Fire Dept. Cutbacks to Start July 4 Weekend : Safety: Critics blast plan that includes areas plagued by illegal fireworks in first 'rolling brownouts.' Officials reply that other stations will pitch in.

By LOUIS SAHAGUN

June 18, 1991 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Faced with a 10% budget cut, the Los Angeles Fire Department will begin scaling back operations over the busy July 4 weekend in communities that include the Eastside and South-Central Los Angeles, even though they are among the worst areas in the city for illegal fireworks and indiscriminate gunfire.

The cutbacks are the first in a series of “rolling brownouts” throughout the city in which fire and emergency medical services will be slashed for nine-day periods as part of an effort to meet the $23.4-million cutback ordered by the City Council.

Fire officials defended the targeting of stations in some of the city’s most troubled communities over the holiday. While it may take longer for firefighters and paramedics to respond to calls there, they said, other stations will be available to pitch in.

Fire Department Chief John Badgett said the reduction is being spread “over the entire city so that an equal level of protection based on available resources is received by everyone. Although South-Central and the Eastside are routinely busy, it is impossible to predict where major incidents may occur.

“My advice to the people of South-Central and the rest of the city is to be aware of potential problems,” Badgett said. “Take more responsibility for safety and stay away from places were you could be hurt.”

Critics argued that the department should begin its cost-saving efforts in communities not as troubled by fireworks-related fires and potentially lethal indiscriminate shootings.

For example, Fire Station 64 in Watts, which is among the 19 stations targeted for the first round of cutbacks, is traditionally the busiest in the city over the July 4 weekend, fire officials said. Yet, the less-active Station 37 in Westwood is not scheduled for reductions until the second round of cutbacks begins July 10.

“It is of deep concern to me that a community where problems related to fire hazard is worst ends up getting the short end of the stick, because it is on the first rung of the hit list,” said Mark Ridley-Thomas, newly elected councilman of the 8th District, which encompasses Watts. “There is a compelling case to be made that this area not be cut back as severely, and certainly not on the first round of hits.”

Danny Bakewell of the Brotherhood Crusade, an African-American group based in South-Central Los Angeles, agreed, saying, “We would hope the Fire Department would rethink this program so they would not endanger the lives of those who live here and (who) depend solely on their rescue.”

Outgoing 8th District Councilman Robert Farrell said he intends to introduce a motion today aimed at providing the Fire Department with enough money to revamp its program and make it “more equitable.”

Meanwhile, some people within the 2,742-member department also expressed concern about the program, which fire officials have warned could result in delayed response times, bigger fires, more property damage and increased risk to human life.

“They didn’t ask us where to make their cuts. But our position has been that it is a bad program altogether,” said Andy Fox, president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles, Local 12. “We are all going to have to live with whatever happens.”

Dan Cypert, president of United Paramedics of Los Angeles, questioned the wisdom of beginning the program over the July 4 weekend.

“The department could have asked the City Council for permission to begin the reductions after July 4,” Cypert said. “Instead, they waited until the last minute to raise these concerns.”

But Badgett said the department had no choice.

“Unfortunately, the city runs its budget on a fiscal year beginning July 1, and that is when reductions take place,” the chief said. “If it was our decision, there would be no reductions at all.”

The program calls for removing 13 engine and truck companies and six paramedic ambulances from the daily firefighting force from some of the department’s 104 stations on a rotating basis for nine-day periods.

Forty-six stations--those with both an engine and a truck company on the premises--will be subject to the “rolling brownout” program. Personnel involved will be reassigned to vacancies elsewhere, officials said.

Under the plan, if a station’s only units are responding to an emergency, the call will be referred to the nearest available station.

“If we were a football team, it would be like not taking the bench players with us to a game,” Badgett said. “Our ability to handle that fourth and fifth emergency call is going to be tough.”

Fire Station Cutbacks

Following are Los Angeles Fire Department stations that will be included in the first wave of nine-day “rolling brownhole,” in which emergency fire and medical services will be reduced. The first cycle runs from July 1 through July 9.

Fire Companies

Stations in bold (**) will lose one fire truck, one pump* and six to eight personnel for a 24-hour shift. Others will lose one engine and four personnel in that time period.

A. Station 98, Pacoima

13035 Van Nuys Blvd.

B. Station 70, Northridge

9861 Reseda Blvd.

D. Station 102, Van Nuys

13200 Burbank Blvd.

E. Station 50, Glassell Park

3036 Fletcher Dr.

G. Station 27, Hollywood

1355 N. Cahuenga Blvd.

H. Station 20, Echo Park

2144 Sunset Blvd.