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ORANGE COUNTY FIRE RESCUE STUDY <br />WHITE CRO S S <br />1 Projected capital needs <br />2 <br />3 The Department will need to replace its tanker in the future. The Department <br />4 also has plans to expand the station. We estimate the costs will be <br />5 approximately $750,000. <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 Observations and Issues <br />9 <br />10 The Department's station needs expansion and renovation. The station does not <br />11 have dormitory facilities, but with the exception of severe weather or natural <br />12 disaster, there is no eminent need for such space. Because new apparatus is larger <br />13 that the apparatus that is to be replaced, the Bays need to be enlarged. <br />14 <br />15 The Department currently has an ISO rating of 9S. One critical component for this <br />16 reduction is certification and documentation of water supply sources. Other issues <br />17 may need to be addressed in order to improve the rating for this department. <br />18 <br />19 White Cross, as with most of the department's in the County, needs assistance with <br />20 administrative issues such as grant identification and writing, preparation for ISO <br />21 examinations, budgeting, and financing. <br />22 <br />23 Daytime response coverage is an issue for White Cross, although the Department is <br />24 currently able to respond to calls during weekday "work hours" albeit with a <br />25 minimum number of personnel. <br />26 <br />27 ,White Cross currently has 1 base station radios, 4 mobile unit radios, and 20 <br />28 portable radios. With the County's migration to 800 MHz., White Cross has been <br />29 allotted 3 portable radios. This is clearly insufficient and White Cross is hardly in a <br />30 financial position to be able to afford the additional radios necessary for it to be on <br />31 the current communications level. <br />32 <br />33 The Department has trouble receiving dispatches from Emergency <br />34 Communications. The repeater that serves the Department is subject to frequent <br />35 lightning strikes and is often off line. 'The Department has missed dispatches. Even <br />69 <br />