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Board adopts in‑kind exchange policy to document Cal Fire crew days and equipment offsets
Summary
Directors approved Policy 33.30.5 to formalize long‑standing in‑kind exchanges with Cal Fire (crew days in exchange for equipment or materials) and asked staff to add specific examples and clarify accounting to satisfy auditors.
The board approved Policy 33.30.5 to document in‑kind exchanges with Cal Fire and other partners, a measure staff said was prompted by auditor inquiries. Under the policy, the district will track crew days received from Cal Fire and corresponding equipment or materials purchased as value return; staff demonstrated a Google Sheet dashboard that records service dates, fiscal year, daily crew rates, verification by a Cal Fire captain, invoice numbers, and the value of returned equipment.
Several directors requested clearer language and examples — including explicit references to facility use, pool access, and the mechanism for purchasing Cal Fire equipment — so the policy reads transparently to auditors and the public. Cal Fire representatives explained that hand crews (including correctional and conservation crews and Ponderosa crews) provide large quantities of labor at a low per‑day rate and that sponsors have historically signed standard Cal Fire forms (31/32) that enumerate crew days and in‑kind exchanges. The board approved the policy with direction to add a short illustrative list of examples and to return a revised policy if needed to address any remaining audit concerns.
