Safety first

City, county district dispute over fire protection must be resolved.

The Fresno Bee

03/19/07 05:35:18

The Fresno City Council wisely backed away from a dangerous confrontation with the fire district that serves Fresno County, deciding to extend for another year an agreement that calls for automatic responses across jurisdictional lines in emergencies.

The issues that divide the city fire department and the county district remain, and must now be negotiated. In those negotiations, one issue is paramount: Public safety in both city and county must be protected.

The issues on both sides are real, and may be difficult to resolve.

City Fire Chief Randy Bruegman has complained that the automatic aid policy in county islands and fringe areas outside the city is costly. His department contends that such responses amount to a subsidy paid by city taxpayers to the county district.

For its part, the county fire district is concerned that increased annexations of county islands and land in the city's sphere of influence will reduce its revenues to the point that it can no longer function. The county district would, it fears, be left with only rural areas to cover, and that is much more expensive a service than protecting denser, more urban areas in and near the city.

If the city takes over fire protection in areas currently served by the county, that would presumably be accompanied by a shift in tax revenues from the county district to the city department. Losing revenue from the county islands and adjacent areas around Fresno could result in the closure of as many as four or five of the county district's 13 rural stations, according to county district chief Becky Robertson.

The city department believes it can provide a higher level of service in the county islands at a lower cost. The county district fears it could be driven out of business altogether, with a concomitant -- and much higher -- risk to rural residents.

This won't be easy to solve, but it's essential that a deal be worked out that -- first and foremost -- ensures city and county residents alike the best and highest level of protection at the most reasonable cost.

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