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DATE: |
April 22, 2025 |
02 |
SUBJECT
Title
ESTABLISH APPROPRIATIONS AND AUTHORIZE ADVERTISEMENT AND AWARD OF A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR SAN PASQUAL FIRE STATION 84 LIVING QUARTERS PROJECT AND RELATED CEQA EXEMPTION (DISTRICTS: 2)
Body
OVERVIEW
The San Diego County Fire Protection District (SDCFPD) provides around-the-clock fire protection and emergency medical services to approximately 100,000 residents across 1.5 million acres of unincorporated San Diego County. The SDCFPD includes several isolated and minimally populated communities. One of those communities includes San Pasqual in unincorporated northeastern Escondido. Through a partnership with the City of San Diego’s Fire-Rescue Department (City Fire-Rescue), the County maintains the station and City Fire-Rescue provides staffing, vehicles, and equipment to serve County residents in San Pasqual and adjacent City of San Diego communities.
The current station has an apparatus bay and a small three-bedroom modular home for firefighters to reside while on shift. City Fire-Rescue has notified County Fire staff of the potential to increase their staffing from two to four firefighters at the San Pasqual station. However, to meet the existing bargaining unit agreement, each firefighter is required to have their own sleeping room. To accommodate this change, a larger modular home with four bedrooms and two bathrooms would need to be installed. The total estimated cost of the project is approximately $865,000 with construction expected to begin in Fiscal Year 2025-26. Once the project is completed, County residents will receive additional firefighting and advanced life support resources at no ongoing cost to SDCFPD.
Today’s request seeks to find the project is exempt from CEQA, establish appropriations for the project, authorize the Director of Purchasing and Contracting to advertise and award a construction contract for the modular home project, and authorize the Director, Department of General Services to administer the construction contract. Moving forward on this project will be dependent on the City of San Diego adopting a Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget that includes a staffing increase at the San Pasqual station. Should the Board approve today’s recommendations, the project can immediately commence once the staffing increase is confirmed.
RECOMMENDATIONS
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Find that the proposed actions are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as specified under sections 15303, 15304 and 15311 of the CEQA Guidelines.
2. Transfer appropriations of $865,000 from San Diego County Fire, Services & Supplies, to Contributions to Capital Outlay Fund, Operating Transfer Out, to provide funding for the San Pasqual Fire Station 84 Living Quarters project.
3. Establish appropriations of $865,000 in the Capital Outlay Fund for Capital Project 1027530, San Pasqual Fire Station 84 Living Quarters, based on an Operating Transfer In from the General Fund. (4 VOTES)
4. Authorize the Director, Department of Purchasing and Contracting, to advertise and award a construction contract and to take any action authorized by Section 401, et seq. of the Administrative Code, with respect to contracting for the construction of the San Pasqual Fire Station 84 Living Quarters Project.
5. Designate the Director, Department of General Services, as the County officer responsible for administering the awarded contract for the construction of the San Pasqual Fire Station 84 Living Quarters Project and authorize the Director, Department of General Services to execute any and all documents necessary for the implementation of the construction contract.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
More than 80 percent of the San Diego County Fire Protection District’s (SDCFPD) jurisdictional area qualifies as a disadvantaged unincorporated community, based on a San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission report on the funding, administration, and performance of the former County Service Area No. 135 (now SDCFPD). Furthermore, with 79 percent of the San Diego region’s unincorporated area designated as High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The living quarters project at San Pasqual will offer the necessary space to boost daily staffing levels to four firefighters and provide additional services to rural residents in the SDCFPD and surrounding communities.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The proposed actions in today’s request support the County of San Diego’s commitment to resiliency and align with the Sustainability Initiative of the County of San Diego’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan by further enhancing the regions fire protection and emergency medical services capabilities to foster safe and resilient communities.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this request are not included in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Operational Plan for the Capital Outlay Fund. If approved, this request will establish appropriations of $865,000 in the Capital Outlay Fund for Capital Project 1027530 San Pasqual Fire Station 84 Living Quarters, based on a transfer of existing General Purpose Revenue from San Diego County Fire. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
On November 4, 2024, with three of five advisory board members being present, the San Diego County Fire Protection District Fire Advisory Board reviewed and voted unanimously in support of today’s request to establish appropriations for the purchase of a modular home at San Pasqual Fire Station to accommodate for increase in staffing.
BACKGROUND
On September 16, 2014 (5), the Board of Supervisors approved of the dissolution of the San Pasqual Volunteer Fire Department and reorganization to the San Diego County Fire Authority, now the San Diego County Fire Protection District (SDCFPD). The transition aimed to streamline service delivery, address gaps in funding, and ensure consistent emergency response in the San Pasqual Valley and surrounding communities. The reorganization was part of a broader trend of consolidating independent and volunteer fire departments with a centralized command and career staffed firefighters to improve the delivery of fire and emergency medical services throughout the region.
Following the dissolution of the San Pasqual Volunteer Fire Department, SDCFPD provided oversight, coordination, and support of volunteer-reserve staffing for the community. In 2016, SDCFPD and San Diego Fire-Rescue (City Fire-Rescue) entered into an agreement for City Fire-Rescue to staff the San Pasqual Fire Station with career firefighters and provide emergency response services to the community. In this agreement, SDCFPD continues to own, maintain, and provide station improvements as needed while Fire-Rescue funds costs for staffing, vehicles, and equipment.
The station currently staffs two firefighters per day and City Fire-Rescue has notified County Fire staff of the potential to expand daily staffing to four firefighters daily. The existing living quarters do not have enough space to accommodate the two additional firefighters. Fire-Rescue's labor agreement requires each firefighter to have their own sleeping room while on shift. The project will provide the space needed to house four firefighters daily. Moving forward on this project will be dependent on the City of San Diego adopting a Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget that includes a staffing increase at the San Pasqual station. Should the Board approve today’s recommendations, the project can immediately commence once the staffing increase is confirmed.
To accommodate the increased staffing, the Living Quarters project will construct a modular home featuring four bedrooms and two bathrooms to house the firefighters. The total estimated cost is approximately $865,000 funded by San Diego County Fire’s existing General Fund with construction expected to be completed by February 2026. This expansion addresses the needs of County residents who rely on the station for fire protection and emergency medical services.
ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
Today’s actions to advertise and award a construction contract to construct a modular home at San Pasqual Station 84 are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to sections 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures), 15304 (Minor Alterations of Land) and 15311 (Accessory Structures) of the CEQA guidelines. Section 15303 is appropriate because the proposed project involves installation of one small, modular home not exceeding 2,500 square feet and utility line extensions of reasonable length to serve the new structure. Section 15304 is appropriate because the project involves minor trenching and backfilling and minor alteration of land and vegetation on slopes less than 10 percent that does not include the removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees minor land disturbance for the new structure. Section 15311 is applicable because the project involves a minor structure accessory to the existing fire station. The project is not subject to any of the exceptions to the Categorical Exemptions listed in Section 15300.2 of the CEQA Guidelines. See Attachment A for Notice of Exemption.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed actions support the Community Initiative of the County of San Diego’s 2025- 2030 Strategic Plan by providing a healthy environment that will support County firefighters in their mission of providing exceptional emergency service creating safe and resilient communities.
Respectfully submitted,
ebony n. shelton
Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment A - Notice of Exemption