Following a failed effort to protest the dissolution of the South Santa Clara County Fire District, county officials are preparing to consolidate fire protection services in unincorporated areas into the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District.
Voters and property owners had an opportunity to protest the dissolution of the South County Fire District after the county’s Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) voted April 2 to do so. On May 7, the LAFCO executive officer held a protest hearing. The commission received about 470 protests against the move—far short of a majority needed to reverse the commission’s previous decision.
Commission staff continue to review and verify the protests, and are planning to compile a report to present at the June 4 LAFCO board meeting.
The Santa Clara County Fire Department has long provided services for the Central Fire District and will assume responsibility for fire protection services within the area currently served by SCFD—which has been overseen by Cal Fire.
County Fire staff said in a May 7 statement that the transition is underway and will take effect by July 1.
The county board of supervisors voted unanimously in January to begin the dissolution of the South County Fire District and consolidate it into the Central Fire District.
“This reorganization ensures the sustainability of fire protection services in the areas served by SCFD and addresses longstanding fiscal challenges in the South Santa Clara County Fire District, including a multi-year structural budget deficit and lack of capacity to meet long-term facility, apparatus and staffing needs,” County Fire said in the recent statement.
Under the new structure, County Fire will commit to delivering the same service level that residents and property owners have received from SCFD.
County Fire said it will bring additional services including an “all-risk, all-hazards model,” an urban search and rescue team and a hazardous materials team. However, county officials have said it will cost about $4.5 million more for County Fire to deliver similar existing services in the SCFD boundaries.
County Fire staff added they expect emergency response times to improve in the South County area with county 911 communications assuming dispatching responsibilities. The current area of the SCFD will be served by year-round, 24/7 staffing at the Masten and Treehaven fire stations, and at the new, temporary Vineyard station in Morgan Hill.
“County Fire will prioritize building a permanent fire station that is strategically located to provide optimal response times to emergency calls in the fire district’s expanded service area,” County Fire’s statement says.
SCFD’s boundary encompasses about 288 square miles of unincorporated areas surrounding the cities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy, and extending to the Santa Clara-Santa Cruz County line in the southwest, and the Santa Clara-San Benito County line in the south. The territory includes the unincorporated area of Coyote Valley in the north, and portions of the Diablo range to the east.
“As Fire Chief, I’m deeply grateful for the confidence placed in our department by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors,” County Fire Chief Suwanna Kerdkaew said. “Santa Clara County Fire Department leadership and its members look forward to extending our longstanding tradition of professional and courteous service to community members and businesses in San Martin and the surrounding area.”
Morgan Hill and Gilroy officials, Cal Fire staff who run SCFD and dozens of residents have spoken out against the dissolution of the South County district, arguing that County Fire does not have nearly the resources that the state fire protection agency brings to the table. Opponents are also concerned that fire protection fees charged by County Fire to property owners in South County will likely increase under the consolidation.
At the April 2 LAFCO meeting, Mayor Mark Turner was the only commissioner who voted against the county’s proposal to dissolve SCFD.
Morgan Hill continues to contract with Cal Fire to run the Morgan Hill Fire Department, which provides fire protection service within the city limits.
