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| Memo: CAL FIRE Furlough plan released Posted: 04 Feb 2009 08:08 PM PST M e m o r a n d u m To: ALL CAL FIRE EMPLOYEES Date: February 4,2009 Telephone: (91 6) 653-7772 Website: www.fire.ca.gov From: RUBEN GRIALVA, Director California Dd p artment of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Subject: FURLOUGH IMPLEMENTATION As you are aware, all State departments to implement a two-day furlough of all State employees in an effort to partially address the current fiscal crisis. Unless directed otherwise, furloughs are to begin on February 6, 2009, and will continue for 17 months through June 2010. Below is information we have received so far on how the furlough program will be implemented. Please keep in mind the information could be modified as the Administration progresses with the implementation of the furlough program. OFFICE CLOSURES CAL FlRE adrr~inistrativeo ffices (Headquarters' Offices, Region Offices, Unit Headquarters and the Academy administrative office) will be closed to the public on the specified furlough dates. With a few exceptions, all employees will be furloughed on the first and third Friday of the month beginning February 6, 2009. PAY REDUCTION Effective with the beginning of the February pay period (January 30, 2009), all errlployees will receive a pay reductioli of 9.23 percent of their base salary. State and Federal taxes will be calculated on the reduced amount however, the reduction will not affect retirement contributions or pay differentials that might be received such as Extended Duty Pay or Bilingual Pay. The overtime pay rate will not be affected as well. FURLOUGH CREDITS Full-time employees will receive 16 furlough hours at the beginning of each pay period. Intermittent and part-time employees will receive a pro-rated amount of furlough hours (e.g. a half time employee will receive eight hours instead of 16 ho1.1rs). A pro-rated schedule will be published in the near future on the CAL FlRE Intranet. Employees furloughed the first or third Friday of each month, will show the appropriate furlough hours on their timesheet on the furlough days. Employees in classifications approved to participate in an alternate furlough plan, as identified below, will bank their furlough hours and will use them at a later date similar to vacation or annual leave hours. The hours used will be shown on the timesheet on the actual days used. Furlough hours that cannot be used within the same month must be taken within 24 months following the end of the furlough program. Furlough hours will not be cashed out if an employee retires or separates. ALTERNATE FURLOUGH PLAN The Department has an approved alternate furlough plan for specific classifications. Under this plan, the salary reduction will take place beginning with the February 2009, pay period. However, employees will not be furloughed on the first and third Fridays of the month. Each employee approved to participate in this plan will receive the appropriate amount of furlough hours to be taken at a later date. Approved classifications for the alternate furlough plan are: Classifications identified in Sections 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 of the Bargaining Unit 8 (BU 8) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Air Operations Officers Communication Operators Academy kitchen staff and Custodians Err~ployeesin Section 8.4 of the BU 8 MOU, with the exception of Air Operations Officers, on a 40-hour duty week will be furloughed on the first and third Friday of the month. MANAGERS. SUPERVISORS, AND EXEMPT EMPLOYEES IN FIRE PROTECTION POSITIONS Individual Units or Headquarters' Offices shall determine by operational need the utilization of either 'the designated furlough days or the alternate furlough plan. OVERTIME For employees in classifications that are designated Work Week Group 2, hours on the furlough days (first and third Friday of the month) will not count toward the 40-hour threshold for overtime purposes. Additional hours worked during the furlough week will be compensated as straight time until all hours worked reach 40 for the work week. Overtime for BU 8 employees will not be affected. ALTERNATE WORK WEEK SCHEDULES Direction on the management of alternate workweek schedules will be released in the near future. However, alternate workweek schedules will not routinely be cancelled. RETIRED ANNUITANTS Information onhow the furlough program will affect retired annuitants will be released in the near future. BANKING FURLOUGH CREDITS For employees in classifications approved to participate in the alternate furlough plan, furlough credits not taken as leave during the month "earned" will be accrued, and are required to be used within 24 months of the end of the furlough program. Per the Department of Personnel Administration, all unused