title
Hold a meeting of the Montezuma, Suisun and Vacaville Fire Protection Districts; Consider approving a Supplemental Policy Document for the three districts; Consider delegating the County Administrator authority to appoint an Interim Chief; Consider delegating the County Administrator authority to approve emergency purchases up to $250,000 and to provide concurrence on personnel decisions; Consider adopting a resolution establishing a 14-day work period; Consider initiating an Audit process for the three Districts for financial statements from FY2023/24 and FY2024/25 and FY2021/22 and FY2022/23 for the Vacaville Fire Protection District
body
Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X__
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X__
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Board of Supervisors, in its capacity as the Board of Directors, is recommended to:
1. Hold a meeting of the Montezuma, Suisun and Vacaville Fire Protection Districts;
2. Consider approving a Supplemental Policy Document for the three districts;
3. Consider delegating the County Administrator authority to appoint an Interim Chief;
4. Consider delegating the County Administrator authority to approve emergency purchases up to $250,000 and to provide concurrence on personnel decisions;
5. Consider adopting a resolution establishing a 14-day work period; and
6. Consider initiating an Audit process for the three Districts for financial statements from FY2023/24 and FY2024/25 and FY2021/22 and FY2022/23 for the Vacaville Fire Protection District.
SUMMARY:
In conjunction with the transition in the governance of the Fire Districts, the Board asked staff to return with a proposal for a unified command structure for the three districts. The Board, in its capacity as the Board of Directors for the Montezuma, Suisun and Vacaville Fire Protection Districts, is also being asked to consider approval of a draft Supplemental Policy Document (Attachment A) intended to provide standardization of policies that vary within the three districts and to further the goals of a unified command structure. This uniformity will provide greater ability to work toward one operational model as the districts continue their work toward consolidation. This policy document also addresses emergency purchasing authority to provide continuity of service provision by the districts. As the Board of Directors, the Board of Supervisors is responsible for policy decisions, budget approvals, and setting fire district priorities. In order to facilitate this, the Districts will be asked to develop and follow equivalent policies to the County’s administrative policies for contracting and purchasing.
In addition, the Board of Directors is being asked to adopt a resolution establishing a 14-day work period in order to provide for uniform staffing of shifts between the three districts. This approval will provide for greater flexibility in providing coverage, will expand coverage hours, and is described in more detail in the Discussion section.
The Board of Directors is being asked to direct the districts to initiate the audit of their respective financial statements for FY2023/24 and FY2024/25 by an independent certified public accountant in conformity with Governmental Accounting Standards Board regulations. The audits are to be completed and submitted to the Auditor-Controller’s Office no later than October 31st, 2025, to ensure the County has sufficient time to include the districts financials in the County’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report as Discretely Presented Component Units. The districts are to cooperate with the County’s external auditors as necessary to complete the County’s audit. In addition, the Vacaville Fire Protection District will complete audits for the years of FY2021/22 and FY 2022/23.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the Department’s FY2024/25 Working Budget. The Districts, while dependent, all maintain their own budgets and revenue sources, resulting in no General Fund impact.
DISCUSSION:
Command Structure Discussions and Supplemental Policy Document
The California Health and Safety Code governs fire districts under §§13800-13970 (Fire Protection District Law of 1987) and states that the Board of Directors shall have broad authority to manage operations of the districts to include fiscal, operational, regulatory, services and capital. Within this authority, the Board may establish policies for the operation of the districts. At this time, staff has conducted a review of the policies of the three districts and proposes the Supplemental Policy Document be adopted in order to provide consistent policies between the three districts for alignment of operations.
Management of Districts
Day to day operations for the three Districts will be overseen by the Interim Chief, to be named by the County Administrator. The Supplemental Policy Document addresses the Interim Chief management of budgets, accounting practices, and contracting and procurement approvals and that they follow equivalent practices to the County. The final approval of personnel decisions, as recommended by the Interim Chief, will be approved with County Administrator concurrence. The Supplemental Policy Document also addresses emergency purchasing, allowing the County Administrator to authorize an emergency purchase for a District up to $250,000.
Impact Fees
Government Code §66016.5 allows agencies to charge impact fees as established by a nexus study to mitigate for the impacts of growth within a district. The cycle for conducting a nexus study, while previously was every five years, is now every eight. Districts will still complete a five-year finding study but will opt to wait on the nexus study, which requires a new one be completed upon consolidation of the districts. At the time a new impact fee is established, it will include the addition of the MFPD which currently does not have an impact fee assessment in place. Current fund balance designations for the respective districts will still be spent within the geographic areas collected.
