Mike Alifano, Director to be Recalled

How much more or less will a standalone Coastside department cost the community?

Zero, not the millions that Cal Fire supporters are using as scare tactics. I am committed to NO new taxes and I will continue to lower taxes as my track record has proven. No current Fire Board director has hinted at raising any taxes, just lowering them. Working with our consultants, retired Fire Chief Dan Belville of San Mateo/Foster City and retired Woodside Town Manager Susan George, we modeled our salaries and benefits budget with fiscal sustainability while still staying competitive so we can attract the very best fire service professionals in the area. Our consultants have proven that we can afford our own local fire service professionals and established a long-term five-year budget. Our job is to provide the highest level of fire service that we can afford while being fiscally responsible. To date the estimated delta between our current contract for fire services with Cal Fire ($6.013 Million) and having our own local Fire Service ($6.373 Million) is about $360K. That number will fluctuate based on how many returning firefighters are actually hired and how many new firefighters are required to fill the remaining positions.

If we are “supposedly” saving millions with Cal Fire then Coastside taxpayers should see a rebate or discount on their tax bill? Most Coastside residents are unaware the district incurred costs in excess of $4 million transitioning to Cal Fire to match lifetime health-care benefits and unexpected side funds from changes to CalPERS retirement pools. Go to the top page 4 of the report and read it: Audit Report FY2010-2011. The district stands to save a huge sum of money by shifting back to an active CalPERS retirement pool with new employees and a possible credit over $1 million from prior retirement healthcare payments. Additionally the district has set up a trust fund for future health care costs for living retirees that totals $2.1 million. The district has more than 125% of its operating budget in reserves including $2.2 million in the general fund. Click here to download the Budget FY2012-2013.

We have a recent actuarial for our unfunded liabilities estimated to be about $6.1 million. That will dramatically decrease once we hire new employees as well as the current rate we now pay 29% compared to 18% prior to Cal Fire transition. Cal Fire has NEVER ordered an actuarial on their unfunded liabilities but this year they will be forced, because of new GASB accounting rules, and it’s in the $100’s of BILLIONS not millions. Do you think their rates are going to sky rocket to cover this huge wildfire burning out of control? Just like they take valuable local firefighters and equipment from small fire districts like the Coastside to cover large state wildfires, they will find a way to “take” from others to cover their state mission and primary focus….Cal Fire.

How is the level of service of CalFire better or worse than the level of service of a standalone Coastside department?

The Coastside Fire Protection District board has given Cal Fire more than ample time to step up and perform as mutually agreed upon in the contract. Five years to be exact. We have definitely lowered our expectations to make the Cal Fire contract work. Unfortunately the taxpayers haven't seen the change in the amount they pay on the tax bill. The employee turnover is at an all-time high and estimated to be well over 200 firefighters since the contract inception.  How can we expect to increase our level of training when we are just a revolving door of firefighters filtering through our fire district? Prior to CalFire we had two ambulances that were staffed with two firefighter/paramedics that were our employees. If there was an emergency our firefighter paramedics could go into a burning building, operate the Jaws of Life to extricate multiple crash victims, rappel down a cliff, perform water rescues and do everything this district could throw at them. Now we have just one ambulance that covers a greater area than our district. Unfortunately they can't enter burning buildings and perform firefighter duties like our local fire department provided before Cal Fire. Cal Fire made a commitment to our fire district when they signed the contract to provide fire services and management not to move local employees unilaterally. Unfortunately Cal Fire has not only breached their commitment but moved local firefighters punitively. That is not just wrong it's against the law. Unfortunately these types of actions create lawsuits and this was one of the main reasons past board members and fire chiefs decided to contact fire services with Cal Fire. Cal Fire never hired ONE local volunteer firefighter in the five years they have occupied this contract. Cal Fire is unresponsive to the unique needs of the Coastside. 

Prior to Cal Fire we had a Full-time Fire Chief now we have a Fire Chief that spends an average of 4 hours a month (2 parades a year) because he has 5 other contracts in San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties. Prior to my appointment to the board in 2010, Cal Fire used the Coastside Fire Protection District as a resource for their other contracts. Case in point, they reduced both fire marshals from full-time to half-time because they had vacancies to fill in their San Mateo County contract. To make matters worse they had a vacancy in the San Mateo County contract for a Division Chief and sold the Coastside fire board on the “savings” that could be achieved with the sharing of this position. Keep in mind this position was the highest ranking position underneath the Fire Chief who on average spent four hours a month in the district for board meetings. Cal Fire was warned by members of the board if they continued this practice there would be complaints from the public and problems fulfilling the basic terms of the contract. At one point we lost our most experienced Fire Marshal for over a year and at one point had no Fire Marshals for six months. The entire board, including myself, warned the Fire Chief that these were issues he created because of his greater need to fulfill other contracts over the contract for Coastside Fire.

The first three examples came in the form of complaints directly to the board regarding the poor management of the contract and ultimately the demise of the Cal Fire contract. First was the complaint from Dr. Michael Klass of the Medical Reserve Corps. The complaints in the letter addressed to the Fire Board, HMB Chamber and HMB City were poor communication, lack of community involvement, absent representation of our fire district with countywide exercises and training. The worst complaint was Cal Fire’s unresponsiveness to the repeated request of support from this valuable volunteer organization. The second visible and embarrassing situation happened at our board meeting when a local developer named Bruce Russell from Kenmark Construction had a complaint regarding a delay in completing a Community Facilities District. His project had been in the works for many years for 32 new homes on a local golf course. He was upset because he was due to open up a model home within the next month but could not obtain final permits because the CFD was not created. Lastly are the endless complaints regarding unresponsiveness of the Fire Marshals in reviewing plans for local projects and mistakes that have cost the district tens of thousands of dollars for simple but expensive mistakes. All these complaints were centered around the Fire Prevention Bureau and without Fire Marshals to oversee the bureau and a half-time Assistant Fire Chief to oversee the Fire Marshals; this was a disaster destined to happen. To top it off, an absent Fire Chief who only spent a few hours a month in the district just compounded the problem. This was just another example of poor oversight and management on Cal Fire’s watch. To top it off outsourcing our fire service to CalFire has another big flaw that most Coastsiders are unaware of; there is a clause in the contract which holds Cal Fire harmless in case there is an accident or possible death. Ultimately the Coastside Fire Protection District is responsible and will bear any and all lawsuits at the Coastside taxpayers’ expense. All these complaints are addressed and remedied with a local fire service solution because we will have a Fire Chief that answers to the pleasure of our local fire board and community. We can give our Fire Chief the tools and resources to hire and promote long-term locally minded fire professionals.

Why Vote Yes or No on the Recall?

Vote NO on the Recall because the last thing our community needs is 5 Fire Board Directors that only profess and promote one solution: Cal Fire. Their job is to actually look at all options and be objective. This would be a hard decision to make when they are bought and paid for by Cal Fire.

There has been no evidence of wrongdoing, no graft; no reason for a recall other than CalFire’s Union wants to control the Coastside Fire Protection District Board. This recall effort is a bold power play by CalFire’s Union to put into place people that are loyal only to them. CalFire’s Union starts and funds a recall effort on the very fire board members that are critical of their performance.

This recall election is a waste of Coastside Taxpayers money to hold a special election that will cost $130K. Cal Fire could care less that there is a 3 person board majority election in November. This is the time to stand up and say NO to Cal Fire and Sacramento’s big money and regain our community’s local control over the protection of life and property but more importantly our Coastside.

Please visit www.coastsidefire.com for more up to the minute information or email me at mike@alifano.com.