Anderson fire study prompts joint meeting between fire district, city

Hiring more firefighters and finding ways to fund them were the main issue addressed by a report from John Montenero of Robert Olson Associates, Inc., at a joint meeting of the Anderson Fire Protection District's board and the Anderson City Council Jan. 6.

"We found that fire protection is lacking a bit. That's not a bad thing, it shows where there is room to grow," Montenero said.

Many of his recommendations to the district were in support of the goal of hiring six firefighters, which goes hand-in-hand with a need for funding.

The fire district is grossly underfunded with annual parcel fees, building inspection fees and impact fees on building permits all at levels far below neighboring districts.

The consultant observed the fire district responding to 14 calls one day, with one captain alone in the engine ten of those times.

"That's a risk I can't recommend you take," he said, adding that firemen are legally responsible for the actions they take at a fire.

OSHA dictates that firemen are not to enter a burning building without three firemen on scene.

"The district is unprepared and incapable with the tools they have, or they break every OSHA rule to do it," Montenero said.

The district board, city council and district staff voiced agreement that more firemen and funding was needed, and agreed to continue the discussion of the matter at subsequent fire board and city council meetings.

"I still have many questions," said Keith Webster, who sits on both the city council and district board.

The consultant acknowledged that hiring six firefighters is beyond what the district could afford and would require a more expensive parcel fee than the public would accept.

To make progress toward the goal of six new firefighters, Piccinini said he wants to initially hire three when a special tax or benefit assessment in addition to the annual parcel fee is passed.

That number of firefighters would allow for two paid firefighters, rather than the goal of three, to be first responders to every call.

Piccinini estimated that a $40 annual parcel assessment would provide $160,000 necessary to fund three full-time firefighters.

Piccinini added that the addition of negotiated consessions with staff and other cost-saving measures would get the district close to its goal of six more firefighters. Specifically, Piccinini said the extra firefighters would lessen overtime worked by the understaffed district. The district pays $69,865 in overtime each year.

"That's more than one firefighter," Piccinini said.

City assistance

Financial consultant John Bliss indicated that the district should approach the city for the remaining funding it needs.

"I recommend those things to help the district, but not that we help pay for essential functions [of the district]," Anderson City Manager Scott Morgan said.

The Anderson Redevelopment Agency largely funded the study created by Montenero.

The fire district also received funding for new concrete in front of the fire house's bay doors.

New fire station

The need for a new fire station was the second goal set forth by Montenero, a need he said the district should realize in about five years. To do so, the district should scrap its plans for a second station on the land it owns on North St., he said, citing most of the district's growth has been to the south.

Both Marsha Kelley and Paul Bosetti of the fire board both said they would rather pursue the extra station regardless, citing the impedence of the passing trains.

The consultants recognized that passing trains slow response times, but said that since the delay does not happen often, it was too expensive to mitigate the situation with an extra station.

District versus department

The question over whether the independent district should be governed by the city remains, but the consultant said that the district's financial issues are too dire to waste time on changing governance now.

"You still inherit a problem due to funding," Montenero said. "In the meantime, you're losing time to gain funding for the district."

"I concur that it is not to be pursued at this time until the district has a better financial underpinning," Morgan said.

City Council meeting

The Anderson City Council meeting was brief due to the extensive joint workshop preceding it. Morgan said the city would continue to fund the $22,000 needed to continue its contract with AAASCO (Anderson Area Association of Senior Citizens Organizations), which owns the Frontier Senior Center.

"A lot of services are performed for this amount of money," Morgan said.

Those services include the minor home repair program for senior citizens as well as part of the salary for the Frontier Senior Center manager to provide a many of the extra-curricular activities that go on there.