Operational Improvements
Staff has worked with the three districts to identify ways to provide streamlining of operations ahead of a reorganization effort to be conducted through a Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) application.
FLSA
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) governs wages and hours and allows for fire districts to schedule four, ten hour shifts in one week. In order to facilitate coordinated staffing between the districts, the resolution provided as Attachments B, C and D will allow districts to move to a ten-hour shift for coverage enhancement. California law requires an agency adopt a policy to establish either a seven or fourteen hour work week. The recommendation of the fourteen-day work period (up to 106 hours) will align with the two week pay period the County operates under and is permitted under Title 29 CFR 553.230.
Budgets
The FY2025/26 Fire District Recommended Budgets will now be reported with the County’s Recommended Budget and are included for the current fiscal year as part of the FY2025/26 Supplemental Budget, which will be presented to the Board later this month. The three district budgets do include appropriations for staffing of year two of a seasonal wildfire program.
Tablet Command
Dixon Fire Department is leading a contract with some of the city and district fire agencies to provide a rollout of Tablet Command, in coordination with dispatch. The product provides visibility on a phone app or tablet to incident updates. This in the field tool will provide live updates and after testing, will possibly prevent the need for dispatch entered updates via radio monitoring. The app provides support for navigation, access to hydrant locations and other water supplies, and an added layer of animals registered at addresses. Zonehaven will overlay on this mapping system to demonstrate evacuation areas, allowing for better Incident Command informed and timely orders for evacuations. As the program rolls out, there may be minor additional costs for additional licenses or tablets for full deployment.
Pilot Seasonal Program Year Two and Weed Abatement
This recommended budget includes funding for the continuation of seasonal staffing for year two of a Pilot Seasonal Program utilizing Dodd Earmark funds totaling $130,000, for each district to staff an engine with two paid employees for eight hours per day, seven days per week beginning July 1, 2025 through November 14, 2025. Weed abatement efforts will be conducted by this seasonal staff utilizing the County’s MOU. Through this program, the Districts will utilize seasonal staff to expand efforts in providing weed abatement inspection services.
Other Efforts in Process
Districts are asking the Board to authorize the process for FY2023/24 and FY2024/25 audits to be conducted. This process will be completed collaboratively, and the Districts aim to have this to the Board of Directors in late fall to comply with the County’s audit cycle.
• Suisun Fire Protection District (SFPD) completed its FY2021/22 and FY2022/23 audits in February of 2025 prior to the governance change.
• Montezuma Fire Protection District (MFPD) completed its FY2021/22 and FY2022/23 audit and this was adopted by this Board on June 3, 2025.
• Vacaville Fire Protection District (VFPD) will need to complete its FY2021/22 and FY2022/23 audit and is actively working to engage a vendor.
The Districts will continue to operate their respective websites and are working to provide links to publish on the County’s website as part of the County’s website launch. The Districts have recently begun using ESO as their records management system for alignment of records for better operations and in working toward consolidation. The Districts will also now be opening their trainings to all staff and volunteers of the three districts for the purposes of furthering consolidation and in realizing efficiencies in operations.
ISO Rating Process
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) issues ratings to fire agencies that assign a class, ranging from Class 1-10, indicating protection levels provided to the community. To demonstrate how well equipped an agency is, the rating considers water supply and fire hydrant locations, station locations, communication systems, and risk reduction efforts. A lower score represents better protection levels and ratings are often used by insurance companies, potentially impacting insurance premiums. ISO ratings are evaluated every ten years, and both the SFPD and MFPD have been notified that they will be evaluated for a new rating assignment this summer. Currently, the SFPD and VFPD ISO rating is Class 5, while MFPD’s ISO rating is Class 6.
LAFCO Application
The Districts continue to work on an application to LAFCO for reorganization of the three districts. Districts are working with County staff to develop the necessary analysis and plan of service required for submission. Due to the timing of fire season and the steps required to complete this application, staff anticipates submission in late summer and the review process with LAFCO can take anywhere between six to twelve months, once deemed complete.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to approve any and all actions proposed today in order to request additional information pertaining to these items.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Montezuma, Suisun and Vacaville Fire Protection Districts were involved in the drafting of this item.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION