Agenda

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C.2

To:	Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors
From:	Jeff Carman, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Date:	May 23, 2017

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Add One Assistant Fire Chief-Exempt Position and Cancel One Fire Training Chief Position

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 05/23/2017

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, Director
Candace Andersen, Director
Diane Burgis, Director
Karen Mitchoff, Director
Federal D. Glover, Director

Contact:	Denise Cannon, (925) 941-3311
cc:	Denise Cannon

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: May 23, 2017
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Position Adjustment Resolution No. 22085 to add one (1) Assistant Fire Chief-Exempt (RPB1) (unrepresented) position at Salary Plan and Grade BF5 2267 ($11,310 - $13,748) and cancel one (1) vacant Fire Training Chief (RWHA) (represented) position at Salary Plan HA5 2248 ($11,768 - $12,974) in the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Cost neutral. The base wages and available differentials between the classifications are not significantly different. Employer contributions to group insurance, the employee subvention of the employer's pension cost, and the negotiated overtime benefit for certain safety management employees make it difficult to discern a difference in the total cost of the positions.

BACKGROUND:

Under the current organizational structure within the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, the training division is under the direction of a 40-hour Battalion Chief. Since most of the assignments to this position have been mandated, it has not been uncommon for a change in command to occur every year. This has been inefficient and has limited progress within the division; most of the incumbents possessed little expertise in the administration of a program of this size and complexity.

In 2016, in an effort to stop the annual rotation and improve efficiency, the District reinstated “permanent” Training and EMS Chief positions. An experienced internal candidate was promoted into the Training Chief position. The complexity of wage and benefit differences between classifications (e.g., employee contributions to group insurance and retirement) resulted in a lower amount of net pay for the incumbent. Eventually, the incumbent requested a voluntary demotion back to his previous classification of Fire Captain.

This P300 attempts to address the wage and benefit issue by replacing the Training Chief with an Assistant Fire Chief. As stated above, the District recently did this in the EMS division. Assistant Fire Chief is an unrepresented classification and provides the District with more flexibility. It is exempt from the FLSA and the Merit System. Assistant Fire Chief candidates also tend to have a broader skill set and prior experience in administrative (non-suppression) assignments.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

The District will continue to make mandatory, one-year assignments within the Battalion Chief classification. This may result in reduced continuity in leadership, a delay in project completion, and lower staff morale.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

No impact.