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Posted by: thepinetree on 06/24/2022 02:48 PM Updated by: thepinetree on 06/24/2022 02:48 PM
Expires: 01/01/2027 12:00 AM
:

Urgent Need to Keep Local Firefighters & Vote Yes on Measure A

Valley Springs, CA...The leaders of Calaveras County’s largest local fire district this month decided to dip into the district’s financial reserves and hire six seasonal firefighters rather than risk going without enough firefighters during the looming summer fire season.




“We didn’t have anybody that wanted to continue to work for $125 a day,” Calaveras Consolidated Fire Protection District Chief Rich Dickinson said of the stipends the district pays to intern firefighters for 24-hour shifts.
Calaveras County’s local fire agencies have been losing their low-paid volunteers and interns in record numbers recently as Cal Fire goes on a hiring spree and California cities seek to replenish the depleted ranks of municipal fire departments. Even the federal government, long known for its low pay to firefighters, is now gearing up to pay a living wage to firefighters with funds from an infrastructure bill President Biden signed recently.
“Cal Fire took a lot of our people,” Dickinson said.

Until recently, Calaveras Consolidated – which serves Valley Springs, Burson, Wallace and Rancho Calaveras – always kept two paid firefighters on duty 24/7. One of those paid firefighters was stationed at the Jenny Lind station and one at the station in downtown Valley Springs. The district was able to keep two or three firefighters on both engines, however, by using volunteers and interns.

Now, however, it finds it is losing those interns and volunteers faster than it can replace them. Fortunately, the district had been able in recent years to earn money by renting engines and crews to Cal Fire strike teams fighting fires around the state. That windfall means that, temporarily, the district can afford to hire six more seasonal firefighters, said Kim Olson, a member of the district board with 48 years in fire service.

Olson said the district will spend almost $150,000 through Dec. 2 to double the number of firefighters on duty 24/7 to a total of four – two each at the District stations in Jenny Lind and Valley Springs. District directors voted unanimously on June 13 to approve the temporary funding.

In the long run, however, that pace of spending will not be sustainable unless the district gets new revenue. Without new revenue, the district might have to close one station next year, Dickinson said.

Calaveras County voters in November will vote on Measure A, a citizen initiative that would address the problem. Measure A, a 1-percent sales tax, would pay to staff fire engines at local agencies across the county. The approximately $900,000 a year that Calaveras Consolidated would receive through Measure A would be enough to keep the engines staffed at the existing stations and also to reopen a station in the Burson area that is now vacant.

“Cal Co isn’t the only fire district losing its trainees,” said Dana Nichols, chairman of the citizen committee behind Measure A. “For a long time, our young people have been stepping up to volunteer and provide these lifesaving services. But now with the rising cost of living and job opportunities elsewhere, they simply can’t afford to stay here.”

“Measure A is a way to guarantee adequate fire staffing countywide, and to ensure that at least some of our young people can afford to live and work in the community they love,” Nichols said.

Learn more about Measure A at Calaveraslfp.org or call Nichols at 209-768-9072.
###


Comments - Make a comment
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No Subject
Posted on: 2022-06-24 16:18:09   By: Anonymous
 
So I just don’t understand, sorry. Fire season and vegetation fires are the sole responsibility of the state, Calfire. Taxes pay for this. Calfire now has their firefighters staying on shift 24 hrs a day all year around. Years ago the state firefighters worked a 40 hr work week, went home at night during non fire season, not the case any more. So, are we being asked to pay more taxes for services that are already provided?

[Reply ]

    Re:
    Posted on: 2022-06-24 17:25:46   By: Anonymous
     
    CalFire covers State Responsibility Areas. Calaveras consolidated covers county and town areas.

    [Reply ]

      Re:
      Posted on: 2022-06-24 17:29:21   By: Anonymous
       
      Every year it is the same old fuking thing, raise our property taxes because these agencies claim they need more money. Well, get your money from some other source of income and leave the tax payers alone.

      [Reply ]

        Re:
        Posted on: 2022-06-25 21:29:38   By: Anonymous
         
        So when you need lifesaving measures, you need the nearest EMS response, are. you going to wait for Calfire? How about your family? Is it o.k. for them to wait? Great fire fighting capabilities and emergency response equipment, professionals, and service cost money. This deserves the highest priority. Our lives depend on it.

