City to consider funding for fire department evaluation

Contract calls for extensive review of agency

The Bishop City Council at its meeting Monday is scheduled to consider funding of and agency evaluation of the Bishop Fire Department in part due to the looming EMS crisis the Bishop area could be facing.

Bishop Fire Chief Joe Dell, in a memo regarding the agenda item, stated the joint powers authority ad hoc committee for the Bishop Rural Fire Protection District has determined the need for an evaluation of service for the fire department.

“As we approach an EMS crisis and determine the need for additional service, facilities and possibly personnel, committee members wanted a strong evaluation of our system,” according to Dell.

The funding for the evaluation is not to exceed $35,334 and would be evenly split by the city and rural fire district at $17,667 each.

Support documents regarding the issue notes that Bishop City Administrator Dishion has sought out and determined that a company called Emergency Services Consulting International is in the best position to provide a sound and expedient evaluation of the Bishop Fire Department.

ESCI’s two-phased agency evaluation takes a “snapshot in time” of the city of Bishop Fire Department, reviews its configuration, programs and processes, service delivery, response performance in detail, and compares the conditions found to national standards, best practices, and the experience of ESCI’s consultants. It is a gap analysis and can be used as the basis for a followon strategic planning process. The first phase will involve a site visit, interviews with key elected and appointed officials, volunteer and career personnel, and evaluation of the fire stations and apparatus.

The Bishop City Council is scheduled to meet in open session at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Bishop City Hall, 301 W. Line St. Meeting agendas, including how the meetings can be viewed remotely, can be found at www.cityofbishop.com.