Cost $1,097,575
Operationally, the Fire Chief and on-duty Battalion Chief would be available for emergency response, management, and recovery.

A part of the estimate included the maintenance of the fleet, both preventive maintenance and repairs. The estimate indicated the district would provide the service but did not provide a cost to provide the service. Also included was a replacement schedule that included a financing quote for a $3M loan for apparatus. The payments were quoted at $486,066.11 annually for seven years at an interest rate of 3.25%.

For the facility, Gold Ridge indicated the district would provide normal maintenance items and repairs. However, any alteration and improvements over $15,000 would be the responsibility of the city. The district defines capital improvements as any single project with a cost that exceeds $15,000.

In terms of administration and fire prevention, the estimate includes the use of the current Gold Ridge administration staff of three administrative employees. In Sebastopol there is an Engineer that is assigned to a 40-hour work week to handle fire prevention activities.

This employee would remain in Sebastopol reporting to a Battalion Chief in charge of fire prevention in Gold Ridge.

The estimate is not clear on the anticipated funding for several items. These items are listed below:
• Maintenance costs for apparatus
• Maintenance costs for facilities
• Operational costs for the Chief Officers
• Operational costs for the administrative staff
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It is clear that apparatus and capital costs over $15,000 are not included and would be the responsibility of the City. These items would need to be negotiated or at the very least identified as expenditures to ensure there is sufficient revenues to provide these services.

According to this estimate the only identified cost is that of the station personnel.

Financial Context and Projections
To summarize the revenues and expenditures, the following table illustrates these revenues and costs.

Item Notes Amount
Revenue
Gold Ridge Tax Revenue Gold Ridge Estimate $1,111,057
Sebastopol Contribution 11% of Annual Revenue $1,250,597 Total Revenues $2,361,655
Expenditures
Personnel Cost Gold Ridge Estimate $1,097,574
Other Expenditures Forced Difference of Revenues $1,250,597 Total Expenditures $2,361,655
Gold Ridge Fire Protection District tax revenues increased 1.2% from 2020 – 2021 fiscal year to the 2021 - 2022 fiscal year. Using this rate of increase and the 11% of the annual revenue for the city, the following table provides a projection of the revenues for consolidation.
2022 -
2023
Estimate
2023 -
2024
Projection
2024 -
2025
Projection
2025 -
2026
Projection
2026 -
2027
Projection
2027 -
2028
Projection
Gold Ridge
Tax Revenue $1,111,057 $1,124,437 $1,137,978 $1,151,682 $1,165,552 $1,179,588 Sebastopol
Contribution $1,250,597 $1,251,656 $1,252,717 $1,253,778 $1,254,841 $1,255,904 Total
Revenues $2,361,654 $2,376,093 $2,390,695 $2,405,461 $2,420,392 $2,435,492 For the expenditure projection, the salaries and benefits from the estimate will be used as the starting point. Gold Ridge Fire Protection District salaries and benefits increased

2.1% from 2020 – 2021 fiscal year to the 2021 - 2022 fiscal year. For the remaining expenditures, the average between the city and the fire district will be used. For the city this totaled $226,250 and for the fire district the total is $690,334. This means the average is $458,292. For the purposes of this projection, a 10.3% annual increase will be used that represents the rate for the city.

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2022 -
2023
Proposed
2023 -
2024
Projection
2024 -
2025
Projection
2025 -
2026
Projection
2026 -
2027
Projection
2027 -
2028
Projection
Compensation $1,097,575 $1,110,793 $1,124,170 $1,137,707 $1,151,408 $1,165,274 Other Expenses $458,292 $505,496 $557,562 $614,991 $678,335 $748,204 Total
Expenditures $1,555,867 $1,616,289 $1,681,732 $1,752,699 $1,829,744 $1,913,478 The following table illustrates the difference between the revenues and expenditures. 2022 -
2023
Proposed
2023 -
2024
Projection
2024 -
2025
Projection
2025 -
2026
Projection
2026 -
2027
Projection
2027 -
2028
Projection
Total Revenues $2,361,654 $2,376,093 $2,390,695 $2,405,461 $2,420,392 $2,435,492 Total Expenses $1,555,867 $1,616,289 $1,681,732 $1,752,699 $1,829,744 $1,913,478 Surplus $805,787 $759,805 $708,963 $652,762 $590,649 $522,014 As noted, there will need to be further negotiations related to the fixed percentage of revenues between the city and fire district. The 11% fixed rate used represents the current expenditure/ revenue ratio. Included in the negotiations should be increases beyond the fixed rate revenue percentage to address any large increases in the expenditures.