furlough credits existing 24 months after the end of the furlough program will be lost. Furlough hours will not be cashed out if an employee retires or separates. Pursuant to Section 10.2 of the BU8 MOU, BU 8 employees may request to take their furlough hours off in a manner consistent with first-come, first-serve vacation requests. The conversion schedules for vacation and annual leave will apply to BU 8 employees that work either a 72 or 84 hour duty week. In the event of a fire emergency, CAL FIRE must have the ability to self-implement the alternative furlough plan for all Departmental employees. I understand there will be a significant number of questions regarding the implementation of the furlough program. The Labor and Human Resources Office will be posting a question and answer document on the CAL FlRE lntranet in the near future. Once this information is posted, employees will be notified. Additional information, as it becomes available, will also be provided. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| LBFD NEWS ALERTS: Crane accident with a trapped victim Posted: 04 Feb 2009 06:13 PM PST  IA: At 7:22 pm this evening, Long Beach Fire Department units responded Pier J Berth 243 to a reported crane accident with a trapped victim.Sizeup: Upon arrival units found the 42-year-old male driver pinned in the cab of his truck by a container that had fallen from the top of a stack. The container had been knocked free from the stack by the moving crane, bringing it to rest on the cab. It took fire crews approximately 15 minutes to remove the patient from the wreckage. The driver was transported to a local trauma center in stable condition. The crane operator was taken by private vehicle to the hospital for evaluation. There were no other injuries reported. Resources: 13 firefighters from USAR 6, Truck 1, Engine 6, Rescue 1 and BC 1 as well as BLS 4 and PIO 2 responded to this incident that occurred in council district 2. Info Source: LBFD News Alerts - Link | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Breaking news: CAL FIRE Chief Ruben Grijalva has resigned Posted: 04 Feb 2009 06:40 PM PST  Ruben Grijalva has resigned, going to work as a private consultant and possiblyan interim chief for Milpitas. Facts: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Ruben Grijalva as the director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) on April 24, 2006. Chief Grijalva had filled that position as acting director since January 2006. Prior to this appointment, Governor Schwarzenegger had named Grijalva as the 13th State Fire Marshal of California on August 16, 2004. Chief Grijalva continues to manage State Fire Marshal duties at this time. Previously, Chief Grijalva was the fire chief for the city of Palo Alto, California for 10 years. He has 32 years experience working in the field of public safety. CAL FIRE Chief Ruben Grijalva last memo: Message from the Chief Chief's Memo – February 4, 2009 Last Chief's Memo Yesterday I submitted a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger to advise him of my intent to retire from state service to pursue other opportunities. I have not come to this decision easily, although I have been preparing for it for some time. I truly have enjoyed my time as the 13th State Fire Marshal of California and the 13th Director of CAL FIRE. "13" has been a lucky number for me. My first date with my wife in 1973 was on Friday the 13th. The time has come for me to spend more time with my family who has sacrificed much to allow me the opportunity to pursue my 34-year career in public safety. My initial plans to retire in December 2007 were altered by the onslaught of the October 2007 fire siege and its aftermath. I then moved my prospective retirement date back to July 2008. But, once again, fate intervened when the unprecedented June 2008 dry lightening siege struck California. In this unpredictable line of work there is never an ideal time to leave. However, I am now confident that I can move on to pursue other challenges in the field of public safety knowing that I leave behind a highly qualified team of professionals to continue with CAL FIRE's important mission. The department has been undergoing an eight month process of succession planning at the executive level. If a transition of leadership is to take place at CAL FIRE, it is best to occur well in advance of the peak fire season. During my tenure as chief of CAL FIRE, we have successfully faced wildfires of historic magnitude. I am grateful to all of you for your dedication, courage, and leadership. I am proud to have been associated with such an outstanding organization and I will cherish the friendships and professional relationships that have been developed. I am proud of the men and women that carry out the diverse and complex mission that provides protection year-round to all