Morro Bay Fire Chief, Daniel McCrain responded to Mayor Carla Wixom’s concerns that the Fire Department may be taking on too much at once by saying the department can manage several major projects simultaneously.
At the Oct. 14 City Council meeting, Wixom pointed to a list of significant initiatives in motion: purchasing a new fire engine, the possible refurbishment and reopening of the long-dormant Station 54, and ongoing discussions about increasing firefighter staffing levels.
Fire Chief McCrain told New Times that it does appear as if the department is taking on a lot at the same time, but he isn’t concerned about it.
“Each of these projects does require some staff time at different phases,” he said via email. “The reality is … the time required for each project is not creating staff time conflicts.”
One of the most visible efforts is the new fire engine, which City Council unanimously approved purchasing on Oct. 28. The council authorized McCrain to sign a purchase agreement of about $670,000 for a wildland fire engine to replace Engine 5371.
Councilmember Bill Luffee said that the city already has roughly $500,000 set aside for the purchase and asked where the remaining dollars would come from.
McCrain told the council that the fire engine fund had grown over the past several fire seasons through reimbursements the city receives when its firefighters get deployed to help with incidents across California.
“Every summer when we participate in a mutual aid system responding to fires around the state, we get paid for our personnel time,” McCrain said during the meeting. “We also get paid for our vehicle use in those incidents, and it’s done to reimburse for the wear and tear on city vehicles. … We put that money in a separate account toward replacing the engine.”
McCrain said the bulk of staff time on the engine project has already passed, and the new engine is tentatively expected next October.
“The specifications have been completed, and the order was placed,” he said. “Now, we are waiting for the vendor to build the apparatus. Department staff will do an inspection of the completed vehicle to ensure it meets the specifications before we take delivery of it.”
The Fire Department is also working toward restaffing the second fire station in Morro Bay, Fire Station 54, because of standards of cover and a desire to have a better response time.
Located east of Highway 1, the station has been unstaffed for nearly 20 years. McCrain said the project is currently advancing through the city’s building and development review process.
“Department staff will be working to secure funding to construct the station,” he said.
Alongside that, the department is evaluating how to increase its staffing levels.
“Improving staffing at the Fire Department is something most fire agencies have to continuously evaluate as community needs and city budgets change,” McCrain said. “The fire service is constantly evolving as are the needs of our communities.”
He added that exploring these improvements should be seen as more of an opportunity than a strain.
“I think it is exciting to have opportunities to try and enhance the level of service that we are able to provide to the residents and visitors of Morro Bay,” he said. “The goal is to balance the most effective level of service a city budget can provide to meet the needs and risks of the community they serve.” ∆