Hey everyone.
Hope you all are enjoying your off season. Just wanted to see if anyone has station and engine assignments for CF units.
Also I “heard” CF is getting 15? or new engines to the fleet. Anyone know where they are going?
Engine numbers change all the time as new engines come down the pipe. What was front line yesterday become reserve engines for the unit. And what was a reserve engine becomes a camp engine. And camp engines become excess and are sold to other Fire Agencies or are sold through the CA DGS auction at the CF Davis automotive facility. It is really hard to keep up with all the changes. But you might try calling each unit. As for "15’s, CF used to make model 14’s and 15’s but now they just produce model 34’s. They are all 4X4’s, so no model 35’s.
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Just going out on a limb here but I’m guessing 925 was referring to 15 (quantity) additional engines and they were curious as to where in the state they will be assigned to.
The number I’ve seen is 13 additional engines. They are being asked to replace engines that were lost in the 70’s. As things have changed significantly since then, doubtful they’d all be going back to these same stations.
In regards to them actually getting the additional engines, Newsom is advocating for it and it has support in the leg so odds are it’ll happen. Sen Mike Mcguire from Healdsburg (LNU) is strongly pushing it so I’d lay money on LNU getting at least one of them.
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Yeah that’s what I was referring too. I now heard 60 plus B engines will be added to fleet. But trying to see what stations they are going too.
Really? Make 21+ long distance phone calls?
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Here is the problem. With the engines coming there is a staffing shortage already. Can’t hire enough now. So that means more forced overtime.
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Before we get all worried about forced OT and staffing, we should probably wait to make sure the engines are funded in the final budget. All indications point to it happening. Phone calls are being made to hire extra staffing for these engines. I wouldn’t bet on very many forces behind the new engines. But lets have this discussion after July 1 when all the information is known.
Any unit that gets these engines will have increased overtime behind them. Add the staffing patterns components that will come and it amplifies.
The department is behind in its staffing now at all levels. It can promote somebody to LT, TAU or Out of Class captain but that just creates more FAE openings unfilled. Promote a FF1 and it’s 12 weeks till that person ever sits behind the wheel. Promote a FF2 and they have to want to be promoted, on the current FAE list and maybe they have went through COA.
Not being a downer just if this truly was going to happen then the department should have started hiring operators back in January.
Just 4-0 trying to staff can’t get enough FF1 hired with the new rules with the “catagory” system. Units were only allowed to hire 5 FF per state engine now.
Passing this with the budget is going to happen. How to staff will be the issue. It’s not like reserve engines are not staffed almost every day anyways plus camp engines on top of that then throwing rented LG stuff too.
The budget was already confirmed to my understanding.
The new budget for 2019/2020 has funding and positions for the following new positions
13 new Year round engines
9 FC
41 FAE
81 FF2
131 total positions
Additional crews/surge capacity Calfire/CCC
1 BC
20 FC
1 Mechanic
Existing Dozers, additional HFEO’S
34 HFEO’s (new positions)
All is in budget, as submitted and by law to be passed by June 15th. Of each year to take effect July 1.
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Are there any current Sched B engines that have FF2’s as normal staffing?
I want to say no. This is a whole new thing
So, some might remember a few years ago, there was talk about consolidating the FF ranks. So this might be a jumpstart to start that process to make perm ff1s on sched B engines.
The engines are in the May revise. There are still mechanisms in place to veto line item subjects. It’s not completely budgeted until it’s signed and good to go. We all know nothing happens in this department until it actually happens. Admittedly, there’s obviously an extremely high probability they’re coming.
I don’t know that anyone truly has heard what the plan is for these engines other than start hiring for them. I still have not heard if they’re going to be online effective immediately, where the apparatus are coming from (are they new, reserves, etc.) There are obviously still some issues to work out.
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Nope, this is the beginning of what’s hoped to be Deep Classing, De-Classing of the FF ranks and a more year round staffing model.
As for the engine’s, they are supposed to be brand new BME 34’s. But with the current orders on BME’s schedule, OES, LG, etc seeing 13 new engines on 7/1 seems a stretch unless existing replacement engines get bumped back and that only “kicks a problem down the road” I would bet they will press Reserves into front line until new engines can be delivered. Last time I was in Davis, slim pickings would be an improvement.
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FF2’s are usually coded to a county contract(Sch A) or have been in the past. When I was a FF2 many years ago in Yucapia, I would jump on the B engine now and then. Like most everyone else I’m waiting to see how this all plays out. Retired sitting on the sidelines but curiously watching. Folks, we have been getting a ton of rain in the Motherlode. It will dry out sooner or later, please keep your head up and stay safe.
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