BRIAN ROKOS
The Press Enterprise

Hemet residents could have to wait even longer for firefighters to arrive if a proposed $500,000 reduction to the Fire Department budget comes to fruition, Chief Matt Shobert said Monday.

That cut will be part of a 2010-11 budget plan, which City Manager Brian Nakamura will present to the City Council at a 9:30 a.m. study session today in council chambers, 450 E. Latham Ave. It will be up to the council to approve the budget by the end of this month.

The city is faced with eliminating $4.7 million in spending as income from property taxes and development this fiscal year fell more than was projected, and salaries and benefits are expected to increase by $1 million next fiscal year, according to an April budget update.

The city already closed one fire station last year and has 15 fewer firefighters now than it did a year and a half ago, Shobert said. As a result, he said, response times slowed by an average of 32 seconds per call.

To make up the $500,000, Shobert said he would consider closing stations on a rotating basis during the times of the year when brush fires are not expected, such as January through March.

This "brown-out" strategy would not leave a corner of the city uncovered but would slow response times even more, Shobert said.

Also, the Fire Department continues to grapple with 1,200 to 1,800 calls a year from senior citizens or skilled nursing homes for non-life-threatening situations such as a person falling out of bed.

"People are going to be waiting a long time for their fire truck to get there if I don't decrease these non-critical calls," Shobert said.

"At some point it's going to catch up with us."

One possibility still being worked out is to have American Medical Response ambulances that are staffed with paramedics respond to some of the non-critical calls without firefighters.

"I'm trying to balance those two things (response needs with the ability to pay for them) as much as I can," Shobert said.

Nakamura said department-by-department cuts will be affected by contract negotiations with employee groups. He said employees appear to understand the need for concessions.

However, at the May 25 City Council meeting, Dustin Murray, president of the Hemet Police Officers Association, said the city is no longer competitive in recruiting veteran police officers because of cutbacks, that the traffic accident rate is among the worst in the state, gang members far outnumber police and violent crime is rising.

"The time has come for Hemet to take the city back," Murray said.

Nakamura said he is also looking at ways to increase income. Police Chief Richard Dana is scheduled to discuss possible increases in towing and tow franchise fees today.

Copyright 2010 The Press Enterprise, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
June 8, 2010

Copyright 2010 Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
June 8, 2010