On Tuesday, members of the Hemet City Council voted to shut down the city fire department, which had been active for 106 years. The disbandment just barely passed, with a 3 to 2 vote in favor of shutting it down.
Though some may be dismayed that Hemet’s historic fire department is being disbanded, members of the council say it’s a matter of dollars and cents in these trying times, and they need to find alternatives in order to get residents the best fire service at the cheapest possible cost. “We could not only provide those higher level of medical services, we could also save about a half-a-million dollars going into this thing," said Hemet Mayor Larry Smith.
The city is looking to replace its fire service with a county contract. Hemet will make the switch to using the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The city plans to have the transition completed by July 2015.
Local firefighters have issues with the decision. "The way the fire department is doing business right now, this very minute today, is a half-a-million dollars cheaper than what the city is suggesting that this community change to," Hemet Fire Captain Steven Sandefer said recently.
Sandefer also explained the sticking point of paramedic services. Currently, the city’s fire department is not certified to provide advance life support, but the fire captain says that could be changed if they are given the opportunity, since the city’s firefighters are paramedics.
The union that represents the Hemet fire department plans to file a restraining order in the hopes of stopping the disbandment. They are also looking to introduce a ballot referendum that would allow citizens to decide what happens to the Hemet Fire Department.
Read more about the council here.