PROPOSED CHANGES
OF THE MOSQUITO FIRE STATION
Critical Information
You Should Know
The Mosquito Fire Chief is retiring. Finding and funding a full-time chief and administrative team is costly for a small district.
MFPD faces geographical isolation, limited infrastructure, and long mutual-aid response times from neighboring fire districts.
A recent municipal service review noted that MFPD collaborates with GVFPD through mutual aid but still operates from an outdated facility and struggles to recruit and retain volunteers.
Without additional administrative capacity, the district risks disruption when its chief retires.
Garden Valley Fire Protection District (GVFPD) proposes a two-year shared services agreement that provides immediate leadership and administrative support while preserving MFPD’s local identity.
This opportunity builds on an existing shared services/mutual aid agreement between the two districts, formalized in 2020, which already improves coordinated emergency responses.
Expected benefits from the proposed Shared Services Agreement between Garden Valley and Mosquito Fire departments.
WEIGHING OUR OPTIONS
Choosing a STRONGER Mosquito Fire Department
1
Stable Leadership and Continuity
By sharing the Garden Valley Fire Chief and administrative team, MFPD avoids the cost and uncertainty of recruiting a new chief and retains operational continuity during a leadership transition.
2
Cost Savings
At a monthly fee of $6,500, MFPD will spend far less than the total compensation required for a full-time chief, administrative staff, and associated benefits. Shared purchasing and maintenance further reduce expenses.
3
Improved Service Delivery
Unified training and prevention programs enhance operational consistency. Regional deployment of personnel and equipment improves coverage for complex incidents without changing local response times, replicating successes from the Garden Valley/Georgetown agreement.
5
Enhanced Community Collaboration
The agreement fosters cooperation among the Garden Valley, Mosquito, and Georgetown districts. Shared public-education campaigns, evacuation planning, and community engagement strengthen preparedness and resilience. MFPD residents retain local control and benefit from broader regional expertise.
4
Increased Grant Capacity
Access to GVFPD's grant team and county-funded administrator improves the region's ability to secure federal and state funding for staffing, equipment, and facilities.
Agreement In Numbers
24 mths.
Proposed Agreement Term
180 days
Termination with Notice
$6,500
Monthly Fee Billed Quarterly
$200k
Additional County Funds /yr
PROPOSED AGREEMENT
Chief Services
Garden Valley Fire Chief will serve as chief for both districts. They will oversee operations, budgeting, personnel management, strategic planning, and community engagement.
GVFPD’s administrative team will assist where needed with payroll, human resources, purchasing, policy development, records retention and compliance with the Brown Act and other laws.
Prevention & Code Enforcement
GVFPD will provide supervision of fire prevention services, including plan review, inspections, and public education. These functions support risk reduction and help ensure MFPD complies with state and local codes.
Training and EMS Coordination
Personnel from Garden Valley, Mosquito, and Georgetown will train under a combined training calendar/schedule.
Unified training programs will ensure firefighters and emergency medical responders maintain required
certifications and use consistent incident command practices. EMS quality assurance and continuing education will also be coordinated.
Grant Writing and Funding Development
GVFPD will pursue grants on behalf of MFPD and the region, including SAFER and hazard-mitigation grants. A unified grant strategy increases competitiveness and reduces the administrative burden on MFPD volunteers.
FINANCIAL TERMS
Budget Transparency:
GVFPD will provide quarterly financial reports to MFPD detailing expenses and shared costs. MFPD retains the right to audit records and to review the fee structure annually.
County-Funded Administrator:
El Dorado County will fund a full-time administrator at $200,000 per year, including salary and benefits. The administrator will be employed by GVFPD but will serve across Garden Valley, Mosquito, and Georgetown. Responsibilities include coordinating training, prevention, and EMS programs, writing grants, and providing administrative support.
Monthly Fee:
MFPD will pay $6,500 per month (billed quarterly) for a minimum of 24 months. The fee covers leadership, administrative services, prevention programs, vehicle maintenance, fuel, legal counsel, and other shared operational costs. Fees may be adjusted by mutual agreement to account for changing costs or expanded services.
GOVERNANCE & TERM
Initial Term and Termination:
The agreement runs for 24 months, with options to renew annually. Either party may terminate the agreement with 180 days’ notice. Termination clauses ensure a smooth transition and fulfillment of obligations.
Oversight Committee:
A joint committee with directors from both boards and the chief will meet quarterly to monitor performance, review financial reports, and gather community feedback. Performance metrics (response times, training hours, inspections, grant awards, and budget adherence) will be tracked and published.
Independent Boards:
Both districts maintain independent boards of directors, taxing authority, and control over local staffing. The shared services agreement is NOT a consolidation or annexation.
partnership in practice
Videos, articles, photos, and event highlights that show how Mosquito Fire, Garden Valley, and Georgetown are already working together through coordinated training, shared support, joint presence, and day-to-day collaboration.
This is what regional partnership looks like in action, before it is ever reduced to a formal agreement.
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OUR VISION
Fully Staffed, Higher Standard of Service, Modern Operations, Revitalized Volunteer Culture, and more.
WHY EVOLVE?
A Different Approach, Using a Proven Method of Community Resilience
Similar agencies have adopted shared services models to control costs and maintain consistent leadership; Garden Valley and Georgetown Fire Protection Districts entered a 12-month agreement after Georgetown’s chief retired, sharing leadership and administrative costs without changing local staffing or response times.
Similarly, El Dorado County Fire and Diamond Springs Fire Protection District established a multi-year shared service agreement, ultimately ending in annexation due to its success.
The Garden Valley Fire Protection District recommends that the Mosquito Fire Protection District Board of Directors approve this shared services agreement. It offers a cost-effective solution to leadership turnover, leverages proven administrative capacity and builds on an existing mutual aid relationship.
By adopting this proposal, MFPD will gain stable leadership, improved operational efficiency, strengthen regional collaborations, and enhance grant opportunities while preserving its independence and community identity.
Service Stats
Mosquito By The Numbers
1,900
Estimated Population
85 %
Medical and other Non-Fire Related Calls per Year
26 mins
Average Response Time
$204
Mosquito Annual Parcel Tax for Fire/EMS Service is the second highest in El Dorado County
