The City of Gilroy has responded to Santa Clara County Civil
Grand Jury reports from June 16 that reviewed emergency dispatch
centers, pensioner rehiring practices and countywide fire
services.
The City of Gilroy has responded to Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury reports from June 16 that reviewed emergency dispatch centers, pensioner rehiring practices and countywide fire services.
The Gilroy City Council voted 6-1 Monday night to approve the official responses, which were signed off by Mayor Al Pinheiro.
Councilman Perry Woodward was the lone opposing vote.
The city’s responses are directed toward Gilroy specific findings and countywide recommendations that include the Garlic Capital, such as the grand jury’s suggestion that dispatch consolidation would be a cost-effective measure.
The city disagrees with the grand jury’s finding that fire departments have not been proactive in adopting cost-effective changes and that fire unions “are more interested in job preservation than in providing the right mix of capabilities at a reasonable cost.”
The city’s response also takes issue with the grand jury’s claim that only one in three fire crew members are trained as paramedics, stating that all three Gilroy fire engines are outfitted with “at least one paramedic.”
View the city’s response to the grand jury report. Click on the Sept. 12 “packet” and go to page 165. Check gilroydispatch.com later today for the documents.
