NCFPD to replace Holdridge with three new part-time employees

Gregg Holdridge, who had been the fire prevention officer for the North County Fire Protection District (NCFPD), retired at the end of December after 29 years with the district.

Holdridge's departure provided the district with some funding which otherwise would have been spent on his salary and benefits, and on Jan. 24 the NCFPD board voted 4-1, with Ruth Harris in opposition, to hire three new part-time personnel and reclassify an existing fire prevention staff member to the position of fire marshal.

"I think it's a great way to be more creative in managing our administrative workload given these challenging economic times, and it provides us additional depth and flexibility," said NCFPD fire chief Steve Abbott.

The salary and benefits for Holdridge accounted for more than $150,000 in the district's annual budget, although an offset due to pension liability reduces the true expense to approximately $125,000.

The district will hire a fire prevention specialist, which will have the same duties as the fire prevention officer but will be a part-time position, as well as a new medical services officer and a new administrative specialist. Each of those three positions will be for 960 hours a year with no benefits. The reorganization will provide between 20 and 30 additional personnel hours each week.

Each of the new personnel will be compensated at the probationary rate of pay stipulated in the NCFPD pay schedule other than the medical services officer, which is not part of the pay schedule and will be compensated at a base rate of $39.47 per hour, which is comparable to similar positions in the region. The fire marshal, whose selection is to be determined, will be compensated at the current rate of pay for an administrative captain/medic.