DATE:
July 18, 2023 and August 29, 2023
11
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND SECTION 31.203 OF THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY CODE TO CREATE A NEW PATH FOR VOLUNTEER RESERVE FIREFIGHTERS (JULY 18, 2023 - FIRST READING; AUGUST 29, 2023 - SECOND READING UNLESS ORDINANCE IS MODIFIED ON SECOND READING) (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
Following the devastating effects of the 2003 and 2007 wildfires in the San Diego region, the Board of Supervisors (Board) set out to coordinate, regionalize, and improve fire protection and emergency medical services in rural communities. At that time, there were twelve (12) independent volunteer fire agencies, and four (4) local fire protection districts, protecting San Diego's backcountry, each with varied levels of training and emergency response performance. The County established a Volunteer Reserve Firefighter (VRFF) Program to ensure coverage in communities that did not have full-time firefighters. Although the VRFF program was helpful for individuals wanting experience to pursue a career in the fire service, it was not a sustainable model. The County instead expanded its cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE to add paramedic-level career firefighters to all stations to ensure around the clock service to protect lives and property in our rural areas.
Today, San Diego County Fire (County Fire), through the partnership with CAL FIRE, is the second largest fire department in the region and staffs 22 fire stations with nearly 250 career firefighting personnel. Although career staffing is robust, there is still value in augmenting full-time staff with volunteer reserve firefighters. County Fire initiated a review to evaluate the effectiveness of the VRFF Program and determine if changes could be made to support the Board of Supervisors' vision for creating career opportunities in underserved and impacted communities. Removing financial and access barriers to participation became the priority for a reima...
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