Paradise to change fire department severely

Major changes to Paradise Fire Department will be discussed at Tuesday night's Paradise Town Council meeting.

[Yes]

"Rough said Jensen's youth, enthusiasm and wealth of experience ignited a comprehensive analysis of Paradise's fire protection never before done."

This sums it all up, really and I am very glad to see it. This is just the beginning of the end of the "that's the way we've always done it" era. Shake things up. Analyze and question everything. Find better and more creative ways to save money rather than the old fart way of "cut cut cut."

Thanks Chris Jensen!

[David K]

"Under the plan, Station Two, on Middle Libby and Pearson Roads would be mostly decommissioned under the new fire plan." ...writes Paul Wellersdick...

Exactly what the hell is this literary gem supposed to mean?

De-commission Station 2?

Maybe they should close the station closest to the mayors home, or is that near "one of the new developments" that will have a new station built?.

The reason Station 2 was built was because of its location where it would better serve the community. Just because the people that live near Pentz Rd. are a little wealthier is not justification for closing #2 and building a new station near them.

[thetroubleisnoti nparadise]

thanks for denying Walmart!

[Sal Mineo]

So the Town Fathers are going to save us huge bundles of money by closing one fire station and building another?

Oh, that really makes sense!

Maybe as those "new developments" develop they can pay for their own fire station. Why should the people who live in the area currently served by Station #2 have to pay more money in taxes ang get degraded service so that people new to another area yet to be developed get better service?

If a new station is built on Pentz south of Pearson response times for many areas currently served by #2 will inrease by more than 100%.

This is just another example of how out of touch and unconcerned certain members of city government are. Its a stupid idea, can it now!

[huh]

"If a new station is built on Pentz south of Pearson response times for many areas currently served by #2 will inrease by more than 100%."

And exactly WHERE did you come up with that number? Out of your dark eye? This is just another example of idiot citizens that have no clue what they are talking about. So, Sal, when you have been a firefighter, a fire marshal, and a fire chief, I'll respect your opinion on the subject. Until then, stick a sock in it ya old fart!

[Scott]

15% raise!?! I thought these were tough economic times. Those are tax dollars that we're paying.

[Sal Mineo]

huh wrote:

"If a new station is built on Pentz south of Pearson response times for many areas currently served by #2 will inrease by more than 100%."
And exactly WHERE did you come up with that number? Out of your dark eye? This is just another example of idiot citizens that have no clue what they are talking about. So, Sal, when you have been a firefighter, a fire marshal, and a fire chief, I'll respect your opinion on the subject. Until then, stick a sock in it ya old fart!

Get in your car. Drive from south of Pearson on Pentz Road to Mahattan Drive off of South Libby. It will take you three or four minutes. Then drive from Station #2 location to the same area. It will take you thirty seconds. Get it? Your rudeness is rather telling when it comes to who "the idiot citizen" is.

[been there]

This must be the "baffle them with...." A 15% pay raise for Jensen, which may be deserved, but that is a nice salary increase when times are tough. Do away with two division chiefs, create 3 battalion chiefs and an assistant chief. Remove 2 supervisor positions and create 4 supervisor positions. That makes sense, especially when the assistant chief will be pay raise for one of the division chiefs ( I assume the next in line). Is the second div. chief is going to get a pay cut or retire? PPF will get two more supervisors (higher pay, less work) when we need firefighters. These new positions will probably include a vehicle assigned to each of them, who is going to pay for the new vehicles, the gas and upkeep, the taxpayer is. Close a station and build a new one, now that is cost effective. How can anyone believe the numbers Rough is putting out? How about putting 2,3 or 4 more firefighters on the engines where they are really needed, instead of feathering the nest of supervisors.

[Hipshot]

This is just another money grab, trying to get money from Butte County and Sta #25 response area. This is about adding extra firefighters to the engine and expanding the numbers. Remember the new proposed fire district the town will be pushing.

Paid firefighters are doing everything they can to put a stop to the volunteer program so they are in a better negotiating position come contract time. Some volunteers have waited well in excess of a year to be paid for campaign fires because of how the town does business. In fact retired volunteers can't get their retirement from the state because the fire dept hasn't paid their dues for 3 years.

Petty politics run rampant within the ranks of this fire dept and hopefully this new chief will shake things up. But my question is why has he been anointed to this position without any type of normal hiring search? Or is he just Chuck's boy and will do everything he's told to?

