Fire station closure off the table, for now

By ERIC LINDBERG — Feb. 26, 2010

Responding to suggestions that a Santa Barbara fire station could be closed within days due to budget constraints, city leaders decided during a budget hearing yesterday to put off any decision on a brownout at City Fire Station 3 for at least a month.

The temporary closure of the station, located at 415 E. Sola St., was proposed as part of a strategy to close a $3.7 million shortfall in the city’s current budget, but members of the city council said they needed more time to consider the full impact of such a move, apparently having just learned of the proposal recently.

“I was surprised to hear about the brownout and a little disappointed that I heard about it from citizens,” Councilmember Michael Self said, adding that she is not supportive of the idea. “I find it unacceptable to lose one of our key facilities, even if it costs us money.”

Shutting down the station for a period of time would cut down on overtime costs, saving an estimated $450,000, city financial staff said.

Capt. Jon Turner, president of the city firefighters association, said the proposal happened too quickly, would have a negative affect on emergency response time and simply doesn’t make sense.

“A brownout does nothing to improve efficiency,” he said. “It does nothing to solve the long-term problem.”

Asked about the fire department’s response time to emergencies, Fire Chief Andy DiMizio said the city has been well served by its coverage system of seven stations, a setup that has been in place since 1962.

Firefighters respond to the scene of emergencies in an average of 3 minutes and 13 seconds, he said, an exceptional figure.

“Public safety is our No. 1 priority,” DiMizio said. “We really recognize that is what we’re here for — we’re here for the community.”

City leaders said they were uncomfortable with making a decision on a brownout with such short notice and asked for more data on the potential impact on response times.

“I would feel much more comfortable having at least three weeks or so to explore the issues before we took action,” Councilmember Dale Francisco said.

City Administrator Jim Armstrong said he would meet with fire staff and return in several weeks with more information on the fire station issue and other proposals to balance the current budget.