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NEWS RELEASE
Date: June 22, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Band Aid Solution: Fire Department Hires Two Part-time
Firefighters
Windsor CA –Windsor Fire Protection District announced today that
two part-time, temporary firefighters have been hired to work
10-hour daytime shifts through the end of the year. “These are
40-hour, non-benefited positions,” Fire Chief Ron Collier reported.
“Each will work four 10-hour shifts each week, one Sunday-Wednesday,
the other Wednesday-Saturday. This gives us a critical third person
on the engine each day, with four people on Wednesday.”
Collier describes the staffing increase as a “band aid,” far from
what the District needs, as established by the recent Town of
Windsor solicited Citygate study, but an improvement over present
staffing levels. “We are gravely concerned about the risk the
community faces each day. This at least improves our circumstances
during the day, the time when we’re most vulnerable because our
volunteers work during the day and aren’t available.”
The Citygate study recommended the District immediately add two
24-hour employees (double its present staffing) to staff a station
on the west side of Windsor, at a projected cost of approximately
$750,000. “Considering that our annual budget is $1.3 million,
there’s no way we can do it,” Collier said. He went on to explain
that because the District is filling these two positions from its
volunteer roster, the District saves the costs associated with a
hiring process (background investigations, physicals). In addition,
they can “hit the ground running,” as they have extensive Windsor
Fire training. Because the positions are not benefited, the total
cost to the District will be approximately $30,000.
Collier went on to say that the timing couldn’t be better. “Fire
conditions are especially worrisome right now. Lots of high grass
and several days of high temperatures and low humidity are the
ingredients of a big fire. Even with three people on the engine, if
conditions are right, we will not be able to keep a small fire
small. But we’ll be better able to fight it than if we only have two
people.”
Homeowners are encouraged to visit the Fire District website at
www.windsorfire.net for information about creating and maintaining
defensible space around their homes.
Windsor Fire Protection District is a combination paid/volunteer
fire department that serves 30,000 in a 30 square mile area that
encompasses 25 square miles of the Town of Windsor and 5 square
miles of surrounding unincorporated area. The Department responded
to nearly 1900 calls for service in 2005.
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Contact: Ron Collier
Office: 707/838-1170 FAX: 707/838-1173
E-mail:
rcollier@windsorfpd.com
www.windsorfire.net
NOTE: Photographs are copyrighted by Windsor Fire Protection
District and can only be used with permission.
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