Firefighter Cutbacks

Hesperia City Proposing Reduction of 9 SBCo Firefighter / Paramedics in its 2011/2012 Budget

June 14, 2011

HESPERIA • The Hesperia city council will discuss a proposed budgetary cut that would eliminate nine full-time San Bernardino County firefighters and five sheriff’s deputies’ positions Tuesday night before they vote on June 21. As part of the city’s 2011-12 budget, officials have proposed eliminating nine firefighter-paramedics and five vacant deputy positions. The 14 first-responder [...]

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Apple Valley Fire Chief: Station isn’t closed

September 16, 2010

APPLE VALLEY • With persistent concerns over fire safety in town, Councilman Rick Roelle has questioned the status of a station that now often appears shuttered, asking for details on whether response times have slowed. A letter included in the agenda for Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting states fire station 336, on Yucca Loma Road [...]

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West Covina FD Leaders Consider Cuts

May 13, 2010

On May 18, 2010 the West Covina City Management is proposing a cut in Fire Department Response Apparatus. They wish to eliminate 1 of 5 Paramedic Engine Companies from service. This reduction will eliminate 6 positions and extend response times. The 4 remaining engine companies will remain at their current staffing levels of 3 personnel [...]

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Apple Valley Fire facing $1 million deficit

April 10, 2010

APPLE VALLEY • The Apple Valley Fire Protection District is looking at ways to close a $1 million budget deficit, with retirement incentives, employee furloughs and more on the table. Officials are hoping these moves will trim enough from the budget to avoid laying off any of the district’s approximately 80 employees, though that possibility [...]

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Apple Valley’s hot topic: Contracting with SBCo Fire

April 10, 2010

APPLE VALLEY • With the Apple Valley Fire Protection District looking to cut costs, one politically sensitive option being floated is the possibility of contracting with San Bernardino County for fire service, as every other Victor Valley city now does. Apple Valley Councilman Rick Roelle, then sitting as mayor, spearheaded a push to look at [...]

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Long Beach Council seeks restorations among cuts

September 23, 2009

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Fewer police officers, higher fees and a reduced firefighting force are among the expected effects of Long Beach’s proposed, and vastly scaled down, city budget on which council members will put the final touches Tuesday. However, after last week’s meeting, some of those cuts will be restored, particularly in public safety [...]

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LAFD Firefighters continue to campaign against service cuts

September 10, 2009

The Los Angeles firefighters’ union renewed its campaign Thursday against the rotating brownouts at city fire stations, delivering hundreds of postcards demanding the restoration of full service. “This is not the time to be cutting fire service,” said Pat McOsker, head of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, during a rally at City Hall. [...]

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LAFD to shut down stations due to $39 million budget deficit

July 22, 2009

Los Angeles (myFOXla.com) – Unable to win concessions from the firefighters union, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today approved a plan to reduce the Fire Department’s projected $39 million budget deficit by not staffing several fire companies and ambulances on a rotating basis starting Aug. 6. Villaraigosa called the measures “difficult but necessary.” United Firefighters of Los [...]

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Exclusive: ‘No cuts’ Ohio chief speaks out on dismissal

July 20, 2009

Editor’s Note: Earlier this month, Ohio Fire Chief Donald Barnes was dismissed after balking at orders from his mayor to make a new round of cuts in the fire department’s budget. The Shaker Heights Fire Department had already been forced to shed four firefighters earlier this year. But when Chief Barnes was then told to [...]

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Oakland fire union agrees to contract in face of budget crisis

July 19, 2009

OAKLAND — The union representing Oakland firefighters voted 335-64 in favor of a new contract that will freeze wages and increase the hours firefighters work as the city faces an ongoing financial crisis, the union’s president said this week. The city relied heavily on concessions from city workers to try to balance its budget this [...]

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