When Station 2 is shut down I guess those living down South Libby and Edgewood and those living east of Strattons market will just have to suffer longer response times. As it is when a general alarm is called the dept cannot fill in positions because too many firefighters live in Chico and don't bother to answer the call.

[been there]

Hipshot wrote:

This is just another money grab, trying to get money from Butte County and Sta #25 response area. This is about adding extra firefighters to the engine and expanding the numbers. Remember the new proposed fire district the town will be pushing.
Paid firefighters are doing everything they can to put a stop to the volunteer program so they are in a better negotiating position come contract time. Some volunteers have waited well in excess of a year to be paid for campaign fires because of how the town does business. In fact retired volunteers can't get their retirement from the state because the fire dept hasn't paid their dues for 3 years.
Petty politics run rampant within the ranks of this fire dept and hopefully this new chief will shake things up. But my question is why has he been anointed to this position without any type of normal hiring search? Or is he just Chuck's boy and will do everything he's told to?
When Station 2 is shut down I guess those living down South Libby and Edgewood and those living east of Strattons market will just have to suffer longer response times. As it is when a general alarm is called the dept cannot fill in positions because too many firefighters live in Chico and don't bother to answer the call.

The Mel-Roos district grows, now there are 2 more supervisors and a new fire station. Seriously, how can they justify 2 more supervisors when they are saying they do not have enough firefighters? Who are the supervisors going to supervise, the fire captain who is supervising the engineer and a firefighter? Counting the engineer, that is three supervisors (two of them mangagers) to one firefighter.

[wow]

I thought the fire was hurting for money.

[been there]

wow wrote:

I thought the fire was hurting for money.

They want a special tax (Mel-Roos) which goes to the fire department. The problem is Mel-Roos is much like our state lottery. The government uses the money IN PLACE of the funds INSTEAD of adding to the funds. If we are going to pay more money for fire protection, then we should put more firefighters on the engines because they are the ones who are doing the work. Somebody wants to build a bigger impire.

[Only In Paradise]

David K wrote:

"Under the plan, Station Two, on Middle Libby and Pearson Roads would be mostly decommissioned under the new fire plan." ...writes Paul Wellersdick...
Exactly what the hell is this literary gem supposed to mean?
De-commission Station 2?
Maybe they should close the station closest to the mayors home, or is that near "one of the new developments" that will have a new station built?.
The reason Station 2 was built was because of its location where it would better serve the community. Just because the people that live near Pentz Rd. are a little wealthier is not justification for closing #2 and building a new station near them.

De-commission is another way of saying "closing down". It's a safe bet that none of the Town council and manager live near Station #2. If the real goal is to save money, then demote all the fire department higher-ups and bump them back to fighting fires. Talk about "too many chiefs and not even Indians",- in this case firefighters. For those people who haven't figured it out yet, the town councilmen are only looking out for themselves and their businesses to profit. Not the town or its taxpayers. WAKE UP PEOPLE.

[Disgusted]

"Rough said Jensen's youth, enthusiasm and wealth of experience ignited a comprehensive analysis of Paradise's fire protection never before done. The proposed "transition plan" includes removing two division chief positions, adding three new battalion chief positions and creating an assistant fire chief position".

So does anyone know Jensen's relationship or kinship to Rough? During bad economic times, no one should be hired with a 15% pay raise over the current salary schedule. The handwriting was on the wall when Rough's scheme went public a few months back when the current police and fire chiefs took "early retirements" and forfeited benefits. Smells a lot like his handling of the Performing Arts. He was the board president who brought in a friend as the executive director (with no entertainment experience or connections), and the PPAC was run into the ground.- Now I can understand why Ukiah was so thrilled to see him go. The voters need to vote on closing down one fire station to build a new one; not the town manager, mayor and council. TIME FOR A RECALL....

