Consultant outlines 24-month plan and staffing costs for Livingston municipal fire department

A consultant hired to evaluate Livingston’s fire services presented a detailed transition plan to the City Council on Jan. 6, proposing a 24-month phased approach to stand up a municipal Livingston Fire Department while maintaining interim Cal Fire services.

The consultant said the county Board of Supervisors had earlier terminated the county-provided fire services for Livingston in early 2024 and noted the council has taken interim steps — including placing Measure L on the ballot and approving an interim cost-sharing agreement to keep Station 96 open — while planning for a local department.

Key points: the consultant recommended starting with a 3.0 staffing model (three firefighters per shift) — considered the base safe staffing level — with a resident-firefighter pipeline tied to Merced College, a 56-hour work-week structure to limit overtime, and an organizational model using a contracted chief for oversight. Estimated annual personnel costs range from $1.4 million to $1.7 million depending on salary step placement; contracted chief/training services were estimated at $350,000–$450,000.

The consultant summarized funding options the city and finance staff identified: a standing “fire fund” (approximately $1.0 million currently retained by the county through property-tax apportionment), anticipated Measure L receipts estimated at about $2.3 million once fully implemented, and the general fund or unitary fund as council discretion. The consultant also advised pursuing revenue-sharing negotiations with Merced County and other jurisdictions and recommended preserving interim Cal Fire service for continuity during the transition.

"This plan provides a responsible path to do that," the consultant said, framing the approach as phased work to preserve continuity and build local capacity. The mayor summarized current near-term costs and observed that, including past arrangements and recent coverage, the city is effectively paying roughly $1,850,000 annually for fire services in its current mix of county and interim arrangements.

Council direction: the council gave consensus to move forward with the consultant’s recommended next steps (job descriptions, salary schedules, interim-service agreements and revenue-sharing negotiations) but did not take a formal vote to adopt a municipal model that evening. Staff will return with job descriptions, salary ranges and proposed service agreements for council review.