Resolution to "close" Old Shasta Fire Department passes 4-1, future still uncertain

SHASTA, Calif. — One of the oldest fire stations in California, Old Shasta’s Company 56, has been in limbo over the past several months.

The Shasta Community Services Board, which controls both water and fire in the district, convened on Tuesday night to vote on resolution No.2021-4, which can be read in full here. The wording of the resolution caused controversy in the previous meeting and continued to be an issue on Wednesday night.

Last month’s meeting agenda was met with vocal disdain from the Old Shasta community.

Here is what the resolution said:

"[A] resolution of application commission to the Shasta Local Agency Formation Commission to Rescind Fire Services and close operations of the Shasta Fire Department by the Shasta Community Services District and Name a successor agency.”

That statement remained on Wednesday night’s agenda, but board president David Cross ensured that "...there's no intention from this district or the board to close the fire department at all," emphasizing that it's "not even on the agenda."

Old Shasta’s fire station has been in service for nearly 170 years and has one full-time employee, Aida Kowalski, who handles fire and medical emergencies in the sparsely populated and mountainous community.

Cross explained at the meeting Wednesday night, and during the last meeting on October 21st, that the Shasta Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) made the board use those words in the resolution specifically, even though the resolution would only approve a dialogue with Shasta County Fire Department to potentially run the station and answer community questions.

The board attempted to assure the community Wednesday night that the station is not under threat of termination and the only way Shasta County would be able to speak to the public and answer questions was by a majority "yes" vote to the resolution.

"We all like our fire department," said board member Jane Heinan, "but it’s a standstill without this [resolution], so good or bad we need to do this because we have to."

One local, named "Tim", yelled "we don't believe you guys!" after Heinan's comments.

The board and community members deliberated on the meaning of the phrase "rescind", with one board member, Karen Preisser, saying she felt uncomfortable with the language as it was presented, reiterating statements she made at the last meeting.

She was the lone board member who voted "nay".

Preisser had previously instructed Community District Manager Chris Koepner to make more of an effort to put flyers out for volunteers to apply to join the fire station.

Koepner previously stated that there were not enough "qualified" volunteers applying to run the station as it stands, a statement that Old Shasta's residents hotly contested.

Those feelings continued on Wednesday night.

"...the only problem the fire department has right now is that we lack personnel," said local Tom Carroll, "we have money, we have equipment, we have a station, we just don’t have enough people to run it."

Carroll said that applications are left "sitting on the desk" of District Manager Chris Koepner and he refuses to accept anyone.

"We have people," Carroll continued, "they just won’t accept them. Who doesn’t accept a volunteer? Come on man! Be serious!"

"We're having volunteers come in, but no one is hearing anything back," said another local, Joe Basquez.

Both men believed that they couldn't trust that the board's resolution wouldn't end the fire station, with Carroll calling it the "final nail in the coffin".

Some community members felt that by not accepting volunteers, the District would have an excuse to say that the station cannot operate.

Another issue concerned budgetary mismanagement, including a $300,000 loan from the fire department to the Community Services District.

Koepner said in a statement that "There’s no loan out there. There is a reserve account that stays on the district's books....it’s property tax money that comes in from the state, and it goes into the fire department bank account. So when the bank account gets low, we transfer it from the reserve account to the bank account. That’s all."

Attendees criticized the board for a lack of transparency, as well as inaccurate reporting of board meeting agendas and minutes.

The District website currently does not have a way to see or hear videos of previous meetings.

The board meets every third Wednesday of the month.