The Key Peninsula Fire District is grappling with the fallout from November’s failed Maintenance and Operations levy while working to rebuild community trust and ensure critical services. From listing unused properties to adjusting staffing, the board of fire commissioners and Fire Chief Nick Swinhart are looking for ways to address financial challenges and operational needs.
Listing the O’Callahan’s Property
Board Commissioner Stan Moffett confirmed the district is in discussions with commercial brokers to list the former O’Callahan’s restaurant property, located at the corner of KP Highway and 92nd Street NW in Key Center, which the district purchased for $950,000 in 2021.
Moffett said one broker estimated the value of the property between $950,000 and $1.3 million.
“We’ll plan to list it at the higher end of the estimate and might have to be prepared to hold onto the property for six to 24 months to find the right buyer,” he said. “The broker believes now is a fairly good time to market this property.”
Meeting with brokers, Moffett said, reflects the board’s effort to address concerns about the nearly four-year-old purchase. “We recognized early on that we wouldn’t need it, and listing it will demonstrate our commitment to selling it.”
In 2022, then Board Chair Moffett told KP News the properties were bought to provide options for a possible new headquarters to replace Station 46 in Key Center, a training facility, community rooms, and perhaps a health clinic. The clinic idea was abandoned because of the proximity of the then-new Peninsula Community Health Services and the financial impracticality of the district running its own clinic, and the rest of the idea for the O’Callahan’s site soon followed.
Last January, the board unanimously rejected an undisclosed offer from a buyer who intended to turn the building into an early learning and daycare center.
Update: The board voted to sell the O'Callahan's property at its Jan. 28 meeting.
Rental Property and Long-Term Investments
Moffett also provided an update on another district property, which includes a rental house on KP Highway across the street from KPFD headquarters in Key Center. The house needs updates: Moffett estimated that spending $50,000 on repairs like paint, flooring and HVAC could yield up to $150,000 in rental income over the next five years.
“This is in line with our long-term plan,” said Moffett, who mentioned that building on that property, as outlined in the Capital Facilities Plan, wouldn’t start until 2030. “Making this property rentable now is a good investment.”
Operational Adjustments and Temporary Station Closures
The impact of the failed levy was felt when the Longbranch station went dark for the day Jan. 10 due to reduced staffing after three firefighters called in sick.
Since the levy failed in November, the district has lowered minimum staffing levels from seven firefighters/paramedics per shift to five. With an already tight budget, backfilling shifts using overtime is no longer an option. At a commission meeting in November, Swinhart said reducing the shifts from seven to five would save the district about $100,000 a year in overtime costs.
But when staffing drops to five, one station must close for the day.
“The national standard for number of firefighters on a fire engine is four to five; our firefighters often operate with only two firefighters on a fire engine,” said Capt. Doug Gelsleichter, Key Peninsula Firefighters union president.
“Dropping minimum staffing from seven to five on-duty firefighters in order to lower overtime costs sets us back many years of forward momentum in public safety on the Key Peninsula,” he said.
The Longbranch station was unstaffed again Jan. 23. Eleven firefighters are typically assigned to each of three shifts, though it is rare to have that many on duty, according to Swinhart. B Shift worked on the 23rd and has a vacancy, so only 10 were scheduled. One called in sick, one was out on training, and three had the day off, leading to an empty station. A Shift was scheduled Jan. 10 when three called in sick and three had the day off. Swinhart said he will not fill the vacancy on B Shift for now due to the budget shortfall.
Seeking More Community Engagement
After getting “mixed and contradictory” results from a September 2024 survey on the KPFD’s capital properties, Moffett said the board is preparing a new, more detailed survey to gather community input. The survey aims to provide respondents with more background information to make informed decisions.
The first round of results will be discussed at a town hall March 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Key Peninsula Civic Center, where commissioners will present an overview of the district’s Capital Facilities Plan. The survey will be available on the department website in February at www.keypeninsulafire.org.
“Understanding how the community really feels is essential,” Moffett said. “And we’ll lay out what the (plan) entails so they have a better understanding of what the intent of the board was when we put this plan all together a few years ago.”
Current commissioners John Pat Kelly and Cambria Queen were not part of the board when the Capital Facilities Plan was developed, but Kelly was part of the Citizens Advisory Panel that offered feedback.
KPFD Answers the Call in L.A. Wildfires
Lt. Adam Morse and Paramedic Kevin Koehl joined the frontlines of the Los Angeles wildfires Jan. 11. Deployed for an 18-day mission, the duo worked 24-hour shifts, between 24-hour rest breaks, to protect homes and infrastructure.
This effort is part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual aid agreement among the states, which ensures the district is fully reimbursed for salaries and expenses since the wildfires meet the criteria of a major emergency. Once Morse and Koehl complete their deployment, Chief Swinhart will assess whether to send another two-person crew to continue supporting the relief efforts.
Ted Olinger contributed to this report.
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