Governance
The Gold Ridge Fire Protection District is governed by a Board of Directors that has seven members elected at large to four-year terms. For the city to have the ability to elect members to the Board of Directors, the district would need to annex the city into the district. The city council would need to approve the consolidation and it would require the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) to approve the consolidation. Once approved by all parties, the consolidation would become official. This would trigger the application of the property taxes from the fire district to be assessed to the city residents and businesses.

North Bay Fire
North Bay Fire is a collaboration of eight volunteer fire departments throughout Sonoma County that have banded together to create this organization. Through Sonoma County, Gold Ridge Fire Protection District was selected to provide oversight to the North Bay Fire organization. Sonoma County provides funding, approximately $675,000 in the 2021 – 2022 Budget, to Gold Ridge to provide the services, equipment, and supplies for the eight agencies. There is a potential for these eight departments to be consolidated into the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District at some point in the future. This consolidation could potentially bring a larger number of volunteer staff to the consolidated organization providing support to the entire area.

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Service Delivery Improvements and Implementation
The desire of the city to improve the delivery of emergency services will require a phased approach with funding being the largest challenge. Overall, the delivery of services will remain the same regardless of the path chosen between retention of the current fire department and merging with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. There will continue to be a single fire station in Sebastopol. The response to large incidents will continue with automatic and mutual aid from Gold Ridge Fire Protection District and Graton Fire Protection District. The biggest impact will be the response time and the reliability of a crew to respond in Sebastopol.

Retention of the Sebastopol Fire Department
Phase 1 Stipend Payments
The first phase is to establish the policies and procedures related to the payment of stipends to the volunteer staff. The city will need to seek the professional services of a workforce advisor to ensure the FLSA regulations are being followed. This will provide the background for the volunteer staffing model that can be legally established and be FLSA compliant.

Phase 2 Fire Station
As noted, the fire station does not have the capacity for 24-hour crews as there is no suitable living space limiting the staffed unit operations to a 16-hour day. There is a potential to lease a modular trailer to be used for living quarters. However, this modular unit would need to occupy parking spaces in the rear of the fire station that are already limited as there are storage trailers using some of the space. The city will need to acquire the services of a design professional to determine the most efficient way to address the space issues in the fire station. Depending on the path chosen, the renovations to the fire station could take 24 to 36 months to complete.

Phase 3 Staffing
The first step in creating a staffed unit is to establish those policies and procedures for stipend payments to the volunteer staff. As previously noted, the use of a 16-hour shift is an option to improve the response to emergency calls for service. Using a staffed unit from 7 am to 10 pm would cover approximately 72% of the calls for service and reduce the response time to those calls for service at a cost of approximately $438,000. Creating the staffing model for this will be determined with the completion of the FLSA review and the establishment of appropriate policies and procedures.

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With the use of volunteer staffing, there may be a need to recruit additional volunteer staff to remain compliant with the FLSA regulations. Recall the need for thirty-one volunteer staff members using a $14,000 annual payment as the upper payment limit. This may require allowing volunteers from outside the city to apply and become volunteer staff members. The other option is to hire limited career staff to limit the number of volunteer staff members needed to staff a unit. For example, hiring enough career staff to cut the need for stipend volunteers in half or needing approximately fifteen stipend volunteers to create the staffed unit.

