Raises, more benefits, for non-firefighter employees approved by Menlo fire board

Kudos to Chuck Bernstein for voting against this bloated contract. Even though the other directors voted in favor at least there is one responsible Board member. As for Ms. Kiraly: "The contract", she said, is "not a perfect agreement because no agreement's going to be perfect." Is this supposed to pass for wisdom?

Remember, the public safety contract with a different labor union is up next. Will the Board grow a spine in dealing with them? Don't hold your breath.

Time to scrap the fire district all together and start over. Yes, we need fire protection services, yes we will have to pay for them - but we need to unwind this completely over grown and over priced (and over taxed) mess. Residents, time to get involved and together we can do so much better. We don’t need our fire department working as real estate speculators.

Thank goodness for Chuck Bernstein; he appears to be the only one with real business experience, and is willing to hold the line against more raises for the entity with the "highest average wages in the state". And all the former fire board President, Mr. Carpenter, can spout is pablam. "Every agreement is a compromise...". No compromising here, the Fire District is absolutely shaking us taxpayer upside down emptying our pockets.

Mike:
Chuck Bernstein should run for the Menlo Park Council and use his skills there. The fire district runs in spite of itself. The MP Council needs a new face, like Chuck’s.

Virginia Chang Kiraly is already breaking ground for a Board of Supervisors run. Maybe she can run for that seat, stay on the fire board and harbor district. She can appear 3 times on the ballot, at the same time.

How wonderful!

It seems to me the biggest challenge the Fire District has right now is finding ways to use its largess.

At this point would anyone be surprised to see the Fire District purchase a helicopter for use in rescuing Atherton and West Menlo residents from their swimming pools? Of course, it would justify the purchase on the grounds that a helicopter is the only way to bypass rush hour traffic on Willow).

Lets remember these jobs help RUN & SUPPORT our fire department, they are ESSENTIAL to the functionality of the FD. Menlo Park is an expensive area to live and work in - we have to pay our civil servants wages to match. Take a look at the job descriptions for these positions, they're likely to require a lot of in-depth knowledge and skills. A fleet manager probably has to be pretty familiar with the various apparatus an FD has and the NFPA codes on replacement timelines. A plan checker has to know building codes, fire codes and municipal codes, and perform inspections. The mechanic has to know that fleet inside and out and keep a multitude of vehicles maintained and running to respond to YOUR emergency call without breaking down along the way. The public information officer is the voice for the department and its programs and on calls. Administrative Assistants serve the public and almost every member of the department, from answering phone calls and being knowledgeable about smoke alarms, the best senior medical alert devices, to dealing with the mountain of paperwork it takes to document everything in the name of transparency to the public.

While this contract was indeed lucrative, why don't we think of the functions these job positions fill for our communities? We ask a lot from our fire departments these days - not just to respond to fires, but to be all-risk agencies that show up and know what to do when we need them most. You can't run a car without gas, or use the internet without a computer or device, and you can't run a fire department without it's administrative division. We should support our fire departments instead of trying to dismantle them.

And if you're truly concerned about what's happening with MPFD, stop hiding behind the comments section of an online news article and attend a Fire Board meeting.

Congrats Virginia Chang Kiraly as Harbor District Board President. Your experience with both the Fire Board and Harbor District will put you in a great position for that Board of Supervisors run.