2 Malibu Fire Stations May Close Unless County Raises Fees

Malibu could lose two fire stations if the Los Angeles County Fire Department shuts down stations and eliminates equipment to close its budget gap.

Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman announced Tuesday that nine fire stations and engine companies will close if the County Board of Supervisors does not approve an increase in fees paid by homeowners who live in areas served by county firefighters.

An “engine company” refers to a station’s fire engines, which, unlike firetrucks, carry water, pumps, hoses and other firefighting equipment.

The list of possible closures includes Fire Station 72, which covers the Malibu and Decker Canyon areas, and Fire Station 99 in Malibu.

Stations in Rolling Hills, Whittier, the Azusa/Glendora area, Claremont, Pico Rivera, Lakewood and Lancaster also have been targeted for possible closure. San Dimas, the Las Virgenes/Agoura area, South-Central Los Angeles and Palmdale could lose fire engines.

But Freeman has asked the supervisors to first consider raising the fire suppression benefit assessment to its maximum of $55.96 a year for a single-family home, up from $36.55.

The increase would generate about $20 million in additional revenue for the department, Freeman said.

Some residents in Malibu said they would rather pay more money for fire services than see fire stations close.

“During the fire season, fire protection is crucial,” said Gretchen Hays, whose La Costa-area home was destroyed--along with the entire neighborhood--during the Malibu fires in 1993. “My feeling is that I’ll pay for services rendered. I consider it to be insurance.”

Falling property tax revenues, which account for most of the Fire Department’s budget, have left fire officials scrambling for new funding options and ways to cut back. Revenue shortfalls for the department are estimated at $60.1 million over the next two years.

The department implemented a plan July 1 to cut $21.3 million from its budget this year. The plan includes reducing the number of firefighters working in 59 of the county’s 136 stations, in many cases leaving three firefighters on duty where there had been four.

Further cuts include the department’s public education program, its community relations unit and some management positions. But the reduction plan will not be enough if the assessment fee for fire services is not raised, Freeman said, and some stations and equipment will have to go.

The stations targeted on the Westside are at the north end of Malibu. If both were closed, the response time to the area from the nearest station would double from 10 minutes to about 20, said Capt. Mike Turek, who works at the station in Malibu/Decker Canyon.

“It’s pretty slow out here . . . but if someone has a heart attack or is bleeding, time is of the essence,” Turek said.

City Manager Dave Carmany pointed out that the stations cover not only the hills but the beach area.

However, fire station closures and cutbacks in equipment are the last resort in Freeman’s plans to solve the department’s budget problems. First, he hopes, the county will approve an increase in the fire assessment.

A public hearing on the issue is scheduled Aug. 17.

Raising the assessment would find support in Malibu, where there is a heightened awareness of the need for fire protection, Carmany said. In 1993, 268 homes--about 5% of the city’s housing stock--were destroyed by fire.

And Malibu is hit with a major blaze every seven to 10 years. “I’d be very surprised if station closures were an option,” he said.

The city already has scheduled public hearings on the possibility of raising the fire assessment for July 31 at the Point Dume Community Center from 7 to 9 p.m.