Phase 4 Apparatus
The need to replace apparatus is not an immediate need but it is one that will require attention in the near future. The front-line apparatus is reasonably new at ten years old; however, the reserve apparatus is much older and due to be replaced. With apparatus manufacturers quoting 28 to 30 months for the delivery of new apparatus, it is imperative the city begin to plan for the replacements sooner rather than later.

Consolidation with Gold Ridge Fire Protection District
Phase 1 Fire Station
As noted, the fire station does not have the capacity for 24-hour crews as there is no suitable living space limiting the staffed unit operations to a 16-hour day. There is a potential to lease a modular trailer to be used for living quarters. However, this modular unit would need to occupy parking spaces in the rear of the fire station that are already limited as there are storage trailers using some of the space. The city will need to acquire the services of a design professional to determine the most efficient way to address the space issues in the fire station. Depending on the path chosen, the renovations to the fire station could take 24 to 36 months to complete.

This may influence any agreement with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. The estimate submitted for review by the city only included 24-hour staffing. Other staffing models would need to be addressed in any further negotiations between the city and fire district.

Phase 2 Stipend Payments
As noted previously there is a need to seek the professional services of a workforce advisor to ensure the FLSA regulations are being followed. This should occur regardless of any consolidation efforts as there may be other implications or challenges for the city with the past handling of the stipend payments. Although unlikely, it is unknown if such implications or challenges would influence any consolidation efforts.

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The first phase is to establish the policies and procedures related to the payment of stipends to the volunteer staff. The city will need to seek the professional services of a workforce advisor to ensure the FLSA regulations are being followed. This will provide the background for the volunteer staffing model that can be legally established and be FLSA compliant.

Phase 3 Agreement
The estimate provided to the city for the consolidation outlined in detail the cost for personnel to staff the Sebastopol Fire Station. The staffing model used was designed to provide 24-hour shifts using career and stipend volunteer staffing. As has been documented, the Sebastopol Fire Station does not have the capacity to house a 24-hour crew. While there is a potential to use a modular trailer to provide housing for the crew, the cost of this modular unit is not specifically addressed. If it is considered a capital expense, the city would be responsible for the cost based on the estimate.

Revenues are also outlined in detail in the estimate. The Gold Ridge Fire Protection District would annex the city into the district and apply the special taxes of the district to the city. The approval of the Sebastopol City Council, the Board of Directors of the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District, and the final approval of LAFCO is all that is needed to complete the annexation. There is no vote of the public required to assess the special taxes as that is considered a part of the annexation process. In addition to the application of property taxes, the estimate suggests the city would need to continue their contributions to the fire protection system. In the estimate the city contribution would be a fixed percentage of the annual revenue. There is no percentage rate suggested only that it will need to be negotiated. Using the 11% that is the current rate, this would generate approximately $1,250,597 annually.

The implementation of this agreement will require additional negotiations. The special taxes assessed to the city through the annexation will provide the funds for the personnel.

The percentage of the revenues will require further negotiations and details. The city will need to provide capital items above this percentage such as the fire station and apparatus replacement. Should the staffing model not be able to provide the 24-hour shift due to the facility issues, how would that cost be allocated or adjusted.

Phase 4 Proposal Approvals
With the negotiations between the city and district, both agencies will need to approve the proposal and subsequent agreements. To finalize the agreements, the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) will need to review and approve the consolidation. Once this approval is completed, the consolidation can proceed.

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Phase 5 Apparatus
The need to replace apparatus is not an immediate need but it is one that will require attention in the near future. The front-line apparatus is reasonably new at ten years old; however, the reserve apparatus is much older and due to be replaced. With apparatus manufacturers quoting 28 to 30 months for the delivery of new apparatus, it is imperative the city begin to plan for the replacements sooner rather than later.

Within the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District estimate there is a section that identifies the use of a lease purchase plan. This plan includes approximately $3M for the purchase of apparatus with annual payments of $486,066.11 over a 7-year period. This payment would be over and above the annual revenue contribution.

