Budget Cuts Force Fire Brownouts In Nevada County

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. (CBS13) – Some Nevada County fire stations will take turns shutting down each month in an effort to save money and close a budget gap, but the plan could delay fire response times by several minutes.

Three Nevada County Consolidated fire stations will "brown out" and shut down if a firefighter calls in sick or goes on leave, officials said. The affected stations have been identified as the Providence Mine Road station in Nevada City, the station in Banner Mountain and another in Alta Sierra.

The first firefighter for the agency will go on vacation on July 16, triggering the first scheduled brownout in the midst of fire season.

"Potentially, it could delay the response by four or five minutes to that area," said Fire Chief Tim Fike. "This can obviously have devastating effects."

The plan is expected to save $150,000 a year and is part of a larger effort to trim $500,000 from the department's budget.

The total budget for Nevada County Consolidated Fire Department this fiscal year is $4 million.