Should we combine the Pt. Montara and Half Moon Bay Fire Districts into one District with one Board of Directors?

By Joe Loomis

Answer: Yes

There have been comments made recently that are critical of this alliance and which question the benefit we receive from the alliance. Comments include disparaging remarks about the level of service, staffing, response times, and cost of services from this alliance. As explained below, these comments are erroneous come from persons who are ill informed. Some would have us turn back the clock and destroy our working relationship with the Half Moon Bay District. In addition, there are some that favor local control no matter what and are opposed to any merger of the two Districts whatsoever.

I believe that the benefits of a merger far outweigh any benefits that may come from local control, if any. The paramount concern of our community is safety of lives and property. However, since this is a matter of great community importance, if elected I would put the matter of a merger to a vote of the citizenry.

The following paragraphs describe why we are better off with our alliance with the Half Moon Bay District:

Before the alliance with Half Moon Bay, our manpower and equipment response to any emergency was limited to the following:

- 1 fire engine
- 2 firefighters
- What volunteers were available
- Oftentimes no fire chief on scene
- No backup fire chief when our chief was away from the district.

Due to the alliance with the Half Moon Bay District, and the added manpower and equipment it brings, our response to emergencies has dramatically improved, as follows:

With respect to vehicle accidents:

- 2 fire engines
- A chief officer
- An ambulance
- Each engine and the ambulance has a paramedic on board
- Each engine also has a captain, or an acting captain.

With respect to structure fires, the improvement in response is more dramatic:

- 4 fire engines fully manned with paramedics and firefighters
- A battalion chief
- 1 to 2 backup chiefs
- Two ambulances manned by firefigher/paramedics
- Plus our volunteers.

This is a far cry from what we started with when I took my seat on the Pt. Montara Board and would not have been possible without our contractual arrangement with the Half Moon Bay Fire District.

With respect to response times, our combined forces have a response time record the community can be proud of. The County of San Mateo specifies the required response times and mandates that Fire Districts meet these deadlines at least 90% of the time. We meet the deadlines 98% of the time, 8% more than required. This amounts to the best response times in San Mateo County.

Without the alliance with Half Moon Bay Fire we would lose a training officer, would have to hire our own fire chief and a backup chief, would have to implement and staff our own fire prevention program, would lose the services of Half Moon Bay's professional mechanic, and would have to hire a secretary.

Going back to what we had as a small independent Fire District years ago is unworkable in today's especially dangerous social climate. Now that the contractual alliance with Half Moon Bay has worked so well, I believe we should seriously consider combining the Pt. Montara District with the Half Moon Bay District and forming a single unified district with a single Board of Directors.

Joe Loomis

Former Director

Pt. Montara Fire Protection District

Moss Beach