Council to Vote on Plan to Add Firefighters

A Pasadena City Council committee has recommended that the full council approve increasing the number of firefighters to four on every fire engine throughout the city’s eight stations.

The council is expected to vote next Monday on the proposal by the Public Safety Committee.

The measure is supported by the three-member council committee, firefighters and many residents.

But it is opposed by some city officials, who said it will do nothing to improve public safety despite an annual cost of as much as $600,000.

Assistant City Manager Ed Sotelo told the council safety committee that the volume of calls in the three-member crew areas do not justify the additional firefighters.

“That’s ridiculous,” said John Tennant, a west Pasadena fire captain and the local firefighter’s union president, whose personal appeal helped persuade the council committee.

Tennant said state regulations require two firefighters to enter a burning building and two to be outside.

At a recent Linda Vista Avenue-area fire in which his three-member company arrived first, Tennant said, he was forced to wait for another engine company before entering the structure.

He said that using existing firefighters on overtime for the extra coverage could be achieved for about $300,000.

“An extra firefighter seems to make sense to me. As I understand it, with a three-person truck they can get there, but can’t really do much until a four person is available,” said Councilman Paul Little, who expects the council to support the proposal.

“In the event of catastrophic fire, a truck getting there and not being able to effect a rescue would be a disaster.”

The push for extra firefighters came after a Fire Department report by a consultant earlier this year suggested merging two Westside fire stations.

Councilwoman Ann-Marie Villicana and Tennant responded by calling for more firefighters at the two stations.