Amador County – The Amador Fire Protection District Board of Directors voted 3-2 Tuesday to approve AFPD Chief Jim McCart’s Measure M hiring plan, then voted 5-0 to start advertising jobs next week. Chairman Brian Oneto and Supervisors Louis Boitano and Ted Novelli voted yes to accept McCart’s proposed hiring plan, and accompanying job descriptions, that will set the stage to hire firefighters in Batallion 10 (in Pine Grove and Pioneer areas) and Batallion 20 (in the Plymouth, Fiddletown, River Pines and Willow Springs area). Part of the plan will also hire a battalion chief “to oversee the new firefighters and to coordinate” with 2 existing volunteer battalion chiefs. The Battalion chief would start at $60,000. Firefighters would start at $36,000 and engineers would start at $40,000. The funds were approved in 2008, when county voters OK’d Measure M, a ½-cent sales tax. About 45 people attended the meeting Tuesday in the Supervisors’ chambers, with most in the audience wearing firefighter shirts and hats, from volunteer brigades at Sutter Creek Fire District, and AFPD. Part of the plan says SCFD and Lockwood Fire District “have requested to contract with AFPD for the hiring of personnel,” which “would entail staffing of a 24-hour station in Sutter Creek and day coverage in Lockwood.” County Chief Administrative Officer Terry Daly gave a new plan proposal, asking the AFPD board to first consider whether it wanted “to take the leadership action of establishing a county-wide fire organization.” She said there were a lot of options, including contracting with California Department of Fire, which some criticized, while others supported. Dominic Moreno of SCFD said hiring Cal Fire and a “fire services manager” would install 2 superiors and put the plan “at risk of failing.” Supervisor Richard Forster, who voted against the plan, said with Cal Fire, “you are bringing in an independent, who will handle individuals independently,” whereas regional hires within the county may handle different areas of the county differently. Boitano said “you are possibly hiring one of the biggest fire departments in the world, and that comes with a price.” Forster said “it comes with a price if you don’t.” He noted that county firefighters were already discussing forming a union. Moreno said Cal Fire is one of the biggest unions in the state, and “any way you go, there’s going to be a union.” Forster also criticized McCart for not representing AFPD’s proposal at past meetings, but instead having someone from Sutter Creek represent it. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Wednesday, 07 April 2010 02:07
AFPD Board OKs Hiring Firefighters with Measure M Funds
Written by Tom-
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Amador County – The Amador Fire Protection District Board of Directors voted 3-2 Tuesday to approve AFPD Chief Jim McCart’s Measure M hiring plan, then voted 5-0 to start advertising jobs next week. Chairman Brian Oneto and Supervisors Louis Boitano and Ted Novelli voted yes to accept McCart’s proposed hiring plan, and accompanying job descriptions, that will set the stage to hire firefighters in Batallion 10 (in Pine Grove and Pioneer areas) and Batallion 20 (in the Plymouth, Fiddletown, River Pines and Willow Springs area). Part of the plan will also hire a battalion chief “to oversee the new firefighters and to coordinate” with 2 existing volunteer battalion chiefs. The Battalion chief would start at $60,000. Firefighters would start at $36,000 and engineers would start at $40,000. The funds were approved in 2008, when county voters OK’d Measure M, a ½-cent sales tax. About 45 people attended the meeting Tuesday in the Supervisors’ chambers, with most in the audience wearing firefighter shirts and hats, from volunteer brigades at Sutter Creek Fire District, and AFPD. Part of the plan says SCFD and Lockwood Fire District “have requested to contract with AFPD for the hiring of personnel,” which “would entail staffing of a 24-hour station in Sutter Creek and day coverage in Lockwood.” County Chief Administrative Officer Terry Daly gave a new plan proposal, asking the AFPD board to first consider whether it wanted “to take the leadership action of establishing a county-wide fire organization.” She said there were a lot of options, including contracting with California Department of Fire, which some criticized, while others supported. Dominic Moreno of SCFD said hiring Cal Fire and a “fire services manager” would install 2 superiors and put the plan “at risk of failing.” Supervisor Richard Forster, who voted against the plan, said with Cal Fire, “you are bringing in an independent, who will handle individuals independently,” whereas regional hires within the county may handle different areas of the county differently. Boitano said “you are possibly hiring one of the biggest fire departments in the world, and that comes with a price.” Forster said “it comes with a price if you don’t.” He noted that county firefighters were already discussing forming a union. Moreno said Cal Fire is one of the biggest unions in the state, and “any way you go, there’s going to be a union.” Forster also criticized McCart for not representing AFPD’s proposal at past meetings, but instead having someone from Sutter Creek represent it. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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