CA County Allots $1.7M for More FFs, Recruitment

June 11 -- More Sonoma County firefighters will be on duty this summer and fall during extreme weather and wind periods following a vote Monday by the Board of Supervisors approving $900,000 for the additional staff.

Supervisors also agreed to give $800,000 for firefighter recruitment and retention countywide to help bolster flagging fire agency volunteer ranks.

The money already had been allocated in the county budget for fire services but Monday’s approval showed how it would be spent. The county this year has given about $3.5 million to fire services.

Supervisors also heard fire officials soon will ask them to consider a far more costly plan to bring fire agencies countywide to more uniform standards — estimated at more than $20 million annually.

That will come before supervisors in August. Board members Monday said they knew the big money needs of fire services is the real issue for them to contend with and options floated included the need for a sales tax.

Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner said the plan to bring on more firefighters could occur as soon as several weather issues come into play. This week’s high temperatures isn’t expected to trigger the plan, as wind and humidity levels aren’t predicted.

The new program is key to getting Sonoma County better and faster prepared when fire conditions warrant, Gossner said.

Supervisors all expressed a desire to move faster on improving local fire services and funding based on last fall’s catastrophic and deadly fires.

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