‘Rolling Brownouts’ End
“Rolling brownouts” that have forced the intermittent, temporary shutdown of fire stations to help the city save money were officially ended Tuesday.
City Council members Zev Yaroslavsky and Rita Walters joined Fire Chief Donald Manning and other officials at Station No. 3 in downtown Los Angeles to mark the occasion. Also on hand were students from Placentia Elementary School, who got a tour of the station.
The brownout plan was devised by the Fire Department to cope with 10% budget cuts required of all city departments to balance the city’s 1991-92 budget. Last month, the City Council approved Yaroslavsky’s proposal to restore $11 million to the Fire Department to provide for full fire emergency services when final budget figures showed that funds were available. The vote became effective Tuesday.
The brownouts, initiated in the last week of July, equipped 13 fire stations, chosen on a rotating basis, with one or two fire trucks rather than the normal two or three. It also took six paramedic ambulances out of service each day.
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