Californians. Our experienced team of leaders at CAL FIRE has had many successes: Adopted Wildland Urban Interface Building Standards Adopted International Code Council (ICC) Building and Fire codes for CA Built strong relationships with local government through cooperative fire agreements delivered in a customer-oriented manner Confronted salary inversion and compaction issues Filled key leadership positions Replaced aging infrastructure at an accelerated rate Replaced an aging emergency fleet at an accelerated rate Addressed forest practice regulatory responsibilities and the future management of the state demonstration forest system. Developed 2-Year Work Plans for every CAL FIRE Program. Completed a reorganization that better integrates Fire Protection, Resource Management, and State Fire Marshal responsibilities. Clarified the mission of the organization and re branded CAL FIRE's all-risk capabilities, Coordinated with other state agencies on statewide emergency responses. Made significant progress preparing the next generation of leaders and retaining our talented and diverse workforce Ensured that personnel selected for any position were qualified by training and experience. Reviewed and updated job classifications (firefighter 1, dispatcher clerks, etc) to ensure appropriate responsibilities and compensation levels Maintained aviation capabilities to ensure that CAL FIRE fixed-wing and helicopter fleet is able to meet all necessary response mission needs. Prepared necessary reports for the Governor's Emergency Response Initiative for future emergency needs and capabilities. Provided innovative use of "Supertanker" aircraft to battle California wildfires. Maintained staffing levels at 4-person staffing during peak fire season. Developed and rolled-out Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps for State Responsibility Areas (SRA) and Local Responsibility Areas (LRA), working with local government to implement newly adopted Building Standards with the fire hazard severity zone maps. Increased defensible space inspections, enforcement, and monitoring of overall compliance. Completed State Fire Training Master Plan to improve/standardize fire training for state and local agencies. Improved and expanded arson prevention measures with federal, state and local enforcement agencies. Created penalty-based funding mechanisms for fireworks enforcement to reduce the use of dangerous fireworks. Enhanced program to pursue cost recovery for the department and take enforcement actions where appropriate for large fires where responsible parties can be identified. Developed comprehensive action plan to meet the Governor's Climate Action Goals. Maximized the use of bond funds to expand and increase urban and rural tree planting. Completion of a new management plan for Jackson Demonstration State Forest. Currently reviewing Timber Harvest Plans (THP) with stakeholders (Jackson Advisory Group). While this is only a partial list of CAL FIRE successes, they were only possible because of our dedicated and talented employees, outreach to and participation by our stakeholders, and partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies. As I have discussed in the past, leadership is about caring more about others than you do about yourself. People will follow when they know you are working toward common goals and a shared vision. I am confident you will continue to lead as CAL FIRE confronts future emergency and non-emergency challenges. There are far too many people to thank. But, I must mention a few. First, I want to thank Governor Schwarzenegger for giving me the opportunity to serve in this capacity. His support, for me personally, and for CAL FIRE during the historic wildfires is something I will remember always. He led the State of California through these major disasters with courage, effectiveness, and compassion for our employees and for the people of California. Secondly, I must thank Natural Resources Agency Secretary Mike Chrisman. He has been a leader, a friend, a mentor, and a supporter. It was his leadership at the Agency level and his support for CAL FIRE through the many challenges we have faced that has been instrumental to our many accomplishments. Finally, I want to thank my executive team, our managers and supervisors, and the men and women of CAL FIRE. Your loyalty to our organization, your hard work and devotion, and your tireless efforts has greatly benefited the public we serve. We exist to serve the people of California. You have always gone above and beyond the call of duty to meet the public needs. I salute you! Regards, Ruben Grijalva, Chief 
