Fire Stations

Re “Valley Gets ‘Fairer Share,’ Riordan Says,” April 18.

It is interesting to note that Mayor [Richard] Riordan’s proposed 2000-2001 budget contains funds to provide 18 firefighter-paramedics at the new fire station in the Porter Ranch area.

This fire station will serve hundreds of new homes, which are currently under construction and which will have very few inhabitants.

Yet, a few miles away, at Fire Station No. 70, Reseda Boulevard and Lassen Street, we do not have an ambulance or paramedics to serve a larger populated area of Northridge.

We have waited over 25 years for this life-saving service.

I guess that if your name is Nathan Shapell, the builder of the Porter Ranch homes, you get priority service from City Hall, and the thousands of homeowners and taxpayers in Northridge can continue to be treated like second-class citizens.

Furthermore, the mayor’s and fire chief’s proposed plan to man an ambulance with a paramedic and a firefighter is wrong and life-threatening, as many medical professionals will tell you.

We taxpayers expect and deserve a full paramedic service.

STEVEN A. MORGAN

Northridge