A Key Peninsula fire station closed for 24 hours due to budget issues, with more closures expected in the future.
The Longbranch station closed Friday morning and opened back up Saturday. The next closest station is over four miles away, which isn’t ideal.
Assistant Fire Chief Chris Beswick mentioned that too many staff members were out sick or on leave. They had enough people to fill in, but paying them overtime was out of the question.
This closure follows a recent vote where residents turned down a levy that would have helped with staffing costs. Because of that, the department is making some budget cuts. Beswick said they’re facing a “new reality.”
They’re estimating that the Longbranch station might have to close once or even twice a month on average. It was chosen for closure since it gets the fewest calls.
When the station is closed, response times really take a hit. Beswick noted that it could take almost twice as long for help to arrive. If there’s a big emergency, it could be a long wait.
Earlier this year, voters rejected a property tax levy that was meant to keep funding the department. It wasn’t a new tax; it was just to renew an existing one that brought in about $800,000 a year for staffing and maintenance.
Residents have mixed feelings about the levy. One voter, Darren Hammond, said, “Everybody hates paying taxes, but when you dial 911, you’re going to hate it worse when nobody shows up.”
On the flip side, J.R. Euwing, who voted against it, said, “Every government agency is sticking their hand in my pocket. Why would I keep giving you money?”
After the votes were counted, the fire chief warned that cuts might be necessary. So far, they haven’t had to lay off anyone, but they’ve lowered minimum staffing levels to save on overtime.
They did send two firefighters to California to help with wildfires, but that didn’t contribute to the closure since their overtime costs were reimbursed.
