The Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District board held a special meeting this past week to discuss agreements on extending coverage for services in the City of Oakdale Fire and Oakdale Fire Protection districts.

The meeting was held in the Station 26 meeting room on Topeka Street in Riverbank on Thursday, April 18. The board also discussed an item concerning the upcoming annexation for Crossroads West.

The SCFPD board has been communicating by letter with both the Oakdale organizations, but, according to Board President Susan Zanker, there appears to remain a difference of opinion on how to continue.

For the last five years, the Oakdale City Fire and OFPD have operated under the direction of SCFPD. The current agreement is set to expire on June 30, 2019. The Oakdale units are seeking to obtain an extension of it in order to negotiate a newer, long term arrangement.

Both Oakdale Mayor J.R. McCarty and City Manager Bryan Whitemyer addressed the board, as well as local citizens, firefighters and EMTs from the district crews, along with union representatives.

SCFPD representatives are seeking to work out details over a continuation of the previous agreement with the Oakdale organizations, but the series of letters sent back and forth between them only seemed to muddy the waters.

After the discussion at the meeting, Zanker said she’d like to arrange for a 5-on-5-on-5 meeting, one where the board could meet with the city council and the Oakdale Fire board of directors to address the potential agreement and more easily iron out its details. No date has been set.

The next regular SCFPD board meeting will be held on Thursday, May 9, at 6 p.m., also at Station 26 in Riverbank.