        [Reply ]

          Re:
          Posted on: 2022-06-26 10:24:59   By: Anonymous
           
          Ad should read; Now seeking/hiring gravy trainers to take their place at the trough. Must be able to plan on taking it easy, retiring early with full benefits, possibly leaving for greener pastures, and bitching about your equipment, none of which is probably older than 5 years. Start young, quit early!!!!!!! Work 48 hours than 4 to 5 days off. What could be better? Oh, and eat like a king while on duty, FREE!!

          [Reply ]

      Re: Fire Tax
      Posted on: 2022-06-24 19:08:54   By: Anonymous
       
      Good information given here on responsibility of the state, county, and local level. The simple answer was YES. But why does state engines respond to other emergencies? Why does our local , county, city, town respond to state emergency? I know it is called mutual aid. But if our local state now has full time staff, as the commenter stated, why do we need paid local staff in winter? Use the full timers. Both sides need more study to complete a useful solution. Again, yes, it is a tax.

      [Reply ]

        Re: Fire Tax
        Posted on: 2022-06-25 15:00:18   By: Anonymous
         
        I hate to say this because it's always been free to do, at least for me. Burn permits are now for one year, not two but wouldn't itale sense to charge something like $5 to $10? And if some knucklehead let's a burn pile get away besides charging him for the cost to put it out, fine them too.
        Not sure how muchoney we'd make but we do need more personnel.
        We just have to stay away from those big city plans where fire fighters get paid ot after 8 hrs as they stay in the fire house getting paid to sleep and be on call. Sorry but that's wrong on all counts.
        That's just one of the reasons that CA is in debt big time, but Newsom never shows that part, he just says like always we have this many Billions in Surplus, they don't count what we're in the red for, pensions, and it's HUGE!!!

        [Reply ]

    Re:
    Posted on: 2022-06-25 08:05:20   By: Anonymous
     

    Vote NO on Measure A!!!

    [Reply ]

      Re:
      Posted on: 2022-06-25 21:31:25   By: Anonymous
       
      Small thinking and short-sighted. Fire fighting in our area is a top priority. Please become familiar with what is involved before commenting or directing others. Please educate before voting. Your lives may depend on it.

      [Reply ]

        Re:
        Posted on: 2022-06-26 05:21:19   By: Anonymous
         
        ^OH JUST STFU!

        [Reply ]

      Re:
      Posted on: 2022-06-26 08:05:14   By: Anonymous
       
      VOTE NO ON MEASURE A THEY'LL NOT STOP BLEEDING YOU IF YOU LET THEM, STOP TAXING THE *bleep* OUT OF US.

      [Reply ]

No Subject
Posted on: 2022-06-25 04:42:56   By: Anonymous
 
NO MORE TAXES!!¡!!!!!!!!!

[Reply ]

No Subject
Posted on: 2022-06-25 06:56:28   By: Anonymous
 
If they are so F__KING worried about fires than why are they selling FIREWORKS in Calaveras county so just quite Sniveling and telling us what we should be doing with our PROPERTY A__HOLES!!!!

[Reply ]

    Re:
    Posted on: 2022-06-25 08:14:36   By: Anonymous
     
    It takes 5 firefighters to make one good one.

    [Reply ]

    Re: fireworks in VS
    Posted on: 2022-06-26 07:00:41   By: Anonymous
     
    And what do the Valley Springs Boosters do?

    [Reply ]

No Subject
Posted on: 2022-06-25 08:17:17   By: Anonymous
 
Go SHI* in your fire hemet

[Reply ]

No Subject
Posted on: 2022-06-25 08:25:13   By: Anonymous
 
Why I'm I getting the feeling of smoke being blown up my ass.

[Reply ]

    Re:
    Posted on: 2022-06-25 21:33:16   By: Anonymous
     
    If a raise in taxes is what it takes to replace those unpaid interns and volunteers who have left, then that is what we must do. This is a life saving and property saving priority. It is embarrassing that citizens would even think of not supporting this measure.

    [Reply ]

No Subject
Posted on: 2022-06-25 08:27:03   By: Anonymous
 
Call Gavin!

[Reply ]

No Subject
Posted on: 2022-06-25 08:54:07   By: Anonymous
 
Get the fire axe out! Just like the public doing with high food and gas prices.

[Reply ]

    Re:
    Posted on: 2022-06-25 08:57:19   By: Anonymous
     
    Next year will be hearing we need a new fire station.

    [Reply ]

      Re:
      Posted on: 2022-06-25 11:13:03   By: Anonymous
       
      MAKE DO!

      [Reply ]

      Re:
      Posted on: 2022-06-25 16:05:02   By: Anonymous
       
      Next year a new fire station and 5 brand new electric Paramedic vehicles. Just say no to any of that bullish*t!

      [Reply ]


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