This SLO County town just hired its first full-time fire chief in 8 years
New funds from a property tax increase in 2019 allowed the Templeton Community Services District to hire its first full-time fire chief since 2012.
Thomas Peterson, a longtime Templeton resident who has served in the district’s Fire and Emergency Services Department for three decades, will replace interim fire Chief Bill White on August 17.
“It is an honor to serve the community I have been a part of for 33 years and I look forward to all the opportunities on the horizon,” Peterson said in a statement Monday.
His predecessor, White, has been working part-time as interim fire chief for the department while also holding a full-time position as a battalion chief for Atascadero Fire and Emergency Services for the past five years.
Measure A, a $180-a-year property tax increase approved by voters in 2019, provided an additional $486,000 per year to the Templeton CSD’s Fire and Emergency Services Department. The funding measure passed by a landslide after previous proposals were voted down.
The new funds allowed the cash-strapped department to begin transitioning into a fully-staffed fire station by the end of the year. Currently, the station operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with some nighttime coverage and help from surrounding fire districts.
Fire departments in unicorporated communities throughout the county are struggling to stay afloat, according to a San Luis Obispo County study published in November 2018.
Districts with low assessed valuations, limited growth and a relatively small share of property taxes have limited revenues while costs have risen exponentially, the study said.
Voters in Cayucos and Cambria rejected ballot measures similar to Measure A in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Without the additional funding, Cayucos’ fire protection district was forced to dissolve in 2018, CAL Fire now provides services to the area.
Jeff Briltz, the Templeton fire station’s general manager, said Peterson’s experience and positive outlook are vital to the department.
“With the threat of wildfire on everyone’s mind and the implementation of 24/7 station staffing this position is key for us as an organization and as a community,” Briltz said.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 2:08 PM.
