LA firefighters union says cutbacks risk lives

Dec. 16, 2009 | KPCC Wire Services

At least two recent fire-related deaths in the city can be blamed on budget cutbacks, leaders of the Los Angeles city firefighters union said today.

City Council President Eric Garcetti said he shares concerns about public safety, but cutbacks are an unfortunate result of the city's financial deficit.

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"It doesn't do any good to people's protection to have a bankrupt city that has to cut its Fire Department and its Police Department much more dramatically," Garcetti said. "Our first responsibility is being correct with the money that we have."

The Fire Department in August began implementing a so-called "Modified Coverage Plan" to reduce its $52 million budget deficit by $39 million. It required taking 15 fire trucks, nine ambulances, one battalion command team and three emergency battalion offices out of operation every day for a year.

Those units are normally staffed with 85 firefighters working overtime.

The plan keeps all of the city's fire stations open and staffed with at least one fire truck or ambulance, but can slow response times to some incidents.

At a news conference on the steps of City Hall, Pat McOsker, president of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, said the city is risking lives by making cuts in the fire department.

"The residents of Los Angeles cannot afford for the city to balance its budget by cutting fire and emergency medical services," McOsker said.

McOsker said that on Dec. 2, a 71-year-old Lincoln Heights man died of burns because one of two fire engines at the nearest station was out of commission, while the other was engaged in a rescue. A fire engine from outside the neighborhood eventually responded, but it arrived too late, McOsker said.

He also said that in November, a 64-year-old Van Nuys woman died of smoke inhalation after a fire engine was unavailable to deploy from a station 300 feet away.

Garcetti, disputed the claim about the Van Nuys death, saying he talked to Fire Chief Millage Peaks about the indicent and was assured the response time was faster than average.

Asked if he was concerned about lives being lost as a result of budget cutbacks, Garcetti responded "absolutely — at the same time recognizing that's part of life here in Los Angeles."

UFLAC is involved in a labor dispute with the city. Negotiations are at impasse because the city has demanded pay cuts for firefighters that UFLAC considers unacceptable.

Even with the Modified Coverage Plan, the fire department remains about $13 million in the red.

If the City Council is unable to bridge that gap, an additional eight fire trucks and/or ambulances may be taken out of commission for the remainder of the fiscal year.

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