During the CPUD Special Board Meeting in mid-October, both Fire Chief Balzarini and General Manager (GM) Adam Cox submitted their intent to leave the District.
Cox was appointed by the CPUD board in 2022 to serve as an interim General Manager, tasked with stabilizing CPUD’s operations and assisting the board of directors in their search for a new GM. Initially, his role was intended to last for 9 months, but it extended beyond that when the board decided to prolong his tenure. Balzarini, who had taken over as Fire Chief approximately a year ago to replace the fired Fire Chief Layne in early 2022, also chose to step down.
Sierra Daily News reached out to Cox regarding his planned departure on December 31st. Cox explained that both he and Balzarini decided to resign because they felt their leadership had become more of a distraction than a help.
Tensions between the Local Professional Firefighters Union, district management, and the CPUD Board of Directors, and what many say are years of mismanagement and fiscal irresponsibility, led to these developments. Issues include the temporary loss of insurance that initially threatened to close the fire department last year, the firing of Chief Layne the decision to change the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) overtime cycle for fire staff to a 56-hour work week. It’s important to note that this change did not reduce their pay but did affect their take-home earnings due to reduced working hours.
The District Vice President of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) told Sierra Daily News in response to these recent actions that, “The IAFF looks forward to our continued collaboration with CPUD and the Chester Firefighters. We believe that citizens should demand a continuation of the higher level of service that a professional department provides.”
Recently, five veteran firefighters left the fire department, with at least one of them alleging wrongful termination in a recent lawsuit against CPUD. Furthermore, the fire department may face layoffs despite having hired five new firefighters if the annual deficit of 1.2 million dollars is not resolved.
The fate of the Chester Community will be determined shortly, as Measure D is set to appear on the November 7th ballot, proposing a special tax to partially fund the Fire Department.
Cox has been in negotiations with Seneca Hospital to operate their ambulance service. However, both the CEO of Seneca, Shawn McKenzie, and the Local President of the IAFF Union have reported that the proposed contracts have not been viable, leading to a halt in negotiations.
If the deficit issue remains unresolved, the community could witness the closure of the Fire Department. This would have repercussions on homeowners’ insurance, as ISO ratings would increase due to the loss of the department. Additionally, neighboring communities would be called upon for fire resources when needed in Chester.
Many members of the Chester community are calling for a complete overhaul of the CPUD board and the establishment of new management. The fate of the Chester Fire Department remains uncertain, with no viable solution on the horizon to sustain its operations.
