Round-the-clock fire protection is worth $15 a month. Vote yes on this South County fire tax

Oceano residents who want to maintain their current level of 24/7 fire protection should vote yes on Measure A-20 — a $180-a-year parcel tax that would generate $422,000 in its first year.

Let’s break that down: An additional $180 a year in taxes works out to $15 per month — roughly the cost of a large pizza.

It’s also the same amount the Templeton Fire and Emergency Services Department requested in a parcel tax election last year. It was approved by nearly 78% of voters.

If Measure A-20 fails to get the two-thirds majority needed for passage, Oceano — which now belongs to a consolidated fire agency that also includes Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande — faces an uncertain future.

It’s already been decided that, without additional funding, it will have to withdraw from the Five Cities Fire Authority on June 20, 2021.

At that point, the most likely scenario would be to ask the county to provide fire protection, much as Cayucos did in 2018.

Shockingly, the county is under no legal obligation to do so, though according to a letter sent last fall by Supervisor Debbie Arnold, who was then chairman of the board, “... the board has indicated the protection of public safety is its highest priority and thus would engage discussions on this matter.”

But here’s the rub: The county would be in the driver’s seat.

It would conduct an analysis to determine the appropriate level of service, with an eye toward “minimizing any impact to the county General Fund,” County Administrative Officer Wade Horton told us via email.

It’s that “minimizing any impact to the county General Fund” that could be sobering news for Oceano.

A 2018 county study already determined that staffing the Oceano station with two full-time firefighters would cost $600,000 over and above what Oceano property taxes generate.

So where will that money come from?

It’s highly unlikely the county would “reward” Oceano by subsidizing that amount — not after the citizens of Templeton agreed to tax themselves. That would send the wrong message to other small fire departments in the county that are facing similar fiscal challenges.

The upshot could be reduced service — a horrible idea for Oceano.

The community is the gateway to the popular Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, which bring many tourists to the area, increasing the number of calls.

Also, the area’s vegetable-packing plants use ammonia as a coolant, and ammonia emergencies require special training.

Finally, Union Pacific runs through Oceano, which poses a risk of freight and passenger accidents — including derailments. Longtime South County residents may recall just such an emergency in August of 1986, when three tank cars carrying a highly flammable liquid overturned, forcing the evacuation of 2,000 people. Had one of the tank cars leaked, it would have caused a fiery explosion.

Bottom line: If Oceano residents want a local fire station staffed around the clock with career professional firefighters — and they want to maintain local control — they should vote yes vote on Measure A-20.

This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Round-the-clock fire protection is worth $15 a month. Vote yes on this South County fire tax."