My Candidacy Platform for Board Member of the Point Montara Fire Protectiion District

By Christopher R. "Chris" Cilia

My philosophy as a candidate on three main issues in this election are to keep local control of the Fire District, to create a viable career path for our workforce, and to create a better working relationship between Management and Labor.

• We must retain local control of the Point Montara

Fire Protection District.

• We must create a viable career path

for our workforce.

• We must create a better working relationship

between Management and Labor.

I would like to explain my philosophy in greater detail.

Over the last few years, the Point Montara Fire Protection District has been in negotiations with the Half Moon Bay Fire Protection District to consolidate fire services. I believe that this is a move in the right direction if the consolidation is done cautiously and correctly. The District is about to enter into a contract with Cal-Fire, Formerly known as the California Department of Forestry to provide fire service for Montara and Moss Beach. I believe that contracting for fire services with Cal-Fire is well intentioned but misguided. My philosophy as a citizen and as a future Commissioner and manager is that local control and management of the Point Montara Fire District provides the citizens of the district with a more responsive fire department, greater loyalty from the workforce, and greater control for its elected Fire Board.

The facts show that the number one career path for the operationally consolidated Point Montara and Half Moon Bay Fire Protection Districts has been for Firefighters and Fire Captains to leave the district in droves. The competent, well-trained workforce of Firefighters and Fire Captains that the citizens of the Coastside have invested in, view both districts as dead-end jobs. Many have obtained employment in other fire departments throughout San Mateo County including, Burlingame (now Central Fire), San Mateo, Redwood City, and Palo Alto. Some Fire Captains have even stepped down to Firefighter in order to leave both Districts. Beyond promotion from Firefighter to Fire Captain, prospects for further promotion to Battalion Chief and beyond are non-existent. There does not exist viable training or a career path to these positions for our highly valued personnel. Both fire districts have failed in their responsibility to create these career paths and fully utilize the potential of their employees. The citizens of both districts will not realize a full return on their investment into personnel until we create these career paths.

Soon, the Point Montara Fire Protection District and the Half Moon Bay Fire District will be consolidated; the Point Montara Fire Commissioners will be a minority on the consolidated Fire Board. Because of changes in the way that Fire Board Members will be elected in the future, there is also a very good chance that the residents of Montara and Moss Beach will have no representation on the consolidated Fire Board from our communities, and this is a major concern. Over the past ten years, Half Moon Bay Fire District Management and Labor have had a history of political and legal one-upmanship. Battles between the two are constantly being waged at Fire Board meetings, in court, and on the pages of the local news media. Currently, it appears that the situation will get worse before it gets better. The contracting out of fire services to Cal-fire, the subsequent referendum, the denial of the referendum by the Fire Boards and the courts, and the appeal of the court decision by the Fire Union is the latest episode in this fight. The citizens of Moss Beach and Montara and the Fire Commissioners that you elect are about to inherit this fight.

The Fire Board will always have the upper hand in any disagreement. The Board sets policy and can unilaterally impose these policies and decisions on its workforce. The workforce, our Firefighters, have little recourse other than suing the District. By law, the Firefighters are prohibited from initiating a labor strike and they are genuinely committed to the safety of the public so they continue to respond to calls and provide rescue services with the utmost of proficiency and professionalism. Given this political and legal landscape, the Fire Board has a higher moral responsibility when disagreements arise. It is time for the Fire Board and the Labor Union to step out of the vicious cycle of infighting and get down to the business of improving fire and rescue services. As a Fire Commissioner for the Point Montara Fire District, I will do everything in my power to create an excellent working relationship between management and labor.

My management philosophy for the Point Montara Fire Protection District did not evolve overnight. It is the product of twenty-five years of experience in the fire service. My candidacy is based on the platform that we should retain local control of the Fire District, create viable career paths for our workforce, and develop a much better working relationship with our most important and highest valued resource, our personnel. I will do my absolute best to represent you. Please vote for me.