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APPROVE A MOTION AUTHORIZING AN AMENDMENT TO THE FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LINCOLN RURAL COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT AND THE CITY OF STOCKTON
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve a motion to:
1. Approve an Amendment to the Fire Protection Services Agreement with the Lincoln Rural County Fire Protection District to fund one (1) additional Firefighter on each shift, for a total of three (3) positions;
2. Authorize the Budget Office to include three (3) additional firefighter positions in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Proposed Budget to implement the staffing and deployment framework established by this Amendment; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to take all appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of the motion.
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Summary
The proposed Amendment to the Fire Protection Services Agreement with the Lincoln Rural County Fire Protection District (“District”) formalizes the District’s request to fund the fourth firefighter assigned to Truck 7 at Company 7, located at 1767 W. Hammer Lane.
Because a single operational position must be staffed continuously across three shifts, the District will fund the full cost equivalent of three (3) Firefighter positions. These costs are in addition to the District’s existing annual payment obligations under the established Fire Protection Services Agreement.
This Amendment further specifies that the District-funded positions are supplemental and will not replace or offset the City’s baseline staffing obligations. This approach allows the Fire Department to maintain four-person truck company staffing while increasing overall suppression capacity by three (3) Firefighters.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City of Stockton and the Lincoln Rural County Fire Protection District entered into a Fire Protection Services Agreement on November 17, 1975, which has been amended periodically to reflect evolving operational and financial conditions. The proposed Amendment further refines staffing and cost responsibilities associated with Truck 7 to maintain service levels and operational readiness.
Truck 7 is the primary truck company serving the Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District. The unit is currently staffed with four (4) personnel daily, funded through the City’s General Fund. Under the proposed Amendment, the District will assume the cost of one firefighter position assigned to Truck 7 (three personnel total, one for each shift). This cost is directly attributable to fire protection services provided within the District, as Truck 7 regularly responds to incidents within the District’s jurisdiction.
By assuming this cost, the District enables the City to reallocate equivalent General Fund resources to support additional staffing capacity elsewhere in the system. While these resources may be deployed at other locations, the Fire Department operates under an integrated, systemwide response model in which resources are dynamically deployed based on call demand and incident type. As a result, the increased staffing capacity enhances overall response reliability, depth, and surge capability, which directly benefits the Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District, including during large-scale or concurrent incidents within the District’s jurisdiction.
Present Situation
The proposed Amendment requires the Lincoln Rural County Fire Protection District to fund the Added Costs associated with one firefighter position assigned to Truck 7 (three personnel total, one for each shift). Added Costs include salary (up to Step 4), applicable add pays, benefits, overtime, insurance, and training expenses.
Payments will commence on the first Regular Payment Date following execution of the Amendment. Thereafter, costs will be recalculated annually as part of the City’s budget process and applied retroactively to July 1 of each fiscal year to align with the City’s adopted budget.
The Amendment may be terminated by either party upon one (1) year written notice, with termination effective on the first June 30 occurring at least one year after such notice is provided.
In the event the District elects to terminate and discontinue funding for the Truck 7 position, the City will evaluate whether the associated staffing can be absorbed within the Fire Department’s existing budget at that time. No guarantee of absorption is provided, and any determination will be based on the City’s then-current fiscal conditions and service needs.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Under the proposed Amendment, the Lincoln Rural County Fire Protection District will fund all Added Costs associated with one firefighter position assigned to Truck 7 (three personnel total, one for each shift), including salary (up to Step 4), applicable add pays, benefits, overtime and backfill, FLSA obligations, insurance, and training. Accordingly, the Amendment is structured to be cost-neutral to the City’s General Fund, with District revenues fully offsetting the personnel costs and supporting the related systemwide staffing adjustments.
The Fire Department submitted a request for three (3) additional firefighter positions to the Budget Office as part of the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget development process. The Budget Office has confirmed that these positions will be included in the City Manager’s Proposed Budget, with associated allocations and appropriations to be presented to the City Council for consideration as part of the annual budget adoption process in June.
Attachment A - Amendment to Fire Protection Agreement
Attachment B - Original Agreement and Previous Amendments
Attachment C - Cost Projection