By Linh Tat
The Oakland Tribune via The Contra Costa Times
UNION CITY, Calif. — Firefighters working in Union City officially are answering to the Alameda County Fire Department beginning today.
Typically, when two entities merge, kinks in operational procedures need to be worked out. In Union City’s case, the merger comes right before a holiday weekend known for fireworks and barbecues that can quickly get out of hand.
But because the Union City and county fire departments have been working on a transition plan for months, Alameda County Fire administrators said, residents should be assured that firefighters are equipped to handle one of the department’s busiest times of the year.
“We have been engaged with Union City for several months now, working on the transition. "... We don’t get a do-over (if there’s a fire), so we’re very meticulous in our process. We don’t say we’re ready to go unless we’re ready to go,” said Demetrious Shaffer, deputy fire chief for Alameda County Fire.
The transition began months ago, but to mark the official change in command, city officials will gather this morning at Fire Station No. 1, where Alameda County fire Chief Sheldon Gilbert will administer the oath of office to Union City fire personnel.
While firefighters in Union City will go by a different name now, residents should not notice a change in service, Shaffer said. In fact, all four of the city’s fire stations will remain open, and the firefighters who will respond to Union City residences should be the same men and women that have been serving residents of the city since before the merger.
“We don’t allow for complete uproots,” Shaffer said. “The reason we do that is for continuity and safety. We want to make sure that before anyone moves out (of) or (into the city), they are fully trained to do things in that jurisdiction.”
The full transition will take 18 to 24 months, Shaffer estimated.
Union City has the advantage of following on the heels of Newark’s fire department merger with the county in May. That merger served as a template to ensure a seamless transition in Union City, Shaffer said.
And while Newark had to transition to a new dispatch center, Shaffer said Union City for years has had calls dispatched by Alameda County Fire, so that’s one less change to worry about.
Although Union City’s merger was not official until today, it has been operating as a single battalion with Newark since May 1 to prepare for the transition.
The department’s merger, which is expected to cost the city about $263,000 more per year, has been a controversial one.
The City Council was split in its decision to consolidate, and city employee groups that represented police managers and officers, public works employees, mid-managers and other professionals criticized the merger as tying the city’s hands on firefighting-related expenses.
But the firefighters union endorsed the consolidation, citing the ability for its members to take advantage of more hands-on training, equipment and other county resources.
In addition to Newark, Alameda County Fire contracts with the cities of San Leandro and Dublin.
About 40 firefighters from Union City will become county fire personnel with this merger.
Carlos Rodriguez, fire chief in Union City, will stay on as a city employee to help with administrative duties until Aug. 13, when he will retire.
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