Study Looks at Alternatives for Valley Fire Station

The city, which cut back services at one fire station in July, now is seriously reviewing whether it can keep the Fire Department intact.

There has been little question about the need for a fire station in the heavily wooded Pinole Valley. When the city's second station opened on Pinole Valley Road in 2003, city officials knew there might come a time when staffing it could become a fiscal challenge. 

The part-time closure of that station – 10 days a month – may be alarming to Valley residents, but the long-term fate of the station and the department itself is in murky territory. Firefighters and City Hall officials realize that an independent fire department may lose more control than it's already compromised.

Declining tax revenues and a budget gap forced the partial closure beginning in July. The firefighters' labor union and city officials agreed to the temporary "brownout" until new efficiencies or funding sources can be found. Since then a study involving Pinole and nearby fire districts has begun to consider how to restore full service, if possible.

Among the ideas are that Pinole's fire services could be consolidated with the Rodeo-Hercules Fire District or the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, or that the department remain independent. Consultants hired by the city in August will consider the cost and practicality of each option. The study is expected to be completed in January.

The costs aren't the only factor in deciding what to do. There are questions of jurisdiction, further complicated by existing mutual aid agreements that each fire district has with still more districts. Pinole has agreements with Rodeo, Hercules, San Pablo and two county fire stations.

Potential challenges also include resolving differences in pay rates, benefits and retirement plans among the agencies involved. In all, 19 separate issues will be examined.

Recently, uncertain economic outlooks have relaxed historically territorial attitudes among fire agencies, said Pinole Interim Fire Chief Jim Parrott, who is the only administrative employee in the department.

"Our city has been relatively parochial since its inception and has prided itself on being a 'full-service city' or nearly so," he said.  "While we don't provide library, animal, flood control, transit or several other services, we have provided most municipal services and more than the majority of cities."

He noted that Pinole is one of only three of the county's 19 cities that still has its own fire department. The others are Richmond and El Cerrito.

"Since we have planted our flag stating that we provide our own fire service, then we have the responsibility to provide a pretty decent level of this life saving service," Parrott said. "It's almost easier to work backwards and say 'what is absolutely unacceptable in terms of response times and we'll try to avoid that.' "

However the situation evolves, the city must "convince our partnering jurisdictions that whatever level of resource we provide is an appropriate contribution into the mix," Parrott said.

Also under consideration is closing the downtown fire station, which has some seismic safety issues, and then share an El Sobrante station on Appian Way.

A separate study prepared by county officials observed that Pinole's "financial ability to provide adequate fire and (emergency medical) services is strained and does not appear to be sustainable. The city's expenditures per population served ($145) are relatively low compared with the median among fire providers in the County ($205)."

The county study also raises the possibility of annexing some surrounding unincorporated communities into Pinole city limits. That would spread the cost of running the department among a larger population and among residents for whom Pinole already provides fire and ambulance services.

"Naturally any reduction in on-duty staffing from any of the partners places an additional burden on the remaining units," Parrott said. "While we are at a point where the city cannot afford our six personnel on duty every day, we have to seek a way to maintain 'membership' in the larger arena so that we can assemble the forces necessary."