Agenda

Return

C. 43

To:	Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors
From:	Lewis T. Broschard III, Chief, Contra Costa Fire Protection District
Date:	July 26, 2022

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Add Fifteen (15) Firefighter Recruit Positions in the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 07/26/2022

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Elizabeth Loud, 925-941-3300

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: July 26, 2022
Monica Nino, County Administrator

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Position Adjustment Resolution No. 26001 to add fifteen (15) Firefighter Recruit (RPWD) (represented) positions at salary plan and grade 4N5 1201 ($6855.11) in the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The estimated cost of adding fifteen Firefighter Recruit positions for a 16-18 week academy is $603,000. Recruits are not enrolled into CCCERA until they successfully complete the academy and become either a Firefighter or Firefighter-Paramedic. Recruits are also not eligible for holiday or scheduled FLSA pay. They are eligible to receive medical and dental group insurance coverage. Those costs are included in the estimate. At the conclusion of the academy, it is anticipated that recruits will replace 56-hour line personnel at the rank of Firefighter or Firefighter-Paramedic. Firefighters will replace Fire Engineers, Fire Engineers will replace Fire Captains, and so forth.

BACKGROUND:

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) is requesting these positions to have vacant positions to hire recruits into fire academies. The District typically starts its annual recruit academy in October. Recruit academies run for 16-18 weeks. Recruits are then promoted to Firefighter or Firefighter-Paramedic and begin provisional assignments and one-year probationary periods. The District generally experiences most of its retirement-related attrition in March.

It takes approximately one year to advertise and post a recruitment, conduct a Merit System examination to promulgate a hiring eligible list, schedule and conduct District-level interviews from the eligible list, select candidates, and do pre-employment assessments (background investigations and medical examinations). All of these steps must take place prior to beginning a recruit academy, which again, is generally 16-18 weeks of rigorous classroom and physical training.

If the District waits for positions to become vacant prior to recruitment and selection, pre-employment assessments, and academy training processes, minimum staffing goals will never be achieved. That will result in mandatory overtime, fatigued and injured personnel, and an inability to assist other agencies with mutual aid.

By having a cache of vacant positions available to use for recruit hiring, the District can fill positions at approximately the time they become vacant.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If this request is not approved the Fire Protection District will not have vacant positions available to hire recruits into the fire academy.