Oakland’s budget deficit of $ 129.8 million could eradicate up to 30% of its fire capacity, an exhausting attached department that has already stretched out cell zones, according to the sources on the ground.
The time of fire renovation in the California city, under the control of Democrats, are already three times more than a national average after a decrease in the budget recently closed by two fire stations and retained a newly renovated station from re -opening.
City Councilor Zac Unger, who has been a firefighter in Oakland for 27 years, Fox Digital said that four more cells can face the shutter due to a deficit.
“We have three fireuusses currently closed and another four sweet to close … Which would repression About 30% of Our Firefighting Capacity Here in Oakland, An Absolutely Catastrophic Party for The City of Oakland, “Unger” 30% of our fire and emergency medical responses. “
Firefighters and city officials worked overtime at a “moment on the deck,” Unger said to identify the available funds in the city budget and hold the Oakland Open Open. Fire Department Head of Damon Covington said the Fox Digital Inroads were made to prevent the closing of an additional four fire station, but that does not mean that the closures will not go down.
Firefighters watch water falling on fire by Palisades in the Mandeville Canyon, January 11, 2025 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
“Seven firefighters would represent about 30% of our fire department,” Covington said. “This is a huge threat because, ultimately, we need more fire department to adequately cover our city and lose two firefighters and a third under renovation, it taxes our workforce.”
The limited capacity of the fire department has slowed off the time of response, creating a potential for disasters such as Palisades and Eaton Fire, President of the Oakland Local 55 Seth Olyer firefighters.
“We had a fire at the house at the end of East Oakland in the engine area 28,” he said. “Usually that engine would be able to get to a fire within four minutes. The nearest fire engine took almost 11 minutes to get there. With the fire by double every minute, you can make mathematics. This has passed from a small fire inside the house to complete loss and an almost threatening environment and potentially launching fire in the wild, much like in La -u “
“Our firefighters do an incredible job and they will do with any heavy circumstances you give them, but yes, we have seen slow response times,” Unger told Fox Digital. “There is simply no way to close firefighters and expect it to get the same level of service.”
The mayor’s temporary office did not respond to the commentary request. But in its current budget proposal, the city states one -time Covid-19 pandemic Costs and pensions, including opeib responsibility and fees for Calpers, as “fiscal challenges that lead to [a] Designed deficit of “$ 129.8 million. The 2024-2025 Oakland budget proposed the Brownuts Fire Station six months starting at January 2025. To save the City of $ 5.5 million.
But local firefighters say Browouts could reach a much higher price.
The wall mural depicting Altaden, California, is seen next to the destroyed hardware of Altaden after the Eaton fire on January 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
“When you close the firefighters, it creates a domino effect,” Covington said in an interview with Fox Digital. “Not only the firefighter you are closing, but there are surrounding jurisdictions, other firefighting houses that are near those firefighters that have to cover the soil and cells.”
Oakland firefighters say they face the same cuts that the Los Angeles Fire Department warned of devastating Palisades and Eaton fires in January. Oakland is not foreign to be discharged. Oakland Firestrm from 1991 killed 25 people, injured 150 and destroyed more than 3,000 homes. Olyer said the 1991 fire had basically changed the tactics of the fire department’s response and how the fire teams cooperate with the surrounding agencies.
“This fire was so massive that the Hercules of Hercules took the bay area and the basis of fire services from all western US to control,” Olyer told Fox Digital. “You see the same thing with Los Angeles. It’s not realistic to think that any fire brigade could stop any huge fast fire with a hurricane to wind in such conditions.”
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A quick, effective and collaborative fire operation is possible with abundant resources. In October Olyer described how proper staff and collaboration with Cal Fire prevented Keller fire become another California disaster.
“The Keller fire, which happened last October, was the perfect example of what the proper staff of the fire brigade and the early intense action could do to really stop the fire before being out of control,” Olyer said. The event, he said, showed that “it looks like cooperation between agencies, with Cal Fire working on top, a helicopter falls on it and a huge amount of resources very early.”
(County Cal Fire San Diego)
“The department has been running naked bones in Oakland for decades,” Olyer said. “We have a fire engine that drives about 300,000 miles, and they literally fall apart. It’s just a matter of time until the happiness of the Oaklanders runs out.”
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“We are all pushed in the same direction. Everyone wants these firefighters to open. It really comes down to dollars and cents,” Covington said.
