By Marc Benjamin
The Fresno Bee
Copyright 2007 McClatchy Newspapers, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
FRESNO, Calif. — When Keith Larkin was named the new chief of the Fresno County Fire Protection District, he became the sixth person to hold the job since 2005.
The revolving chief’s door has occurred at a particularly difficult time for the district as it struggles to maintain its independence while the city of Fresno threatens annexations that would pull large chunks of revenue from the district and force the closure of some rural stations.
Larkin, 51, takes over after a slew of retirements last year left Cal Fire, the former California Department of Forestry, devoid of full-time candidates for the post.
After Chief Steve Sunderland departed in 2005, his replacement retired, and Cal Fire then appointed two successive chiefs who were part-timers and who took the job in retirement.
Sunderland was replaced by Ted Mendoza, who left in March 2006 after a change in state retirement policy gave administrators 3% of their highest year’s pay for every year of service at 50 years old, rather than at age 55.
Becky Robertson, chief for the past six months, was appointed to the position temporarily. She is returning to Cal Fire’s main office in Fresno.
Her replacement, Larkin, will stay in Fresno, Cal Fire officials say.
“I think Keith Larkin is going to bring some stability to the situation,” said Mike Jarvis, deputy director of communications for Cal Fire in Sacramento. “I have a feeling he is going to be there for some time.”
Over the district’s 55-year life, the state has appointed its chiefs. The board can choose its chief, but never has, and the Board of Supervisors has never had a say in naming the chief.
The district’s pending financial problems have brought county supervisors into the fray and have placed district board members on the front lines.
“One of the problems we had dealing with [city of] Fresno was constantly having somebody new,” district board member Mike DelPuppo said. “It’s not that we lost ground, but we have to start over all the time.”
He said Robertson earned the board’s confidence and Larkin’s appointment is encouraging.
Fresno County Supervisor Henry R. Perea said the district needs a chief in place for “continuity, decision-making and long-range planning.”
He also had some advice for Larkin: “First, I would tell him to stick around for a while, and second, to build a financial plan for their long-term vision, a financial plan that will maintain their solvency and long-term growth.”
Brad Richter, an observer of the fire protection district for 24 years, said the selection of chiefs in Sacramento displays a lack of local control. He said the chiefs chosen since 2005 -- Mendoza, Tim Turner, Stan Craig and Robertson -- also had other demands thrust upon them.
As “retired annuitants,” Craig and Turner were limited to working 20 hours per week because of state retirement policies. Turner also was called to direct a forest fire in Ventura County and was out of the area for a month of his tenure.
“The fire district has just been floundering,” Richter said.
He said issues involving the city of Fresno could not be addressed with a chief working two- or three-day weeks.
“It’s not fair to the district or county residents,” Richter said.
By the time Robertson arrived, the district had lost nearly a year in the discussion over revenue and firefighting services with the city of Fresno, he said.
“She hasn’t taken a day off since she’s been here,” Richter said. “Becky Robertson exerted 120% effort into trying to straighten out the fire district, but she got into the race after the race had already started.”
Added board member Ray Remy: “The people we had have been outstanding people and better qualified than what we might get as a chief, but they were there for such a short period of time and not all of them were familiar with the district.”
The district also was expected to have a deputy chief, but has not had one for several years, he said, and the district also has lost other people in top posts.
The district pays an administrative fee of more than $1 million to Cal Fire to pay for the district’s administration, but Remy said the district has not received its money’s worth.
Cal Fire officials believe the worst may be over for the district’s administrative problems. They also say the district is not alone in facing large numbers of retirements in top positions.
Last year, Cal Fire replaced more than half of its 21 unit chiefs statewide, and 235 sworn personnel retired, about 60% more than in 2005, said Bill Robertson, deputy director of management services for Cal Fire in Sacramento.
He said retirement issues are a problem for other state and local agencies and that Cal Fire is employing a succession plan that will allow lower-ranking firefighters to move up the ladder into administrative posts.
Losing employees, especially firefighters in their early 50s, is to be expected, said Stewart Gary, fire practices principal with Citygate Associates, a Folsom consulting firm.
It’s been a practice in the fire service for firefighters to leave in their early 50s because of the physical nature of the job and the number of injuries and associated workers’ compensation claims paid for older workers who take longer to heal, said Gary, a former Livermore Fire Department chief.
The ability to retire at 50 years old with 3% of the highest year’s salary for each year of service combined with the large number of baby boomers who joined the fire service as California grew in the 1970s hit at the same time.
While forcing a person to stay in a particular post is not permitted by state policy, Charles Maner, assistant region chief for Southern and Central California, said Larkin was selected because “we were looking for some longevity there.”
County Supervisor Bob Waterston is confident Larkin will stay in Fresno for several years.
“My number one question was, ‘How long are you going to stay?’ ” Waterston said. “I think he understands the lay of the land here and I was real impressed with him. I am comfortable with what I found out.”