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Mike St. John, 383 Christina Court, president of the Pleasanton Firefighters Association, indicated his belief that negotiations are at impasse and presented the issues still in contention, which he believes are paramedic service, emergency response times, staffing levels, and hazardous materials management. Ms. Acosta believed that the service of the firefighters in responding to emergency calls has been excellent. She stated that the City must make business decisions like any other corporation. The issues involved in the negotiations are no different than issues faced by any other employer: it is money, not safety. The employee group is cloaking the issues in safety; however, the bottom line is how to make sure the community safety needs are met in a cost effective manner. In government it is often harder to resolve issues because of the sensationalism created by the media. The City has an adopted process for resolving contractual differences. The next step is to meet with the City Manager to determine if there is a chance to resolve the issues prior to mediation. The first meeting with the City Manager is scheduled for November 15, 1994. This is the first time that Ms. Acosta will be meeting with the group as she has not been directly involved in the negotiation process to this point. The next step after that is mediation. Because the firefighters have chosen to make the issues public, Ms. Acosta felt obligated to respond. Ms. Acosta said that there are currently five people at each fire station and the City proposes to assign four people, which is still a higher standard than most other cities in Alameda County and in California. Because of this change, it will not be necessary to hire as many people in the future as new fire stations are completed. This will also allow returning the medical response function to the engine company and proceeding with the non-transport paramedic program. There are only two exceptions to the four-person standard. One involves the new fire station for the easterly side of the City. This station would work with the Railroad Avenue station until the Railroad Avenue station is relocated to a new station that might be constructed on the San Francisco property. Currently the entire south and southeast portion of the city are provided fire and medical response by five persons from the Railroad Avenue station and under the proposed plan, that area would be served by seven persons. The other exception is the cinergency response for Ruby Hill. This area will include ,5re sDrinklers in structures. which enables a longer ~esponse time for tile Fire Department. There is a cooperative agreement with the Cities of Livermore and Pleasanton to share coverage of this area. This agreement will save the City several hundred thousand dollars annually. Ms. Acosta believed the proposed staffing levels would address the safety needs of the community. The staffing levels required on a particular day dramatically affects overtime. The City is reluctant to agree to guaranteed staffing that requires more personnel than deemed necessary because it results in increased overtirnr-costs. Currently the City is paying over $600,000 annually for overtime, which is three times what other agencies the City's size pay. The way in which absences are filled is driving this cost and is an issue in the negotiations. 11/01/94 - 5 -