To: Board of Directors
From: Aaron J. McAlister, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: Terms and Conditions for Emergency Response within the California Fire Service and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid System
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT a resolution which supersedes Resolution No. 2024-9 regarding terms and conditions for emergency response within the California Fire Service and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid System.
FISCAL IMPACT:
If adopted, the District will be able to seek full reimbursement from the State for personnel deployed on mutual aid assignments from the time of dispatch.
BACKGROUND:
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) is a participating member of the California Fire Service and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid System. As such, each year personnel are deployed on mutual aid assignments. The California Fire Assistance Agreement (CFAA) is the negotiated reimbursement mechanism for local government fire agencies under the Mutual Aid System. Reimbursement from the State is based on the District's wage rates and MOU language.
In an effort to ensure agencies are fully reimbursed in a timely manner, the State has asked each participating agency to adopt a resolution that lists all response personnel who may be deployed on a mutual aid assignment.
Authorizing portal to portal pay for employees ensures that the District will continue to be eligible for full reimbursement through the CFAA.
Adopting this proposed resolution adds the classifications of Public Information Officer, Fire Captain 40-hr, Engineer 40-hr, and Firefighter 40-hr to the resolution to be sent to the Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the resolution including all of the classifications is not on file with the State at the time of initial dispatch, the District will only be reimbursed for actual hours worked for those personnel and will not be entitled to portal to portal compensation for the response.