California Code of Regulations › Title 14 - Natural Resources › Division 1.5 - Department of Forestry and Fire Protection › Chapter 7 - Fire Protection › Article 5 - Standards for Cooperative Fire Protection Contracts During the Nonfire Season › Section 1261 - Standards for Personnel Assignment and Cost Apportionment

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) The assignment of personnel within the
				  Unit for participation in cooperative fire protection programs pursuant to PRC
				  4143/4144 (Amador Program) will be determined after first assessing the needs
				  of the Department's non-fire season work program. This assessment will include,
				  but not be limited to, fire prevention inspections, facilities maintenance,
				  vehicle maintenance, training programs and other Unit, Region or State mission
				  assignments. Following this assessment, the Unit Chief will ensure sufficient
				  staff, consistent with State-wide program policy, exists to carry out the
				  department's non-fire season work program and that the striking force and
				  efficiency of the Department in its primary mission of wildland fire
				  protection, as well as response to major fires or other natural disasters, will
				  not be reduced or impaired.
(b)
				  Staffing for cooperative fire protection program engines pursuant to PRC
				  4143/4144 will be at levels that are mutually agreeable to all parties of the
				  fire protection agreement. The minimum engine staffing for the non-fire season
				  period is two persons for local agency mission responses and three persons for
				  State mission responses. Local agency mission response means a response to the
				  needs of the local cooperating agency which includes, but is not limited to,
				  responses to structure, vehicle and vegetation fires; medical aids; public
				  assistance; and traffic collisions. State mission response means a response to
				  a State jurisdiction emergency incident.
(c) At the request of the contracting city,
				  county, special district, other political subdivision of the state, or
				  contracting person, firm, association, corporation (contracting entity), the
				  Director may provide personnel for participation in cooperative fire protection
				  programs pursuant to PRC 4143/4144. The contracting entity shall be apportioned
				  the actual additional cost for assigned personnel, facilities, equipment, and
				  operating expenses. These costs will be determined by the Director no later
				  than April 15 of each year. For the purposes of this section, the Amador Period
				  is defined as the period from the closure of declared fire season until the
				  opening of declared fire season the following year.
(d) The Director shall apportion actual
				  additional costs as follows:
(1) Minimum
				  Engine Staffing: For two person engine company staffing, the contracting entity
				  will provide funding for one person per engine per day and the Department will
				  assign sufficient employees to meet the minimum two person staffing
				  requirement. The contracting entity will provide funding for all unplanned
				  overtime required to ensure 24-hour emergency response availability.
(2) Additional Engine Company Staffing: Where
				  it is mutually agreeable to have engine company staffing in excess of the
				  minimum two person engine company, the contracting entity will provide funds
				  for additional positions to meet the engine company staffing
				  requirements.
(3) Additional
				  Operational Support Staff: Costs for Battalion Chiefs, Emergency Communications
				  Center staff, fire prevention officers, and other non-engine staffing positions
				  with significant commitment to the contracting entity as determined by the Unit
				  Chief, shall be apportioned based on the following method. Significant
				  commitment to the contracting entity means generally 8 hours or more per week
				  in support of the local response mission:
(A)
				  For the non-fire season period, determine the average hours per month that
				  State resources are committed to local agency mission responses using computer
				  aided dispatch data using the following criteria: The analysis shall include
				  responses of Department Amador Program resources on a Statewide basis, to
				  establish a Statewide average hours of commitment. The analysis shall include
				  responses made between December 1st through May
				  1st of the prior year's non-fire season period. For
				  purposes of this analysis, local agency mission responses shall include all
				  responses to all medical aid, traffic collision, rescue, public assistance, and
				  all fires. For fires, local agency mission responses shall include all
				  responses during the period beginning two weeks after the end of the declared
				  fire season and ending two weeks before the next declared fire season
				  period.
(B) Apply (3) (A) above to
				  applicable equipment and operational support staff base salary costs to
				  determine the cost to apportion to the entity.
(4) The local contracting entity shall be
				  responsible for additional costs to the State such as unplanned overtime and
				  operating costs including utilities, associated equipment, and communications
				  associated with the local agency mission responses. Engine rental costs shall
				  be apportioned based on the formula in
				  14 CCR
				  1261 (3) (A) and (B) using
				  current rates for Fire Engines (1000 gallons or less per minute pump capacity)
				  stated in the Federal Emergency Management Agency Schedule of Equipment
				  Rates.