County Fire outlines transition plan if Cal Fire contract shifts in South County; volunteers, station access and staffing top concerns

Santa Clara County Fire and county staff told the Housing, Land Use, Environment and Transportation Committee on March 20 that they are preparing for a potential transition of fire services in South Santa Clara County that could begin July 1 if the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) approves a reorganization.

The report responds to a Board of Supervisors direction from Jan. 14 to initiate an application to LAFCO and examines community outreach, volunteer Company 70 concerns, a transition advisory council, the Amador agreement for year‑round service at the Pacheco station, station access in South County and impacts to CAL FIRE personnel currently staffing the South County Fire District.

County staff said the timeline for any change hinges on LAFCO but that County Fire is preparing operationally for a July 1 start date. “I think that’s dependent on LAFCO’s direction, but we are preparing as if it is July 1,” said Suwanna Gurgal, identified in the presentation as fire chief for the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District.

Why this matters

If LAFCO approves the reorganization, responsibility for day‑to‑day fire service operations in the affected South County area could shift from the contract arrangement with CAL FIRE to County Fire. That would affect station locations, staffing and how volunteer companies are integrated with career personnel — issues residents raised during recent outreach.

Key details from the report and committee discussion

- Outreach and concerns: County Fire described multiple outreach efforts in San Martin and South County including four office hours and a dedicated inbox; staff said the inbox has produced seven substantive questions to date, mostly operational. Gurgal said the most frequently raised concerns are (1) the physical station that would replace the current Morgan Hill/CAL FIRE headquarters site, (2) the overall timeline (LAFCO‑dependent), and (3) how County Fire will work with partner agencies already operating in the area.

- Station access and a temporary facility: County Fire said it has identified a potential temporary station location but has not disclosed it while lease negotiations continue. Staff said the temporary site would be used while they continue to pursue a permanent station location and review prior LAFCO and station‑location studies.

- Volunteer Company 70: Residents asked how volunteer Company 70 would be treated under a transfer. Gurgal said County Fire has a history of absorbing volunteer companies through training and support and described at least one recent academy graduate who came from Company 70. “We will do everything that we can to support them,” she said, noting that training, certification (including firefighter and EMT curriculum) and water‑supply challenges in rural areas would be part of the transition work.

- Staffing and academy schedule: County Fire told the committee it recently graduated nine recruits from an academy and has multiple training classes in progress. Staff said 10 recruits are currently in an in‑house academy, a 10‑person academy would start March 31, and an estimated 20‑person academy is scheduled to start in mid‑April. County Fire projected being close to fully staffed by early September and expects mid‑August to see significant numbers of new personnel out of probation; staff framed the staffing plan as necessary to backfill usual mutual‑aid deployments during the summer fire season.

- Labor relations: Gurgal and staff said some measures to manage overtime and workload will be addressed through effects bargaining with labor partners; the department referenced past examples of shared sacrifice and temporary measures during economic downturns.

Committee action and next steps

Committee members moved to approve receipt of the report. The motion carried with Vice Chair Arenas voting yes and Chair Margaret Abekoga voting aye. The record notes the transition remains contingent on LAFCO direction and further negotiations on leases, staffing and volunteer integration.

What remains unresolved

Staff said several items remain to be finalized: the exact temporary station lease, details of how volunteer Company 70 members would be certified and deployed (including EMT and firefighter‑I training), and the final staffing timeline pending academy graduations and effect bargaining. County Fire said it will continue community office hours and a transition advisory council as the LAFCO process proceeds.