Fire Merger Talks Ordered to See If City Would Save

The Pomona City Council has instructed its staff to begin negotiations with Los Angeles County, but a decision on whether to go through with a plan to merge the city Fire Department into the county system is months away.

Interim City Administrator Lloyd Wood said the council wants to find out the county’s best offer through negotiations and then compare that to the service provided by the city Fire Department and its cost. Wood said the talks could take several months.

A report by the county Fire Department suggests that Pomona could save $1.4 million a year by merging. The “possible savings cannot be ignored,” Mayor Donna Smith said. Even if the city does not contract, she said, it should reorganize its Fire Department to cut costs.

Although Pomona has an excellent Fire Department, the mayor said, she does not know where the city is going to get the funds to continue to run it and buy new equipment. The state has been depriving cities of revenue in order to solve its own budget problems, she said, leaving Pomona and many other cities financially strapped.

The council decision to begin talks with the county came on a 4-3 vote Monday night.

Council members Boyd Bredenkamp, Paula Lantz and Willie White were opposed, saying they first wanted to hear from the Pomona fire chief, firefighters and the public. But the council majority said the county plan should be clarified through negotiations before the city solicits public comment.

White, who has been a strong supporter of the city Fire Department, said he is skeptical of the county offer. “I can’t see how the county can provide the same service cheaper,” he said.

David L. Hanson, staff chief deputy for the county Fire Department, said Pomona’s department is one of the best in Southern California but that the county force operates more efficiently because of its large size.

The county proposal would close one of Pomona’s eight fire stations, Hanson said, but the city would gain the assistance of 11 county fire stations within five miles.

“The beauty of the (county Fire Department) is that we just eliminate boundaries,” Hanson said. “We respond to emergencies as they occur.”

The county Fire Department would absorb virtually all of the city’s firefighters, Hanson said. The county also would offer jobs to non-uniformed personnel if suitable openings were available.

None of the city firefighters would receive pay reductions, although some would enter county service at a lower rank.

Hanson and city officials said the financial comparisons between city and county fire services included in the county report are outdated and incomplete. Hanson said the report, submitted to the council last month, was intended only to provide a starting point for negotiations.

Capt. Bob Baker, president of the Pomona Firefighters Assn., said he welcomes the decision to open negotiations. The association has not endorsed the merger plan but has called it worth studying.

Pomona Fire Chief G. John Parker submitted a report to the city administrator outlining flaws in the county proposal and is preparing options that show how the city department could reduce costs but still operate effectively.

“I think there are ways of cutting costs through reorganization, but you always have to keep in mind the level and quality of service,” Parker said. “Public safety has to be a priority when you talk about cutting costs.”

He added, “My goal is to offer cost-cutting measures that minimally impact service and at the same time be able to retain city control, so we can have flexibility.”

Parker said the uncertain future has made it difficult to plan capital expenditures and has caused employee unrest. Firefighters are divided on the merger issue, he said.

“I have a distinct morale problem. What we have is a lot of people looking for jobs,” he said.

Parker is among those exploring options. As one of eight finalists for the fire chief’s job in Tucson, he has been invited for an interview at the end of this month.