CAPTAIN BOB KITTLEMAN
County Firefighters are given the opportunity to transfer
to other stations and divisions, and Captain Bob
Kittleman recently transferred from Station 10 in Phelan
to Station 71 in Fontana. Under normal circumstances
this would not be Division News-worthy, but Bob had
been assigned to Phelan for 16 years and had become
somewhat of an icon in the community. Bob has earned
a respectable reputation in the community and was
responsible for mentoring many young people in the
Phelan fire explorer program. Many of our Local 935
members started their careers as explorers under
Kittleman’s direction. Bob remains the coordinator for
the local CERT team and remains a resident in the
community. Bob Kittleman is a prime example a true
leader, and Local 935 applauds him for making Station
10 what it is today. He will be missed!
Benefits of Annexation
In cities such as Fontana, Hesperia and Victorville, San Bernardino
County Fire operates via contracts for service. With these agreements
the city and county negotiate a service level within the county’s
capabilities, and payments are made by the city to maintain that level.
The county provides the personnel and offers all-risk services, including
fire, technical rescue, Hazmat and airport fire/rescue, as well as fleet,
dispatch, fire investigation and prevention. The cities or districts pay
an administration fee for the contract, but get to maintain all ownership
of facilities and equipment. In addition, these cities generally maintain
their local fire boards and thereby influence County Fire operations
and service administration. If the cost of service increases due to such
factors as changes in the labor contract, workers compensation or
retirements, the additional costs are passed on to the local jurisdiction.
There is another option, however, one that is endorsed by Local 935 for
its overall benefits to public safety and, ultimately, to the taxpayer. This
option is called annexation, and it is the model by which communities
like Lake Arrowhead, Lucerne Valley and Yucca Valley—areas that
once operated their own fire protection districts—have existed within
County Fire.
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Annexation essentially dissolves the local fire district altogether and
diverts a portion of the jurisdiction’s property taxes directly to County
Fire. The county would then be responsible not only for conducting dayto-day fire service operations, but also would take ownership of the fleet,
as well as handling apparatus replacement and station upkeep. In other
words, with annexation, County Fire wholly becomes that jurisdiction’s
fire department. The county, city and Local Area Formation Committee
(LAFCo) work together to facilitate the transition and plan.
Capt. Bob Kittleman recognized for his 16 years
of service to the Tri Communities
The primary benefit of annexation, aside from eliminating the contract
service fee and a city’s costs of maintaining a local fire board, is that it
allows County Fire to operate as a true regionalized service provider.
City boundaries no longer become barriers to sharing of services,
allowing resources to be dispatched as needed more efficiently.
Changes to Medi-Cal reimbursement also provide fiscal incentive for
annexation. Under the recent Ground Emergency Medical Transport
(GEMT) supplemental reimbursement program, service providers can
apply for federal funds to help close the gap in Medi-Cal reimbursement,
which typically covers only about 10 percent of the costs of providing
paramedic care and transport. A contracted jurisdiction such as
Hesperia, one that operates its own ambulances (as opposed to using
a private ambulance company as is done in Fontana and Victorville)
stands to share in a much larger portion of GEMT monies by dissolving
its fire district and annexing with County Fire. For example, the county
currently collects approximately $800,000 per 5,000 transports. This
added revenue could be the difference between maintaining or closing
stations during economic hardship.
Overall, annexation allows County Fire to plan long into the future while
building a seamless regional public safety model to benefit its citizens.
16 FIREWIRE | VOL.4
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