Clovis council talks about change to Tarpey fire calls

For three years, Clovis firefighters have been responding to emergency calls in the unincorporated Tarpey Village area for $950 per call.

But the Fresno County Fire Protection District, which agreed to pay Clovis the fee, wants to end the 2006 deal.

Clovis City Council members discussed the service change Monday night but took no action.

Ending the agreement comes at a time when both agencies are struggling financially. The agreement, which cost the district $94,050 last year, is scheduled to expire Nov. 1. Ending it reduces revenue for the city, but it also reduces call volume at the city’s busiest station, at Minnewawa and Shaw avenues.

“It’s less income for the city, and the city needs income wherever practical, but it also is less of a resource drain,” said Rick Bennett, Clovis fire chief.

City Manager Kathy Millison said that under a new agreement, the city will no longer respond to emergency medical calls, but will offer aid on fires.

Before July 2006, the city responded to Tarpey when the district needed assistance and did not charge a fee. The previous deal had been in place since 1966. Tarpey has 1,300 homes and about 4,000 residents.

County Fire Chief Keith Larkin told the City Council that the district’s proposal has nothing to do with his agency’s working relationship with Clovis, which he said remains strong.

He said the district and city will work on a new deal before Nov. 1. Bennett said it will include no exchange of funds.

Before the meeting, county board President Mike DelPuppo said the district has upgraded its dispatching, geographical positioning and truck technology to allow its firefighters to get to Tarpey calls from its Sunnyside and Nees avenues station faster.

“We are responding into Tarpey no different than we did before and we are getting there as Clovis is pulling up and we are even beating Clovis sometimes,” he said. Also, the county district collects a $950 fee if its firefighters go to a Clovis call. In 2008, Clovis went to 258 county calls and the county went to 91 city calls. The county has notified Tarpey residents of the change, DelPuppo said. No residents addressed the issue Monday night.

By Marc Benjamin / The Fresno Bee