Zayante Fire’s Measure T

By Robin Musitelli

Zayante Fire Chief Jeff Maxwell has noticed a troubling trend. “People think we’re from the County. They have no idea that we’re a volunteer department. All they know is that someone shows up and takes care of business.”

That’s troubling to Maxwell for several reasons. First, the small but volunteer-rich fire department is asking voters to approve Measure T in November. The new special annual tax will allow the department to maintain daytime firefighters and replace aged out emergency vehicles.

Maxwell is worried that voters think Zayante fire district is part of a vast network of Santa Cruz County-funded agencies and that their money will be swallowed by County coffers.

Here’s some clarification. The Zayante fire district is an independent district funded by Zayante residents and property owners, governed entirely by Zayante residents, with trained Zayante resident volunteer firefighters with no County funding. Their tax revenue is collected by the County and then passed back to the fire department which invests all revenue into operations, maintenance, and purchase of equipment. Measure T, which needs a two-thirds voter approval to pass, would add $215 to the existing fire protection parcel tax for a total of $290 annually per residence. Vacant parcels would pay less. Maxwell points out that comes to $24 a month, 80 cents a day.

A second reason that being confused with “The County” is so galling relates to the department’s long-standing reputation of being thrifty to the point of, well, absurdity.

This is the fire district whose former “station“ for 50 years was a building that had to be cabled into plumb every week so firetrucks could get in and out. The building had no restrooms – just “girls’ bushes and boys’ bushes.“  It clearly wasn’t adequate.

The replacement station-community center on Zayante Road was a DYI community project. The carpet (used) was pulled out of an office building in San Jose. Repurposed church pews provide seating. County surplus yards were the Zayante scavenger’s haven for materials. The parking lot was done by CDF equipment operators who “practiced” grading.  And so on.

The department tradition has been to ask voters for “just enough“ for equipment and facilities, and in the case of the fire station bond, pay it off early. That “do more with less” approach worked until staggering 9% inflation increased the cost of doing business.

Maxwell and his board have tried to make it work but have struggled to manage a balanced budget. Firefighter positions and salaries have been cut. Daytime firefighter responders are currently below critical levels. Maxwell’s salary is about a third of other San Lorenzo Valley chiefs. Old equipment has been sold, and the thermostat has been set to 55 degrees in the station.

Measure T would allow three paid firefighter positions during the daytime when the volunteer ranks are thin, bringing the department back to the minimum industry standard.

It’s easy to see why people would think the firefighters come from “The County.” The department volunteers are everywhere – vehicle accidents, storm-related road closures and calls, medical calls, and – oh yes – fires. Last year the department responded to 418 calls, about 70 percent of which were for medical emergencies and public service details. In firefighter parlance, many of those calls are for “pick-up, put-backs,” an important service of helping people who have fallen out of bed and can’t get back. Vital stuff with the aging San Lorenzo Valley population.

Recently Zayante has also been covering calls for Felton Fire District at night, the neighboring department experiencing a staffing shortage. Zayante is not getting rich from the extra work, but is covering the cost of fuel, says Maxwell.

Along with Boulder Creek, Zayante is the largest district geographically in the San Lorenzo Valley. But Zayante is the smallest in population and has the lowest tax base of all the San Lorenzo Valley districts. It also is the only fire district in the Valley with several stations.  It has three – one on Zayante Road, one in Lompico, and one near the Summit. The department has a healthy group of trained and dedicated volunteers — 28 on its roster. Those volunteers are paid an annual stipend for responding to calls – $12 per call no matter whether it’s for an 8-hour fire or for putting someone back in bed in the middle of the night.

(A little known tidbit  – Zayante-Lompico didn’t escape the lightning strikes that caused the CZU Fire four years ago. Zayante Fire jumped on the resulting fire early and were able to escape the community devastation.)

When Zayante’s board realized they couldn’t continue current operations without more revenue, they decided to ask for it the “Zayante way.”  Firefighters are going door-to-door to talk to their neighbors about Measure T.  They’ve been holding neighborhood campaign coffees in people’s homes. Maxwell, board members, and friends serve as campaign workers. There are no paid consultants, of course.

At those neighborhood meetings, Maxwell realized too many people didn’t realize that the district is independent, not part of a county-wide tax base. The campaign volunteers adjusted. Literature and mailers were edited to add a disclaimer. “We are an independent district, funded by you, governed by you. No county funding.”

They’re here to help, but they need your help now. Chief Maxwell would like you to know.

Featured photo: Zayante Fire team with Skylife Air Ambulance at Loch Lomond | SLV Steve

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