The Moraga Orinda Fire District (MOFD) Board of Directors contemplated the future of the automatic aid agreement with Contra Costa Fire Protection District at Wednesday night’s board meeting. No action was taken, but the board did discuss changes in response the two districts have seen since the closure of Station 16 in Lafayette.
MOFD Division Chief Stephen Healy presented data on the impact of the Station 16 closure, shuttered after rats and mold closed down the station indefinitely in June.
Run data presented at Wednesday's meeting showed that MOFD has provided an increased number of responses to calls in ConFire jurisdiction since the closure, while ConFire's run rate declined. MOFD responded to calls in ConFire’s jurisdiction an average of 16 times per month, while ConFire responded in MOFD’s jurisdiction an average of 21 times per month, since June 20, 2012.
Healy pointed out that aid agreements are never exactly equal, and that MOFD staff should continue to monitor the data, and come back to the board with any major changes.
“We’ve always been good neighbors with ConFire, and I think that the arrangement is mutually beneficial, and that the arrangement and friendship is worth protecting,” said Healy.
Both Treasurer Frank Sperling and President Fred Weil agreed, saying that in the short term the closure of Station 16 did not seem to be a major issue.
However, Weil said he was concerned that if the ConFire parcel tax measure did not pass in November, the county district may not be able to provide the same level of resources to MOFD as it has in the past.
The ConFire parcel tax measure was placed on the ballot July 31, and asks residents to pay an extra $75 year to help the fire district with revenue loss.
The board concluded Wednesday that they would continue to monitor the issue, and make changes as necessary in the future.
Run rate defined. Is a 'run' an assist incident where a single piece of equipment (fire truck or ambulance) is sent to augment a ConFire response already in place, or does it involve MOFD taking on the entire incident? Bailey Lee pointed out the "Chinese Fire Drill" mentality in which several unnecessary pieces of equipment are sent even though the caller has indicated that, for instance, it is a medical transport incident and a fire truck/crew is NOT needed. This ploy to pad statistics is wasteful in so many ways it tends to make me doubt the veracity of much of the info that comes out of MOFD and ConFire. The memory of the brave men and women that rushed to their deaths at the World Trade Center disaster is being besmirched by the empire building antics of these local fire barons.
As for your, "send the hospital" technique, I have personally been in critical, near death situations more than once and 2 paramedics were plenty to stabilize and transport as this writing stands as testament to my continued existence. Trying to cover every possible contingency is lunacy and it will eventually cause the system to break.
Please come ride along, speak with us get to know what it is we really do. then we'll listen to your informed opinions or solutions to come up with a better response model, a better funding model, whatever we are not enemies of this City. Every line employee at MOFD lives here for over 1/3 third of every calendar month while they are employed. During this shift we are part of this community we pay sales tax here and patronize many local business due to having to live here 48 hours at a time. We do not want to be villified as the the bain of you community. We have grieved with many family members of Orinda following the tragic losses that puncuate this profession. We are proud to do it well compensated and don't wan't accolades. I wish this community the best even if you out source me to volunteers.