Ruben D. Grijalva | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Whiskeytown National Recreation Area - Pile burns Posted: 04 Feb 2009 01:09 PM PST WHISKEYTOWN NATIONAL RECREATION AREA — Smoke rising over Redding's western skyline early this afternoon is from a string of controlled burns lit by crews at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Fire crews at the park about eight miles west of Redding are burning debris piles and lighting five- to 10-acre control burns, said Carol Jandrall, Whiskeytown spokeswoman. She said the fires are on Whiskeytown's east boundary and aimed at reducing the risk of wildfire for Shasta and western Redding. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| CA-MMU- Felipe - Vegetation fire Posted: 04 Feb 2009 12:44 PM PST Sizeup: Location: S2 near the 10 mile marker. Resources: 6 Hand Crews responding... Comms: CMD1 Tone 11, Tac 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| CA-VNC- Conoco - Rincon Bluff - Vegetation Fire - 5 acres Posted: 04 Feb 2009 12:38 PM PST IA: blaze broke out shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday and has spread over three acres . Location: Oil field in coastal bluffs northwest of the city of Venturafire, which is bordered by three highways. Resources: 9 engines, 3 crews, 2 dozers, water tender and copter. SLU crews-Ventura Camp and Ventura City Fire also assisting. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Earthquake 3.3 M - Offshore Northern California Posted: 04 Feb 2009 11:25 AM PST  Earthquake Details
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| College buys water tender for "shelter-in-place" fire plans Posted: 04 Feb 2009 11:17 AM PST When flames roared down the hillside and across the Westmont College campus in mid-November, eucalyptus trees lit up like kindling and cut off dozens of faculty, staff and neighbors from the safety of Murchison Gym. And while Westmont officials certainly aren't hoping for a repeat of the Tea Fire, they have already started preparing for one with the purchase of a 350-gallon water truck. "We're not planning on being a firefighting force and will not be involved in battling structural fires," Troy Harris, Westmont's director of risk management, explained in a news release. "But the Tea Fire showed us that we need to have the ability to deliver water from a safe distance. Our ambitions are understandably narrow." Officials hope the truck will offer the ability to put out spot fires and protect those on campus who participate in the college's "shelter-in-place" program. During the Tea Fire, approximately 800 students, faculty, staff and neighbors waited out the flames overnight by sheltering in the fire-resistive, cinder-block gymnasium. "That's one of the things that Westmont has tried to do from the beginning, to have the shelter-in-place program so students don't get in their cars and drive down the narrow, winding roadways," Westmont Spokesman Scott Craig said. "It worked well and that's the plan we want to keep." But improvements are necessary, officials acknowledged, pointing out that flames not only cut off access to the shelter for some, but also threatened the gym's generator. Tom Beveridge, the director of physical plant at Westmont, said workers had to use garden hoses and fire extinguishers to keep the fire from reaching the generator. "Our physical plant workers were heroes," he said in a prepared statement. "They protected the shelter-in-place by keeping the flames at bay with what little they had, but we don't want to be in that position again." The Dodge pumper truck, which cost the college $28,000, is equipped with an infrared camera and a large hose. Craig said officials made the purchase last week and have yet to determine who will be trained to operate the vehicle. Safety officials from Pepperdine University, which operates its own fire department, will provide basic training to Westmont officials. Flames from the Tea Fire destroyed eight structures on the campus, including three residence halls. A total of 15 faculty homes and a retired professor's home were also lost, officials said. "Regardless of how often we use the pump truck, every piece of fire equipment is an asset to the community," Tom Bauer, the college's director of public safety, said in the news release. "We're still determining how to deploy the truck, but we had a lot of willing participants on campus during the Tea Fire and we could have been more effective in containing spot fires." Editor comment: "Stay and defend" "shelter-in-place" "Limited firefighting" these phrases and pro-active fire plans will probably irk Schaitberger- Harold A. Schaitberger is the General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, representing professional fire fighters and has come out against the stay and defend policy being studied for wildland urban interface areas in California. The fact that this college was proactive in purchasing firefighting equipment for civilian use will probably get him going... Article source: thedailysound.com - Link |
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