As Turlock Fire interim chief retires, is the city considering contract with Modesto?
Turlock Interim Fire Chief Gary Carlson plans to retire next month and the city intends to replace him with the same administrator who oversaw Ceres contracting Modesto for fire services, the firefighters union said.
The hiring of Michael Botto will come after the City Council budgeted a feasibility study to examine the costs of Modesto running fire operations in Turlock, said Chad Hackett, the firefighters union president.
Turlock announced Carlson’s retirement in a press release Thursday, but Interim City Manager Sarah Eddy on Friday said the city has not made a final decision to fill the position. The feasibility study will determine if Turlock can provide the same or better fire services at a lower cost by sharing resources, Eddy said in an email.
The council in June allocated $25,000 of Measure A sales tax revenue for a fire feasibility study, but budget documents did not describe a purpose. Previous Acting City Manager Gary Hampton told the fire union the city plans to conduct such a study this fiscal year, Hackett said.
Meanwhile, Hackett said the retirement of the 24-year department veteran marks a loss for the entire city. Carlson has served as interim chief since Turlock fired Robert Talloni in June 2019 and before then had worked as operations chief since June 2016. During the COVID-19 pandemic Carlson also has served as the city’s incident commander coordinating Turlock’s emergency response.
“We are losing a huge asset and the fire department specifically will feel this really for the next couple years because there is no succession planning that has been taking place in the fire department,” Hackett said. “So, even if we bring in an outside chief, there’s no one up there to help that new chief get off to a good start.”
Carlson, 51, told The Bee he decided not to seek the permanent fire chief position earlier this summer. He told the city he would be happy to serve until they found a candidate, he added. His retirement is effective Sept. 14.
“It’s been an absolute honor to be part of the Turlock Fire Department and to be the chief for the past couple years,” Carlson said. “I feel like Turlock has the most professional and most caring fire department that I’ve ever been a part of.”
The council cut the fire department’s budget for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 fiscal years, so Carlson said it has been challenging to maintain staffing levels with fewer people. Cuts also reduced the number of administrative chiefs from four to two in 2019, he said.
Turlock interim chief confirms contract study
Carlson confirmed the city plans to do a fire feasibility study for a Modesto fire services contract similar to the one Ceres started earlier this month. He expects the new interim chief will conduct the study, Carlson said.
Modesto provides all fire protection services for Ceres under the contract, but Ceres continues to own its fire trucks and stations. Modesto also hired Ceres firefighters. Supporters said the contract makes Ceres residents safer with better services available faster at a lower cost.
For Ceres, the process of researching, approving and implementing a contract took about five months. Botto, the interim fire chief at the time, gave the council a public presentation in March about the state of its fire department. The council directed him to research contract options, leading to a vote on the Modesto service agreement in June.
Carlson’s retirement announcement comes a week after three Turlock firefighters gave notice that they are leaving for other agencies, Hackett said. Altogether the department has lost 10 firefighters in the past two years, Hackett said.
“Gary will truly be missed not just by those of us in city government, but by the entire Turlock community,” Eddy said in the press release. “His easy manner was a real asset during the pandemic as he instilled calm in those around him.”
