It is a separate entity, with an elected board, in which members serve four-year terms, that contracts its services to the town. It is funded through taxes paid by residents who live in the Windsor area. According to June 1998 figures provided by attorney Arnone, the department consists of nine paid male firefighters, one female bookkeeper, two male volunteer officers, nine male volunteer engineers, and 12 volunteer firefighters, including 10 males and two females. This isn't the first firestorm of controversy to swirl around the department. The Windsor Fire Protection District recently met with criticism from the Sonoma County grand jury, which in the annual report released last month stated that it had investigated a complaint that the district illegally met in closed session to negotiate a contract giving Chief Collier a salary increase, a violation of the state's open-meeting law known as the Brown Act.
Critics say that incident is another example of the district's cavalier attitude.
Strawbridge comments that Ploeger's allegations involve a completely open degrading environment where intentional sexual harassment blatantly occurred. This is widespread, systematic. It's not an isolated incident, but a total pattern in our county. Municipal emergency services need a major fix. Meanwhile, Ploeger has asked for an injunction ordering the fire district to notify employees about its sexual harassment policies and how to report and investigate harassment.