Recommended Approach for Service Delivery
Based on the review and analysis of the emergency services delivery system for the City of Sebastopol, the project team recommends a phased approach to the consolidation with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. In as much as the delivery of emergency services will remain like the existing system, consolidation provides additional administrative support while reducing the cost of duplication. Also, there will be an increase in the availability and number of volunteer staff to provide additional support to the operational aspects of the fire department.

Phase 1 Administrative Services and Physical Resources
In this first phase the City of Sebastopol would contract with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District to provide administrative oversight to the fire department. This would include a Fire Chief and fire prevention activities as well as any other administrative support necessary for the operation of the fire department. The City of Sebastopol and Gold Ridge Fire Protection District would need to negotiate an agreement for these services. There will be financial considerations as the current Fire Chief salary and benefits would be transferred, in part, to the new agreement.

The second part of this phase is to address the fire station. As previously noted, the fire station does not have suitable space for living quarters for 24-hour crews. In addition, there are numerous other maintenance issues that also need to be addressed in terms of alterations and repairs. In this phase the City of Sebastopol will need to acquire the services of a design professional to begin work on these facility issues.

Apparatus replacement is an issue that will require attention along with the fire station.

As previously noted, there are four pieces of apparatus that based on age are beyond Fire Department Feasibility Study Sebastopol, CA
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their replacement year. There are others that will require replacement in the next 5 to 10 years. Plans for these replacements will need to be developed.

Phase 2 Initial Staffing
With the fire station not suitable to house 24-hour crews, the initial phase for staffing is to use the 16-hour staffing model. In this phase, staffing the fire station for 16 hours a day on Monday through Friday from 6 am to 10 pm will provide services to approximately 63% of the call volume using a staffed station. The remaining hours overnight and weekends would continue using the volunteer staffing model.

Stipends for the volunteer staffing would continue but somewhat reduced as the responses during those times the station is staffed would not necessarily require a volunteer staffing response. Also, the City of Sebastopol will need to address the stipend issues as outlined previously and acquiring the services of a workforce professional to ensure compliance with the Department of Labor and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Phase 3 Gold Ridge Annexation
Continuing the consolidation process, the City of Sebastopol and Gold Ridge Fire Protection District would prepare the documentation necessary to file with LAFCO for the consolidation with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. This application would include the annexation of the City of Sebastopol into the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. The LAFCO process may require several months to complete but with both parties agreeing to the consolidation it may not take as long to go through their process. The annexation would set up the ability to begin to collect property taxes through the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District and allow for the final phase of the consolidation to begin.

Phase 4 Completion of the Station Renovations and Staffing This final phase would begin with the approval of the consolidation from LAFCO and the assessment of the property taxes associated with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District.

Completion of the fire station renovations would also be completed providing suitable space for living quarters. With the funding from the property taxes in place, the staffing model would change from the 16-hour Monday through Friday staffing model to the 24 hour 7 days a week staffing model. With the completion of this phase, the consolidation would be completed.

Recommendation:

Based on the review and analysis the project team recommends a phased approach to the consolidation of emergency services with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District.

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• Phase 1 would consist of contracting with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District to provide administrative services and providing oversight to the consolidation process. Begin to design a plan to renovate the fire station to house emergency services staff.
• To improve the response to calls for service, phase 2 includes staffing the fire station for a 16-hour period daily Monday through Friday. Staffing the station from 6 am to 10 pm would provide service to approximately 63% of the call volume in the City of Sebastopol.
• Phase 3 includes the development of the documentation necessary to file with LAFCO for the consolidation and annexation of the City of Sebastopol into the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. Timing for this process is unknown, however with both organizations supporting the consolidation the timing may be shortened. • The final phase begins with the consolidation approval from LAFCO and continues with the renovations to the fire station. Once the renovations are complete, the funding in place as a result of the annexation/consolidation, the staffing model would change from the 16-hour Monday through Friday to the 24 hour 7 days a week staffing model.

Sebastopol City CouncilSeptember 26, 2023

Sebastopol City Council
September 26, 2023