Why do we keep stations that get few calls staffed 24/7?
| Saturday, Aug 22 2009 12:00 PM
Last Updated Monday, Aug 24 2009 12:11 PM
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Casey Christie / The Californian A few vehicles pass by Kern County Fire Station #35 in Woody, northeast of Bakersfield.
Casey Christie / The Californian Kern County Fire Department engineer Larry Shearer gets ready at Station #35 for another shift in Woody, about 30 miles from Bakersfield on Woody Road. The station is in the foothills, surrounded by mostly ranchland.
Casey Christie / The Californian Kern County Fire Department engineer, Larry Shearer, drives the type 3 engine, which is four-wheel drive vehicle and can go off road, at the Woody fire station, #35. The station is 30 miles from town.
Casey Christie / The Californian The windy, mountain road to Woody curves along Woody Road, which takes you to Kern County Fire Station #35, where two firefighters man the station, with three different shifts that rotate on a regular basis.
Casey Christie / The Californian Kern County Fire Department engineer, Larry Shearer, gets ready for another day at station #35, in Woody, northeast of Bakersfield about 30 miles.
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On average, firefighters in Woody got a call for help two times each month last year. In Glennville, that number was about one per week. In Fellows, it's about one every five days.
Yet despite a lack of activity, the county keeps at least two firefighters at each station around the clock, 27/7, 365 days a year.
Why?
The county's five slowest stations received a combined 286 calls last year.
That's less than one call per day, between five stations.
Yet amid a recent budget cut of about $5 million, and more cuts expected in the future, none of these stations are on the chopping block, according to the Kern County Fire Department.
Kern Fire has 46 stations located across the county. And while it's hard to say how many are classified as rural, it's fair to say that slower stations make up a good chunk of the department.
Why keep these stations around just to respond to a call every once in a while?
Because they're protecting a community, regardless of how small or large that community is, said Sean Collins, public information officer for the county department.
The county is so spread out that it could take as long as an hour to get from one station to another, Collins said.
For example, the county's busiest station, located in East Bakersfield, is about 48 minutes away from Woody.
And when a fire can take down an entire house in minutes, "we have to get there quick," said Deputy Chief Brian Marshall. "We can't put a price on a human life."
Plus, because some of these communities are so small, the fire station is often the only county government building in the area.
"When they (residents) need help, they come to the station," Marshall said.
Collins said it's difficult to say how much of a financial burden these slower stations are. The department has one general fund that is made up of multiple sources of income, including property taxes.
The fund is divided between the stations, depending on what each stations' needs are, such as their gas bill, or if the station needs a new paint job, Collins said.
It also includes funding from Cal Fire, also known as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention. The county is under contract with Cal Fire to protect certain areas from wildlife fires. However, that funding is only provided during grassfire season.
But with these tough economic conditions, the department may have to find new ways to save money, said Michael Turnipseed, executive director of the Kern County Taxpayers Association.
"It is troubling," Turnipseed said. "I do know that in the era of having less money, they're going to have to find better and more efficient ways to do things."
The department insists that no station is under risk of being closed. In fact, they see a low number of calls as a positive.
On the stations' low number of calls, Marshall said: "That's a good thing. We like to see them have no fires."
The department did make a concession during the recent budget cuts, dropping the number of firefighers at nine stations from three to two. Both the Woody and Glennville station lost a position in the deal.
The cut means there's now only a captain and an engineer, who operates the fire engine. The third position was a firefighter.
"When you take the fireman out of the equation, the only other person left is the captain," said Woody Capt. Kent Foster. "It's hard to be the commander and be at the other end of the nozzle."