[Friend of firefighters]

Hipshot wrote:

This is just another money grab, trying to get money from Butte County and Sta #25 response area. This is about adding extra firefighters to the engine and expanding the numbers. Remember the new proposed fire district the town will be pushing.
Paid firefighters are doing everything they can to put a stop to the volunteer program so they are in a better negotiating position come contract time. Some volunteers have waited well in excess of a year to be paid for campaign fires because of how the town does business. In fact retired volunteers can't get their retirement from the state because the fire dept hasn't paid their dues for 3 years.
Petty politics run rampant within the ranks of this fire dept and hopefully this new chief will shake things up. But my question is why has he been anointed to this position without any type of normal hiring search? Or is he just Chuck's boy and will do everything he's told to?
When Station 2 is shut down I guess those living down South Libby and Edgewood and those living east of Strattons market will just have to suffer longer response times. As it is when a general alarm is called the dept cannot fill in positions because too many firefighters live in Chico and don't bother to answer the call.

Please elaborate on how paid firefighters are "doing everything they can to put a stop to the volunteer program so they are in a better negotiating position come contract time". I would like to know what evidence you have of this. As far as getting paid, I am willing to bet that the paid firefighters think you should get paid for what your are owed (I don't believe it's in there hands).

[Hipshot]

Friend of firefighters wrote:

<quoted text>
Please elaborate on how paid firefighters are "doing everything they can to put a stop to the volunteer program so they are in a better negotiating position come contract time". I would like to know what evidence you have of this. As far as getting paid, I am willing to bet that the paid firefighters think you should get paid for what your are owed (I don't believe it's in there hands).

I would love to elaborate up to a point without betraying a confidence within the dept. There is a small minority within the fire dept that do not want volunteers to answer calls because "their not professional firefighters" the volunteers. If you were to compare the call volume from the volunteers say 2009 and say go back to 2000 -2005 and I think you would be shocked to find that there is very little participation in comparison. There is a hostile work enviroment created by some of the paid firefighters that do not want the volunteers there. Like a friend of my told me one time "I don't care who shows up volunteer or paid as long as they put the fire out." Unfortunately money is the main issue in the dept and has been for sometime. The volunteers have been a great asset to the fire dept for the amount of money raised and put directly into the dept for equipment which some of the paid have a very short memory about.

[Friend of firefighters]

Hipshot wrote:

<quoted text>
I would love to elaborate up to a point without betraying a confidence within the dept. There is a small minority within the fire dept that do not want volunteers to answer calls because "their not professional firefighters" the volunteers. If you were to compare the call volume from the volunteers say 2009 and say go back to 2000 -2005 and I think you would be shocked to find that there is very little participation in comparison. There is a hostile work enviroment created by some of the paid firefighters that do not want the volunteers there. Like a friend of my told me one time "I don't care who shows up volunteer or paid as long as they put the fire out." Unfortunately money is the main issue in the dept and has been for sometime. The volunteers have been a great asset to the fire dept for the amount of money raised and put directly into the dept for equipment which some of the paid have a very short memory about.

How about you address the department directly with what ever issues you believe you may have and get them solved instead of making blanket statements on this forum?

[Jay Castor]

Sal Mineo wrote:

So the Town Fathers are going to save us huge bundles of money by closing one fire station and building another?
Oh, that really makes sense!
Maybe as those "new developments" develop they can pay for their own fire station. Why should the people who live in the area currently served by Station #2 have to pay more money in taxes ang get degraded service so that people new to another area yet to be developed get better service?
If a new station is built on Pentz south of Pearson response times for many areas currently served by #2 will inrease by more than 100%.
This is just another example of how out of touch and unconcerned certain members of city government are. Its a stupid idea, can it now!

"A whole lotta shakin' goin' on." Ya know, it seems like one could save even more money by NOT shaking things up. I mean, if it ain't broke (and it ain't!), why fix it? Sounds more like a whole smokescreen to SPEND a bunch of money. Hmmm. So the average call takes eight mkinutes from station 2? Close it, and see how much LONGER those calls will take in that part of town, whether you build a station for Howard Johnson's new develpoment(s) in SE Paradise, or not?

[Jay Castor]

It's interesting that the ambulance charge plan also didn't work out. Probably because the recipients of said services are elderly people on fixed incomes and couldn't afford it, and their nealth insurance plans won't cover it. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men!

[Dode Penrod]

Jay Castor wrote:

It's interesting that the ambulance charge plan also didn't work out. Probably because the recipients of said services are elderly people on fixed incomes and couldn't afford it, and their nealth insurance plans won't cover it. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men!

Speaking from expierence, I know that a lot of elderly people are on Medicare and Medicare does pay 80% of the cost of ambulance charges. I don't think "fixed incomes" has anything to do with it.