by Bob Pinzler
Much bile has been spilled over the question of whether the Redondo Beach Fire Department should become part of the LA County service. Issues of cost and response time may seem clear, but in the context of the real problem the fire service is facing, that wrong question should not be the center of the discussion.
If one were recreating the fire departments in the Beach Cities, we would not opt for three unique services. The cheek-by-jowl nature of our intertwined cities calls for a singular structure with the closest firehouse to a specific need likely being one located outside the city from which the call for service has been made.
Also, there would be only one command staff, saving substantial amounts of money. There have been opportunities to create such a structure. However, as one might expect, politics got in the way. Now, the dire nature of the problem may finally overcome that artificial barrier.
I had a chance to visit Redondo Beach Station 2 last week. I had not been there in quite a while. What I saw appalled me. Little has changed over the past nearly 25 years. Changes made to the facility were done by the firefighters themselves.
In a discussion with one of the captains, I was told that station 1 was in as dilapidated a condition. Little or no investment in the physical plant has been undertaken. While not as bad as the OSHA violation in which the police work, our firefighters deserve better. If not, the growing number of firefighters seeking lateral transfers to other agencies likely will increase.
Our firefighters are paid substantially less than those in Manhattan Beach. And, since the operations of fire services throughout the state are essentially the same, a lateral move to a new department is relatively easy. That kind of move is also welcomed by the hiring agency. That’s because there are few training costs, certainly when compared to hiring a recruit.
When I was on the Council 30 years ago, I made a recommendation that we build a joint police and fire facility atop the firing range near Dominguez Park, in the exact center of the city. It, too, died the death of politics. The police chief didn’t wish to leave the proximity of City Hall. The Fire Chief felt the two-station structure served the city better, even though research from other cities indicated that that would not be the case.
In the intervening years, nothing has been done to improve the working situation of the fire department. The issues have just gotten 30 years older…and much more expensive to resolve.
So, let’s stop arguing about the surface issue and start working together to solve the much more urgent underlying problem: how we can keep a top-class fire department serving the needs of the residents of our city. ER
