REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 5, 2025
FROM
DAN MUNSEY, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title
Resolution Authorizing Portal-to-Portal Emergency Incident Compensation for San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Personnel
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, adopt Resolution replacing Resolution No. 2015-70, for portal-to-portal emergency incident compensation for San Bernardino County Fire Protection District suppression and non-suppression personnel when assigned to an emergency incident away from their usual duty station or assigned work location.
(Presenter: Dan Munsey, Fire Chief/Fire Warden, 387-5779)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption of this Resolution will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). This action is necessary for San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (SBCFPD) to receive full cost recovery from federal and state agencies for disaster related events.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), as the state agency responsible for California’s emergency and disaster response services, including coordinating the mutual aid systems for fire, rescue, law enforcement, and emergency services, incorporated a methodology for reimbursement to responding agencies into the California Fire Assistance Agreement (CFAA) and is the negotiated reimbursement mechanism for local government fire agency responses. The CFAA is part of the California Fire Service and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid System Operating Plan.
Portal-to-portal, as defined by the CFAA, refers to compensation for responders which covers their time from the moment they leave their home base (or "portal") to the time they return from the emergency incident. Home base is considered the usual duty station or assigned work location.
The CFAA requires that any agency seeking reimbursement for its personnel for more than actual hours worked on an incident, such as portal-to-portal, must indicate how personnel will be compensated. If approved, this Resolution will fulfill the requirement by the CFAA to request reimbursement for portal-to-portal pay for all SBCFPD staff including firefighters and other non-suppression or support personnel responding to an emergency incident.
On May 19, 2015 (Item No. 79), the Board approved Resolution No. 2015-70 allowing SBCFPD to compensate its fire suppression personnel with portal-to-portal pay when assigned to emergency incidents, in support of an emergency incident, or pre-positioned for emergency response. Fire suppression personnel includes but is not limited to Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief, Division Chief, Battalion Chief, Captain, Engineer, Firefighter EMT, Firefighter Paramedic, Firefighter Trainee, Heavy Equipment Operator, and Fire Control Workers (Fire Suppression Aides).
Since Resolution No. 2015-70 was submitted by SBCFPD and approved by Cal OES, additional staff, including non-suppression support personnel, is needed to respond to emergency incidents both within and outside the County, often as part of incident management teams (IMTs) which is a group of trained personnel responsible for managing emergency responses. IMTs oversee the logistical, operational, planning, and financial aspects of incidents to ensure a coordinated and effective response to emergency incidents.
SBCFPD is recommending that all staff, including non-suppression support personnel, are compensated on a portal-to-portal basis, as defined in the CFAA, when they respond to an emergency incident.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Richard Luczak, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 1, 2025; Human Resources (Crystal Perez, Human Resources Business Partner, 387-5959) on July 2, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Ivan Ramirez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4020) on July 2, 2025.