Temporary closure of two Oakland Hills fire stations has residents worried
The city of Oakland plans to temporarily close two fire stations starting on Monday as part of a cost-cutting solution to close a large budget deficit.
During a press event regarding the station closures Friday, Fire Chief Damon Covington said shutting down Stations 25 and 28 in the Oakland Hills will save the city about $5 million. Neighbors who live in the areas served by the stations are worried the closures could lead to catastrophe results.
Longtime Oakland resident Nenita Tadeo is not happy about the news. She credited the firefighters at Station 28 and nearby areas for saving her house and neighborhood from the Keller Fire on October 18 that led to evacuations and destroyed several structures.
"I'm not going to call it lucky, but we are blessed. Blessed because we have, again, the firefighters that saved our house," said Tadeo.
The Keller Fire severely damaged her neighbor's house. Tadeo only lost her fence. But once Station 28 closes, she is worried response times will be much longer.
"I'm pretty upset about it, also because what if there's another fire?" asked Tadeo.
Fires aren't the only concern. Neighbors like Frederick Perry worry about medical emergencies. About six months ago, Perry said he had a bad fall inside his home, which is located near Station 28.
The 74-year-old said firefighters from the fire house rushed him to the hospital.
"Every second counts. They're the emergency response up here. There's a lot of seniors who live up here. And it could be a matter of life and death," said Perry.
Covington admitted it's a bad situation. But he is forced to temporarily close down the two stations for the next six months. In addition to the closures of Stations 25 and 28, the already shuttered Station 10 will remain closed because of the cuts.
"We're going to get there as quickly as we can, as we always do. It doesn't change how we operate. It changes the amount of time that it takes for us to get to that call," said Covington. "There are going to be delays in our delivery. But when you call 911, an engine is going to show up."
The chief said the 24 firefighters who worked at Stations 25 and 28 will be transferred to other fire houses in the city. The chief hopes to reopen the two stations in July, in time for the wild fire season.
He said the fire department may have to brown out other stations later this summer depending on the budget situation.
"I've been telling folks to try and hold their breath for 10 or 15 minutes, and see if they can hold their breath for 10 or 15 minutes. Because that might be how long they'll be waiting for a fire engine to show up if they have a stroke or heart attack or they need CPR. And that's a reality," said Seth Olyer, vice president of Oakland Firefighters Local 55.
The fire chief could not say how much slower for the response times since there'll be so many factors involved.
Tadeo just hopes it won't result in people dying or losing their homes.
"Fire stations are really necessary for the community," said Tadeo.
