Cutbacks in Fire Services Postponed by Council

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday voted to have the Fire Department postpone for one week a planned reduction in fire and medical emergency services and continue at full operational strength through the busy Fourth of July weekend.

Facing a 10% budget cut, the Fire Department had planned to begin removing 13 engine and truck companies and six paramedic ambulances for nine-day periods on a rotating basis at selected stations across the city beginning Monday.

The department bluntly warned that the plan would result in longer response times and bigger fires. Critics argued that the department should have chosen a less troubled time to begin its cost-saving efforts than one plagued by fireworks-related fires and indiscriminate shootings.

Responding to growing public outrage, the council voted unanimously to have the department delay implementation of the plan until July 8.

The council also voted to consider cuts and transfers of funds from other areas of the city’s budget to provide the department with at least $22 million to maintain current operating strength.

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who introduced the motion to postpone the cutbacks, chastised Fire Chief Donald O. Manning for telling the council’s Finance Committee earlier that the department could “live with” the cutbacks.

“He urged us not to make any changes to the proposals he made,” Yaroslavsky said.

In an interview, Manning insisted that he has consistently warned council members that the cutbacks were all but certain to result in longer response times and increase property damage.

Under the plan, he said, if a station’s only units are already responding to an emergency, subsequent calls will be referred to the next nearest station.

The program calls for removing an engine and truck company or ambulance from 46 stations throughout the city. Personnel involved will be reassigned to vacancies elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Manning suggested that the one-week delay will give the council more time to explore alternative cost-cutting proposals.