It’s currently held in the assembly for it third reading (full floor). Nothing will happen until the legislature reconvenes (in Jan I think). If it passes the assembly (it has strong bipartisan support) it will go to the governor after that vote. This is the first year of the session.
His budget currently set in motion the beginning of year round staffing (for this budget year only) so not sure why he would veto it. However if people start harping on him to cut the budget, he could possibly use this as a cudgel to defend himself. (Remember politics!)
“$40 million in FY 2025/2026 with $78 million per year ongoing”
If signed as written, the $$ is there for this FY to hire the beginning of 3,000 perm FF spaced out over 4yr.
Put simply, 750 FF per year for 4yr to hire all 3,000 at an on going cost of $78 million per year.
Now
How do you meet the CaHR requirements for permanent employment status as written in the law?
Meaning
All 3,000 will need to attend FFA on top of the needs to complete the 66hr hiring and training.
How do you comply with SFT student/instructor ratios and maximum class size of 40 students as required by SFT?
Simply put
How do you hire and train over 5,000 new permanent employees?
You “might” want to check that math.
5500 new employees
2500 66hr over 5yr =500 yr
3000 perm FF or 4yr = 750yr
1250yr
Or
32 FFA (FF + COA)
13 COA (straight COA need needing FFA)
Thats 100% passing and doesn’t include things like
Retirement
Attrition
Or
Co-Op Fire Protection growth(SCH)
Or
CO-Op Fire agreements to todays 3/0 standards.
In short, the department needs 1,000 students per year or 25 academy’s just to meet the current needs.
Thats 10 FFA per site (employees only available 40/52 weeks) still based on 100% throughput and only enough for 02350/03050 employees. What about the xx,xxxx SCH A programs?
Each academy needs 10-15 instructor’s for just FFA(5:1 instructor ratio on live fire days).
What about COA?
Only Ione & Redding are teaching COA next year. RIVERSIDE & ATWATER FFA/IFSAC Only
Now look at the last 3yr of VS training Calendars. Your talking about doubling from 16 to 32 the number of classes. 32 ×40 student’s at 100% throughput is 1280.
Now when in the dept history has something this monumental been accomplished?
Oh yeah, with a shrinking labor pool, that requires IFSAC before going to FFA. So if all 4 sites each teach 4WK FFA, who teaches IFSAC? Currently, Riverside, Atwater do but that is another 6wk of training before the student is able to attend FFA.
3 of the 4 facilities will be teaching/testing IFSAC till 12/19 which only puts more pressure on the facities, reps, sets, use and abuse.
The Math doesn’t math in the real world, but on paper.
I don’t think it’s realistic to expect 100% of those positions to be filled, but very close. We now have an extra year (contract extended to 2027) to implement staffing for a potential 56/hr
I don’t believe there is anything in law/legislation that says in 4 years all FF1 will be FF2s. Even SB581 doesn’t say that. With the impact this would make with the onboarding, don’t be surprised this gets spread out over many years, even with the passage of 581. All 581 says is “hey HR, SPB and everyone else…get on with the process”. There are no time deadlines. Any “handshake agreement” between 2881 and the state has no legitimacy unless it’s in law or the contract.
The California Legislature has not successfully overridden a governor’s veto on a bill since 1980. The last time such an override occurred was for a bill regarding California Highway Patrol (CHP) pay during the 1979–80 session.
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I’d say pay parity is more important to implement through legislation. The department is already starting to convert many FF1 positions to FF2, and that benefits the agency as much as it benefits us. The staffing for the 66 is enough to turn that leaf. Pay parity will always be a battle, especially when we are supposed to be thankful for the minimal GSI’s we do get.
To my knowledge only the 10 engines from FY 18/19 are FF2. No other 02350 or 03050 position has been funded. That’s the purposes of SB 581.
Pay parity will cost substantially more than what SB 581 begins to fund. Which is the reason it continues to get Vetoed.
I agree with thei minimal GSI’S comments. Especially with the costs of PLP being compounded by increased leave credits & the costs at buyout/retirement.
While the fuels engines are FF2, I have heard many units are beginning to fill traditionally staffed engines with FF2s now. I know southern region has started this and there are talks of northern region beginning it soon as part of the 66hr implementation plan.
For example, this winter, most units have kept additional year round engines staffed 02350 with the extra staff from closed stations. Once we return to peak, those positions can be filled with FF2 now since there is 02350 funding to keep them open year round.
