1. Julian Cuyamaca Fire Protection District
Application For
Dissolution into County Service Area 135
Presented By:
Board Members Jack Shelver, Aida Tucker, and Kirsten Starlin

2. OVERVIEW OF JCFPD
Started as the Julian and Cuyamaca Volunteer Fire Companies in 1970, these combined in 1984 to form the Julian Cuyamaca Fire Protection District (JCFPD)
Serves over 52,000 acres on rural and outlying land use, with a small village core. The District provides:
Structural Fire Protection
Public Safety First Aid
Intermittent Basic Life Support (BLS)
Service is provided from 2 Fire Stations
12 Vehicles in the Fleet
Service is provided by Volunteer Firefighters

3. CHALLENGES FACING THE JCFPD
Increasing demand for service
Incident activity has increased 12.5% over the past six years *.
Increased requirements and regulation of fire protection agencies
Difficulty maintaining consistent staffing to serve the community 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
Apparatus and facility capital replacement
Limited financial resources
Budget reserves have decreased year over year
Reserve firefighter retention has decreased year over year
* 12.5% increase based on Avg compared to Avg

4. JCFPD’s DECISION
In 2015, the JCFPD Board went to San Diego County Fire for assistance, the result of this meeting was a 2 year agreement for paramedic staffing with the understanding the District would work towards dissolution.
In late 2017, facing pressure from members of the community, the JCFPD Board voted not to continue the dissolution process.
On January 2nd, 2018 a shed fire started on a Julian property and spread to the vegetation. No qualified Fire Engine Drivers were on duty and only two personnel in a support vehicle responded.
This event reopened discussions within the Board of Directors who ultimately voted to dissolve the District and to join County Fire.

5. OVERSIGHT AND COMPLIANCE
The District has struggled to maintain legal compliance and safety standards for first responders from California Regulations and Federal Regulations.
Firefighter Training Standards
The JCFPD Academy is 182 hours deficient compared to State training standards
Hazmat Training Standards
Confined Space Training Standards
Standards for the provision of pre-hospital care
Eight members were found to have expired EMS certifications
Minimum Standards for First Aid and CPR certification
Incident Command System Awareness Training Standards
Respiratory Protection Program Standards
Personal Protective Equipment Standards
Proper training records have not been maintained
These are the challenges the district has had and will continue to have if we remain an independent dist.

6. 21 days with no Chief Officer
STAFFING CHALLENGES
Volunteer / Reserve participation has continued to be inconsistent, in the last 6 months:
21 days with no EMT’s
48 days with no Engine Driver
21 days with no Chief Officer
This is a snap shot of the staffing challenges over the last six months.
It should be noted that Reserves and volunteers are distinctly different.
With consolidation with County Fire all these challenges will go away.
Most days staffing consists of 1-2 reserve firefighters staffing a rescue squad with no fire suppression capability.

7. FACILITY CONCERNS
A review of Cuyamaca Fire Station 57 by County Building Officials identified serious and significant issues with the fire station.
Building is not habitable
Building is not structurally sound
Questionable if the building could be repaired
Julian Fire Station 56 although new requires nearly $250,000 in essential services upgrades.
Fire Sprinklers in Apparatus Bay
Exhaust Removal System
Emergency Generator
Paving and Concrete
Recently made aware of deficiencies in our facilities
Station 57 very old
Station 56 although new still had items cut during construction due to budget constraints

8. APPARATUS CONCERNS
A review of the fleet by State and County Commercial Vehicle Inspectors Revealed
Mechanical Issues with all 12 District Vehicles
2 Vehicles with safety concerns that were placed out of service
2 Vehicles out of service due to an accident that could not be inspected properly
No fiscal strategy exists for vehicle replacement
The District has already expended 75% of the budget for vehicle repairs this FY

9. FINANCIAL CONCERNS Current Budget is not structurally balanced
District is operating with reserve funds, financial reserves have been reduced year over year
The District financial auditor has expressed concerns about the financial viability of the Department
Budget should have allocation for capital replacement of apparatus or equipment
Inadequate budget for fleet maintenance

10. CITIZENS INITIATIVE – BENEFIT FEE INCREASE
A Citizen’s Initiative to raise the benefit fee received by JCFPD has been proposed by a local group and is on the November Ballot. This was not supported by the District and no clear plan has been identified for how the funds will be allocated.
CITIZEN’S INITIATIVE PLAN ANALYSIS
Citizen’s Initiative Expected Additional Revenue
$345,000
2 Person Career ALS Staffing at the Julian Station, Personnel Costs
Increased Workers Comp Expense
Meet RPP and PPE minimum requirements
Current Deficit
$424,000
$42,000
$35,000
$30,500
Funding Gap
$186,500
Expected revenue is based on increase $150 per property
2 person staffing matches Ambulance payroll based on one paramedic and one EMT
RPP-Respiratory Protection Program {SCBA’s, Fit testing, annual medical certification}
The Board of Director’s decision to join San Diego County Fire provides an increased level of service at no increased cost to the taxpayers.
A vote for the Citizen’s initiative is not a vote for independence, it is a vote for an increase in the Benefit Assessment Fee.

11. SUMMARY
The Julian Cuyamaca Fire Protection District Board of Directors has voted to dissolve and join San Diego County Fire to provide the best possible services to our community.
A majority of the Board of Directors has been satisfied with the level of service provided by the San Diego County Fire Engine in 2016 and
The service of the JCFPD Volunteers and Reserves is much appreciated but they shouldn’t have to protect these communities alone and under this plan they won’t have to.