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News & Features
From the Idyllwild Town Crier weekly newspaper, 11.26.09 edition.
IFPD links with Hemet
By J.P. Crumrine, Editor
In a long
meeting punctuated by numerous public comments and questions, the
Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD) commission accomplished only
one of seven proposed actions at its Nov. 17 meeting.
Despite many questions about its need and merit, the commission
approved entering into an “automatic” aid agreement with Hemet City
Fire Department.
According to Fire Chief Steve Kunkle, this agreement will allow each
department to specifically request the aid of the other rather than
depending upon the chance that Riverside County emergency dispatch will
send an engine from Idyllwild to Hemet or the reverse.
Kunkle offered two examples of the benefit of this agreement. Recently,
Hemet had a fire at the auto park and requested a ladder truck similar
to IFPD’s but none were close enough to arrive on time.
Secondly, Kunkle said without providing specific examples, CalFire and
the Forest Service are often too occupied with situations off the Hill
to provide IFPD with adequate and timely backup. Now IFPD can
specifically request engines from Hemet.
“It will function very similarly to mutual aid,” said City of Hemet
Fire Chief Matt Shobert. “We’re only a phone call away, like neighbors.
If [IFPD] needs help with people and equipment, I can send them.”
Incoming Commissioner Dr. Charles “Chip” Schelly inquired about the
commissioners’ previous discussions of this item. Kunkle responded this
topic was normally included in his report. However a review of the
agenda, minutes and “Chief’s” reports from April through November
revealed no evidence of any prior discussion of the automatic aid
agreement, although the dispatch agreement was a discussion item
several times.
Hemet Fire is still working on its capability to provide adequate radio
coverage to Idyllwild, Shobert said. There are still some technical
issues to resolve.
Other board business, such as approval of several sets of regulations
for management of departmental staff, was deferred until the December
meeting when a fourth policy — disciplinary policy — will be available.
The commission was prepared to approve several audits, although neither
the agenda nor President Paul Riggi revealed which audits were ready.
The action was tabled after the board could not answer questions about
the 2004-05 audit and complementary audit policy.
Jeff Smith asked the commission to explain why the net asset ending
balance for 2004 was $127,000 more than the net asset beginning balance
for 2005. The commission provided an e-mail response from David Marion,
its auditor, about how the supposed attached statement was not
available to show exactly how he proposed to handle the correction.
On Monday, Nov. 23, IFPD and Marion announced that the 2005 audit would
be restated to correct these differences.
Later, when asked why the commissioners were not monitoring the
audit costs, none replied. When informed that the 2004 audit cost had
increased more than 25 percent beyond the contracted amount,
Commissioner Earl Parker shrugged his shoulders.
In other commission business, Commissioner and Treasurer Ben
Killingsworth continued to express concerns about the adequacy of
revenues to support this year’s expenses.
In his “worse case” analysis, Killingsworth estimated the district
might end the year with a $135,000 loss. However, he acknowledged that
Kunkle was still estimating additional ambulance transport revenue that
could ameliorate the problem.
On a good note, both Killingsworh and Kunkle reported the state agency
responsible for borrowing funds to repay jurisdictions for property tax
borrowing, which the state forced all districts to loan to the state,
had issued bonds last week. IFPD’s $81,000 of property tax loans to the
state will be returned in two payments in January and May of 2010
rather than waiting two or three years for actual repayment with
interest.
Kunkle reported the Zoll Medical defibrillators had been returned and
the district kept the autopulse equipment. However, the equipment
remains in boxes because IFPD still does not have Riverside County
authorization to use it, more than one year after its purchase.
Unless a special or emergency meeting is scheduled between now and Dec.
4, this was last meeting for Commissioners Glen McWilliams, a former
commission president, Lloyd Vaught and Parker.
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