LEMOORE - Lemoore volunteer firefighters, perhaps using city fire equipment, became part of a "strike team" trained to assist other agencies in times of wildfire emergencies. LVFD joined Kings County, Hanford, Lemoore Naval Air Station and prison firefighters in the state-sponsored quick response unit.

The action came in the regular City Council meeting Tuesday evening.

According to Chief Gene Miguel of LVFD, six members have already had enhanced training - and eight others will soon be trained - for the emergency action. All, Miguel stressed, are volunteers for the program which opened discussion last September. The chief will maintain a list of trained personnel who wish to participate.

Each firefighter, as a "temporary employee of the city," according to City Manager Jeff Briltz, will earn about $10 an hour, plus overtime, or $344 for a 24-hour shift. City equipment, if called, will be charged out at $46 an hour. Although the city will pay the local firefighters, the state will, in turn, reimburse the city.

"We will send a maximum of four firefighters at any one time," Miguel added.

Mutual aid, in turn, backs up Lemoore in case of a local emergency, he said in response to a question of Lemoore's safety by Councilmember John Murray.

The state, in a model scenario offered the council, would reimburse the city for about $40,000 if four firefighters and one truck were in action for the maximum allowed of two weeks.

The council, after debating the expected use a proposed bike path from West Hills College to Lemoore Avenue would enjoy, passed a measure for matching funds for solar-powered lighting, benches and bike racks in the $817,000 project.

The city's part is about $100,000 of the Kings County Association of Government's TEA funds for the low maintenance project which will feature an eight-foot-wide bike path built between the two Lemoore points.

(April 23, 2005)