By Joe Tash

The county of San Diego’s plan to merge 12 rural fire districts in a bid to beef up defenses against devastating wildfires is a good first step, one local fire officials hope will lead to improved collaboration among fire agencies, said the Rancho Santa Fe Fire District chief.

“Long term, our hope would be that there would be some sort of regional fire protection agency that could provide the same level if not higher lever of service to the county,” as provided by the county’s existing 65 fire agencies, said Fire Chief Nick Pavone.

While Pavone and other chiefs are hopeful the county will commit to long-term funding for fire agencies, the Board of Supervisors’ unanimous vote last week to consolidate the 12 rural fire districts was “a big step in terms of what we have seen in the past,” Pavone said.

As part of the supervisors’ vote, the county will dedicate $15.5 million annually to enhancing fire protection services in the unincorporated areas, a $6 million increase, said County Chief Administrative Officer Walt Ekard.

The financial commitment, said Ekard, shows that improved fire protection is a high priority for the board.

“In a year when everyone is hurting… I think it’s a good signal by the board they take this seriously,” said Ekard.

Pavone, who has watched the county consolidation process move forward along with his fellow San Diego County fire chiefs, said the county must continue its support of local fire agencies. “Our main concern is they continue to fund this long-term.”

The county’s consolidation plan – spearheaded by Second District County Supervisor Dianne Jacob – proposed the voluntary consolidation of 23 rural, underfunded fire districts, many staffed only by volunteers, said Ekard. Of the original 22, 12 agreed to merge, which would occur by 2012. A 13th district has indicated it will join the merged agencies later.

More than 40 county fire agencies – including city departments and some in unincorporated areas, such as the Rancho Santa Fe district – were not included in the consolidation effort.

Ekard said the county plan includes money for increased training for volunteers, stipend payments and worker’s compensation coverage. The plan was not intended, at least in its initial stages, to cover well-funded districts.

“Rancho Santa Fe is not one of the fire districts anybody worries about,” because it is well-funded and well-run, said Ekard, a former manager of the Rancho Santa Fe Association.

The Board of Supervisors’ vote last Wednesday is “looked upon as a step in the direction of a greater consolidation, recognizing that a full consolidation in the region would take many years,” said Ekard. “It’s looked upon by everybody as a first step of making fire service more efficient and effective.”

While many would like to see a full consolidation of the county’s firefighting agencies, said Ekard, “I think that’s a little pie in the sky, at least for the foreseeable future. These things take time, you have to move incrementally.”

A higher level of fire services will require additional funding sources, which are not available now, Ekard said.

One of the most positive developments of the consolidation process is that all the key players, from fire chiefs, to city and county governments, to volunteer agencies, are working together to improve the county’s firefighting response capabilities, Ekard said.

Pavone agreed that moving toward a greater consolidation will take time. As an example, he pointed to Orange County, which has built its county-wide fire department to the point where cities are contracting with the county agency for services, much in the way smaller cities in San Diego County contract with the Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services.

Among the steps supported by local fire chiefs, said Pavone, would be an effort to ensure that all county fire stations have at least one full-time, career firefighter on duty along with volunteer firefighters.

Deliberations over the future of fire service in San Diego County come against a backdrop of serious threats from devastating wildfires, evidenced by the disastrous blazes that destroyed hundreds of homes in San Diego County in 2003 and again in 2007, as well as fires that are currently burning out of control in Northern California.

Sixty-one homes were destroyed within the boundaries of the Rancho Santa Fe district in the 2007 wildfires. The district includes Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, Del Dios, Four S Ranch, Mt. Israel, and other communities, covers 42 square miles, and has a population of nearly 27,000, said Pavone.

This year, little or no rain during the months of April and May have reduced moisture in plants and heightened fire danger much earlier in the season than in previous years, Pavone said.

The district is also helping its neighbors to the north, sending an engine and crew to Lone Pine, where they are working to battle the Clover Fire, Pavone said.

Dry conditions have led to much more fire activity, much earlier in the year, said Pavone. “Our concern is if this continues through the summer, that’s going to make for a very long (fire) season.”

The district is conducting refresher training for all of its firefighters, something it does on an annual basis, said Pavone, and keeping a close eye on scheduling to make sure enough firefighters are available, both locally and to assist with fires outside San Diego County when needed.

The district also encourages residents to protect themselves by making sure they have 100 feet of “defensible space” around their homes, which consists of drought- and fire-resistant plants within 50 feet of their homes, and that vegetation has been thinned and trimmed for another 50 feet.

Households should also have a plan for what to do in case of a major fire, “so if we do have to evacuate, they’re not caught unprepared,” Pavone said.

The district sends inspectors out year-round to make sure homeowners comply with brush-clearing rules, Pavone said, and last year’s wildfires do seem to have sent a clear message. “For the most part, people are doing a much better job of maintaining their properties,” he said.