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In This Issue...
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Central Fire Board Narrowing Choices for New Chief -- Appointment Expected by New Year
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Driving Impaired: The Costs & Consequences
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Central Fire Board Narrowing Choices for New Chief — Appointment Expected by New Year
District Also Looking to Relocate 'Blighted' Soquel Station
By Linda Fridy
Changes are in the works for both the leadership and the location of the Central Fire Protection District's Soquel station.
Central Fire received 27 applications from fire officials hoping to replace retiring Chief Bruce Clark, most of whom met the district's experience qualifications, he said. The district's board will decide which candidates to interview Dec. 8 and hopes to meet with them mid-month.
Once a choice is made, the top candidate will receive an offer in closed session, with the job contingent on a medical screening and background check, Clark explained.
The district had initially hoped to select a replacement by the end of the year, but holiday schedules may make that target hard to hit. Clark has agreed to stay on to help with the transition when a new chief is selected.
A Better Location
Central Fire also wants to relocate its number three station in Soquel Village, and has identified some possible sites.
The existing building falls short in several needs, Clark said. The station does not meet current seismic standards and is located in a flood zone, both of which make it inadvisable to use the current location as a contact center during an emergency.
Traffic at its location on Soquel Drive near the main intersection of the Village, which backs ups several times a day in part due to multiple schools in the area, can impact response time, too.
"We've found a couple other possible locations that will allow us to respond quickly and still serve the community of Soquel," said Clark.
He declined to identify the sites because of ongoing negotiations with property owners.
The cost to replace the station is estimated at $4.9 million, and Central Fire is hoping that some of that money can come from Santa Cruz County's redevelopment agency.
In its recently approved five-year plan, the RDA listed the possible purchase of the old station.
That money would be combined with other funding set aside by the district to replace the station.
Clark asked the RDA to partner with Central Fire in a letter to Supervisor John Leopold and other board members, who serve as the agency's directors.
Flood, Earthquake Damage
In the letter, Clark noted that the station, built in 1955, is the only one of the district's four stations that has not been upgraded to current fire and safety standards.
The Soquel station was damaged by periodic floods over the years and was red tagged following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Only basic repairs have been made since then.
Clark noted that the district has not been able to maintain optimal infrastructure or personnel levels because of funding reductions.
The district serves 55,000 residents in Soquel, Live Oak and Capitola with fire and medical emergency response, search and rescue, and disaster preparedness.
Although no specific plans for a new use of the station have been identified, the county's RDA Director Betsey Lynberg noted that the long-standing Soquel Village Plan has called for a creekside park and ongoing revitalization efforts in the Village.
The RDA previously purchased the Heart of Soquel mobile home park and relocated residents. That location, across the street from the fire station, was similarly plagued by periodic floods when winter storms pushed Soquel Creek over the banks.
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