Montebello commission approves firefighter‑paramedic job spec, recommends community risk reduction coordinator to council

At a meeting of the City of Montebello Civil Service Commission, members approved a new job specification for a firefighter‑paramedic and voted to recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution to add a community risk reduction coordinator to the city’s classification plan.

The commission heard from Fire Department staff that the firefighter‑paramedic specification is largely “house cleaning” to distinguish duties and to help recruitment. “This would help us kind of hone in our recruitment efforts for firefighter paramedics exactly,” a Fire Department representative said during the presentation. Commissioners voted by voice with no opposing votes recorded.

Why it matters: the separate classification is intended to make it easier to recruit applicants who already hold paramedic certification and to clarify duties between ranks. Commissioners were told the base salary rate for the firefighter classification will remain the same; the city pays a paramedic bonus for qualifying employees. The meeting record shows the bonus is currently 15 percent and is paid ongoing as part of overall pay.

Commissioner Delgado asked whether the firefighter‑paramedic base pay would differ from the existing firefighter rate. A Human Resources representative responded that the base salary rate remains the same and that paramedic certificants receive an ongoing bonus. “The firefighter classification salary rate is gonna be the same as the firefighter paramedic classification,” the HR representative said; she later gave salary figures for the community risk reduction position.

The commission also considered a revised job specification for a community risk reduction coordinator, a non‑sworn position the Fire Department created about two years earlier when it formed a risk reduction division. Fire Department staff described duties including coordinating the city’s CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program, outreach, alarm‑installation coordination, and community training such as CPR and stop‑the‑bleed. Staff said the position would relieve sworn personnel of much of the administrative work tied to community outreach and allow faster recruitment by clarifying the classification.

The Human Resources representative said the community risk reduction coordinator would be placed at salary range 32, with an annual minimum of $72,983 and an annual maximum of $91,146. Commissioners who spoke — including those with CERT experience — praised the recruitment step and the program’s community training, including a junior academy for youth and plans to restart fire camp.

On a motion recommending the council adopt a resolution to amend the City of Montebello classification plan to include the revised job specification for community risk reduction coordinator, commissioners voted in favor with no opposing votes recorded. The commission’s motion will be transmitted to the City Council for final action.

The commission approved minutes from a prior special meeting during the same session by voice vote.

Staff communications and requests for future agenda items were none; the commission adjourned after brief closing remarks.