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APPROVE A MOTION AUTHORIZING A FIVE-YEAR DISPATCH SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH THE SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY JOINT RADIO USERS GROUP AND ALLOCATING ONE ADDITIONAL FIRE BATTALION CHIEF - ADMIN TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GENERAL FUND
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve a Motion to:
1. Approve a five-year Agreement for the City of Stockton to provide dispatch services to the San Joaquin County Joint Radio Users Group (JRUG); and
2. Allocate one (1) additional Fire Battalion Chief - Admin position to the Fire Department General Fund; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to take necessary and appropriate actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this motion.
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Summary
The Stockton Regional Emergency Communications Center continues to expand its role as the regional provider of fire, emergency medical, and ambulance dispatch services throughout San Joaquin County. The proposed Agreement (Attachment A) establishes dispatch services for participating San Joaquin County Joint Radio Users Group agencies and is anticipated to generate approximately $602,375 in annual revenue. Staff also recommend allocating one additional Administrative Fire Battalion Chief position to the Fire Department General Fund to provide additional support to the Special Services Bureau.
DISCUSSION
Background
The San Joaquin County Joint Radio Users Group (JRUG) is a Joint Powers Authority whose members include fire departments, fire protection districts, and emergency ambulance providers throughout San Joaquin County. The members include Escalon Community Ambulance, Manteca District Ambulance, Ripon Consolidated Fire District, Clements Fire District, Collegeville Fire District, Escalon Consolidated Fire District, Farmington Rural Fire District, French Camp-McKinley Fire District, Liberty Fire District, Linden-Peters Fire District, Mokelumne Rural Fire Protection District, Montezuma Fire District, Mountain House Community Services District, Thornton Fire District, and Waterloo Morada Fire District.
Following San Joaquin County's award of the Exclusive Operating Area (EOA) Zones X and Y ambulance contract to the CENCAL Fire and EMS Authority, CENCAL entered into an agreement with the City of Stockton to provide emergency ambulance dispatch services. Because San Joaquin County requires all contracted emergency ambulance providers to be dispatched from the same communications center, Manteca District Ambulance, Ripon Consolidated Fire District, and Escalon Community Ambulance must transition from the Valley Regional Emergency Communications Center (VRECC) to the Stockton Regional Emergency Communications Center. Rather than separating those ambulance providers from the remaining JRUG member agencies, which currently receive dispatch services through VRECC, JRUG elected to transition its participating member agencies to the Stockton Regional Emergency Communications Center under a single agreement.
Present Situation
Under the proposed Agreement, the Stockton Regional Emergency Communications Center will provide twenty-four-hour fire dispatch, emergency medical dispatch, and emergency ambulance dispatch services for participating JRUG agencies. These services include emergency call processing, resource assignment and dispatch, emergency medical instructions, incident communications, coordination of mutual aid and automatic aid resources, and operational reporting.
Approval of the Agreement will establish the Stockton Regional Emergency Communications Center as the sole provider of fire and emergency ambulance dispatch services within San Joaquin County. The Center currently dispatches the Stockton Fire Department, Lodi Fire Department, South San Joaquin County Fire Authority, Manteca Fire Department, Lathrop-Manteca Fire Protection District, and emergency ambulances operating under the CENCAL Fire and EMS Authority. With the addition of the participating JRUG agencies, all fire departments and emergency ambulance providers in the County will be dispatched through a single communications center.
This countywide model provides a level of coordination that cannot be achieved when agencies are divided among separate dispatch centers. Dispatchers will have direct visibility of available fire and ambulance resources throughout the County and will be able to coordinate responses across jurisdictional boundaries without transferring information between communications centers. This is particularly important during structure fires, vegetation fires, mass-casualty incidents, major traffic collisions, and other emergencies that require resources from multiple agencies.
A single communications center also supports consistent dispatch procedures, more efficient mutual aid and automatic aid coordination, shared situational awareness, and faster deployment of the most appropriate available resources. For the community, the result is a more coordinated emergency response system in which agency boundaries are less likely to delay the exchange of information or the movement of critical resources.
Additional Position
The establishment of the CENCAL Fire and EMS Authority led to the reassignment of the former Administrative Fire Battalion Chief, previously responsible for the Department's Emergency Medical Services Division, to serve as the Authority's Executive Director. The CENCAL partnership has expanded the Department's leadership role in emergency medical services across San Joaquin County; however, it has left the Department with only one Administrative Battalion Chief to support three Deputy Fire Chiefs, each of whom oversees an entire Bureau - Fire Prevention, Operations, and Special Services - within the Department. This restructuring is necessary to ensure each Bureau receives adequate administrative support, thereby improving operational efficiency and oversight across critical functions such as dispatch, facilities maintenance, and employee health and wellness.
Currently, one Administrative Battalion Chief is assigned to the Training Division and reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Operations, while the former EMS Chief, now serving as Administrative Director of CENCAL, reports directly to the Fire Chief. Approval of the proposed allocation will allow for the re-establishment of a second Administrative Fire Battalion Chief, who will assist the Special Services Bureau and report directly to the Deputy Chief of Special Services. The Special Services Bureau manages the 911 dispatch center; Fire Department facilities and equipment; capital improvement projects; evaluation and implementation of new technology; employee health and wellness programs; and special projects as assigned. The second Administrative Fire Battalion Chief will provide targeted administrative support, enhancing the effectiveness and reach of the Special Services Bureau.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The Agreement is anticipated to generate approximately $602,375 in annual revenue to the Fire Department General Fund - Emergency Communications Division subfund. The additional revenue will allow the department to reduce its General Fund support for this division by $602,375 and reallocate this funding to the Special Services Bureau in order to support establishing the recommended Administrative Fire Battalion Chief. The cost of this position, including salary and benefits, is approximately $592,721.
Attachment A - Dispatch Services Agreement between JRUG and City of Stockton