Title
Chief Administrative Office, in collaboration with the Jurisdictional Reorganization Ad Hoc Committee, recommending the Board authorize staff to perform a baseline analysis of Georgetown Divide fire and emergency medical services to help address fiscal and operational challenges for fire districts located in the Georgetown Divide area.
FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Background
Fire and emergency medical (non-transport) services in El Dorado County are delivered by 12 independent special districts and the City of South Lake Tahoe. Revenues and service levels vary across districts, and following the implementation of Proposition 13 there have been discussions about how to ensure the fire service in the County is sustainable into the future. While the County does not have direct responsibility for the provision of fire protection services, the Board of Supervisors has engaged in various efforts to support the fire districts over the years. In the early 2000s, the County provided General Fund financial support to several districts with the lowest property tax shares, a program known as “Aid to Fire.” This program was discontinued, with the recognition that the year-to-year funding to individual districts was not sustainable for the County financially and it was not addressing the structural issues facing the fire service. A countywide, system-wide perspective would be needed and any assistance from the County should support increased coordination and efficiency.
The 2017-18 Grand Jury issued a report that recommended consolidation of districts and further recommended that the County lead such an effort. The Board of Supervisors’ response agreed that consolidation should be considered as one of the potential options for bolstering the fire service, but stopped short of adopting the recommendation that the Board direct creation of a plan to consolidate districts. This was based on consistent feedback from the districts indicating they felt the ideas for consolidating or reorganizing districts should be driven by the districts, and not the County. The Chief Administrative Office and the Board’s Fire and EMS ad hoc committee continued to engage in the sustainability discussions alongside the districts and in 2019, the Board of Supervisors included in its strategic plan a theme to “Support Fire Districts’ Reorganization and Consolidation when requested.” At the time, it was contemplated the support might include assistance with costs of the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) process, including needed fiscal and municipal service studies, or other one-time costs, such as infrastructure investments, that would help remove barriers to district reorganizations.
Georgetown Divide Fire Services
Mosquito Fire Protection District (MFPD) and Garden Valley Fire Protection District (GVFPD) met with the County staff and the LAFCO Executive Officer on October 29, 2025 and January 8, 2026 to discuss a draft targeted Municipal Services Review (MSR) for MFPD and sustainability concerns that came forward from the targeted MSR. LAFCO commissioned the targeted MSR after a 2022 countywide fire and emergency medical services MSR recommended that the MSRs for MFPD and GVFPD be revisited within three years to evaluate district viability. Through this meeting, challenges and potential solutions for MFPD were discussed, and among the discussion was the possibility that the County assist with a baseline analysis of fire and emergency medical services in the Georgetown Divide area to help determine the true service need compared to the current delivery model. The analysis was originally proposed to focus on MFPD but could allow for GVFPD and Georgetown Fire Protection District to participate as well. It is anticipated that this analysis could be done mostly with current County staff with collaboration from fire personnel independent of the districts on the Divide.
The Chief Administrative Office met with the Jurisdictional Reorganization Ad Hoc Committee to discuss the County’s support of the baseline analysis of fire and emergency medical services for the Georgetown Divide area. The Ad Hoc Committee was supportive of the analysis and recommended bringing this item to the full Board for discussion.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to offer assistance or could direct assistance in a different amount or form.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Mosquito Fire Protection District, Garden Valley Fire Protection District, LAFCO
FINANCIAL IMPACT
It is anticipated that the study can be performed in house using current staffing with possible compensation for Extra Help personnel staff time for a cost up to $30,000.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Alison Winter, Principal Management Analyst