JULIAN-CUYAMCA FIRE DISTRICT RESIDENTS TO HEAR DISSOLUTION PROPOSAL FROM COUNTY JULY 27

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Country threatens to take away all funds and a fire/paramedic engine if district board refuses County’s offer

East County News Service

July 27, 2017 (Julian) -- On Thursday, July 27 at 6:30 pm, at the Julian Fire Station (3407 Highway 79 in Julian), the San Diego County Fire Authority will make its final presentation to try to convince the community to dissolve its volunteer fire department and be accepted under the Fire Authority. 

The meeting will begin with a professional video mad for  the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District (JCFPD),  followed by a Powerpoint presentation by County Fire Chief Tony Mecham. The audience will be able to ask questions and express concerns.

The County is proposing that, at a cost of $1.5 million, it will provide a staff of three professional firefighters 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. But if the JCFPD refuses the offer, the County will withdraw all financial support that it has been giving for 30 years, including a paramedic/engine placed at CalFire almost 2 years ago.

Residents have voiced concerns that the County will take the benefit fees paid by local property owners and raise taxes in the area in the future to offset the cost of fire protection to this large area.

“The Community fought off this take-over four years ago,” recalls Dr. Patricia Landis, “and we intend to do so again.”

In the past, a major anonymous donor covered a funding gap to keep the fire district independent. It remains to be seem how the JCFPD board plans to save the community's volunteer fire department this time around, with the County's ratcheted-up financial pressure.


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Comments

Just look to the county fire

Just look to the county fire districts who have stayed far, far away from this attempted county takeover: Lakeside, Rancho Santa Fe, Bonita, and ultimately San Miguel. The county model is a "better-than-nothing", low budget dog! Keep your fire district!

The Julian Fire Department

Regarding the Julian Fire Department, We as a community need to keep the Julian Fire Department as it is now. The county has made too many broken promises to the communities they have already taken over. They say they won't raise the rates. Well look whey did to shelter valley. First they have understaffed that station, causing the loss of a building. And they raised the rates on the residents. Listening to the County Authority Chief speak reminds me of a used car salesman trying to hawk a bad deal. They say there will always be coverage on the hill. Another bull face Lie!!!. When fires break out in other parts of the county they send Everything from here!!. They threaten to pull their medic engine out of the community if we decide to stay independent? Well I Guess the true colors of Cal fire have emerged. For all I know I hope the board does the right thing by keeping the department out of the county. The board president has his house up for sale and is moving out of town when the house sells. Why does he want the county to take over? Seems he just wants to please his good ol friend Dianne Jacob who will be termed out of office soon. This leads to another question. When Dianne Jacobs is out of office, what happens when the new county supervisor for the area decides eliminate the county fire authority? That will hurt even more. Remember a few years back when a fire chief came to Julian and said " the biggest mistake I made was putting pen to paper with the county Fire Authority". " The county Fire Authority is not your friend ". Remember this....