Siskiyou County Auditor Leanna Dancer paid a visit to the Mount Shasta Fire Protection District Board meeting on Monday evening to discuss the issue of “strike team pay.”
As Bernie Paul and Jim Sweet, representatives from Cal Fire, looked on, Dancer spent the better part of a half hour addressing the board about her past concerns regarding the district’s use of taxpayer money to pay its volunteer firefighters in anticipation of state and federal strike team money they have earned, and her current support for that same policy.
District strike teams have been contracted repeatedly in the past years to help fight fires out-of-district. Each time a strike team rolls, it begins to earn money from whatever state or federal agency has summoned it. Not only do the firefighters earn money on the contracts, but the district earns equipment and administrative fees as well.
MSFPD strike teams have been particularly busy with out-of-district contracts because of Chief Baker’s aggressive acquisition of equipment – such as the two Model 5 engines he urged the district to purchase, both of which quickly began to pay for themselves – that out-of-district fire agencies prefer to use in fighting wildland fires, which have been plaguing California.
The strike team assignments can last days or weeks, and the district has been paying its volunteer firefighters out of its ‘pass-thru’ fund for their services on strike team contracts, including to Cal Fire.
The practice arose because of the length of time it takes the agencies to pay the district for the services of its firefighters. Often, the firefighters forego their regular careers to serve on strike teams. Because they aren’t receiving pay checks from their usual work, the firefighters would potentially face financial difficulties if the district did not pay them in advance for the state and federal monies they would eventually receive. The practice was routine until Dancer and her office put a temporary stop to it last year.
As explained by Chief Baker, “There was a communication break-down between the Auditor’s Office and the district. For whatever reason [the strike team disbursements] came to a halt last year. It upset a lot of my firefighters because they were expecting payment and they didn’t get it. Overall [Dancer] is looking out for the good of the Fire District. When she stopped the payments, she felt that it was not legal or morally correct to pay the firefighters [for strike team services] with taxpayers’ money, that we should wait for the contracts [to be fulfilled]… [But] this is the way the board has been doing business since 2001 or 2002… When I heard about it, I called her… [The strike team payments] really boost morale. We have the firefighters go out and serve, gain valuable experience. Lots of them take vacation from their jobs to do this. By not paying them, essentially they get punished.”
“I wanted to make sure there are no misunderstandings,” Dancer began in her comments to the board. “When they go out on a strike team, the firefighters gain valuable experience… For some people [serving] on a strike team is a [financial] loss. They are offering a very valuable service… We are alone in the North State in [paying firefighters this way]. We went to the County Council and said, ‘This department wants to do this.’ The money that comes in to the district from tax revenue is for fire protection in the district. [But] to use that money to pay people before you’ve been paid by the state is not illegal. So we’ve created a new animal. And it’s working, it’s working pretty well… My job is to protect you, sometimes to protect you from yourselves… We’re trying to get things clear… I have a responsibility to each of you and to everyone in your district.”
As Dancer continued to explain her office’s position on the payments, board chairman John Santi asked, “I’m assuming this procedure will be used throughout our county?” “Absolutely,” Dancer responded. Though she urged caution and clarity, Dancer also said, “[The MSFPD has] brought this to a head because you are more aggressive [about sending out strike teams], you are pushing the envelope… When you are taking on this kind of program, you are being innovative.”
Toward the end of her address, Dancer pointed out that the district may see some future cost relief in regard to required annual audits. Because of legislation authored by Assembly member Doug LaMalfa, “…if you have $500,000 or less of revenue, you have a ‘review,’ not an audit, which is so much less expensive,” she explained. “I am so excited about that. It doesn’t take as much on-site time. The responsibility of the auditor changes. [In a review] the auditor is looking to see that there is no obvious misdirection of money.”
Candidate night in the works
In other matters, Captain Billy Gansel announced that the district will be holding a ‘candidate night’ on a yet-to-be determined date to allow the public and the media to hear from the five candidates running for the three board seats up for election in November, and district resident Lane Michel addressed the board to announce his candidacy.
“I’m very excited about being a candidate,” Michel said. “It’s a way to give back to the community.” Michel pointed to his past experience as a business executive and volunteer firefighter as his qualifications for serving on the board.
Chief Baker spoke at length about his desire to see the district acquire a $500,000 four-wheel drive structure engine to improve the district’s response capabilities, especially in winter conditions, as well as the developing plans for a new fire station.
In regards to the new engine, which will be discussed further, Baker said, “It’s a tough decision, it’s a half a million dollars. But engines aren’t getting any cheaper… [The engine currently held by the district] is not meeting the district’s needs in my opinion.”
Asked after the meeting to comment on Chief Baker’s direction of the district, chairman Santi said, “We’ve been pretty aggressive, there has been a lot of strike team duty, it hasn’t happened in the past… Overall [Chief Baker’s direction] is fitting comfortably. We don’t want to over-extend ourselves… [but] Chief Baker’s zeal is really benefitting the department and the district.”
The next MSFPD board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 13.
Siskiyou County —
