City Calls for Daily Staffing of Firehouses

BURBANK â€”  Deciding that closing fire stations for the holidays is not a good idea, Burbank City Council members Thursday called for full staffing every day of the year.

Council members stepped in after a home burned Dec. 26--sustaining $230,000 in damage--while the nearest fire station was closed.

Burbank Fire Chief Mike Davis had ordered the 24-hour closure to save money, citing overtime costs and Christmas vacation schedules for firefighters. Davis could have ordered firefighters to staff the station, but chose not to.

“I don’t think this is a budget issue at all,� Councilman Ted McConkey said. “The issue boils down to whether we have adequate staffing of the Fire Department, which is our duty.�

It took only about 60 to 90 seconds longer for the firefighters who did answer the call to reach the home, Davis stated in a memo on the incident. Davis said the damage was not worsened by the later response.

The fire started about 4:50 a.m. Dec. 26 at 918 Groton Drive when a wooden terrarium caught fire and ignited a Christmas tree. The owner tried to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher, and called 911 only after the fire was out of control, according to the memo. Davis could not be reached for comment.

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The home was a total loss. Firefighters responded from a station about a mile away near Buena Vista Street and San Fernando Road. Fire Station 16 was only six blocks away, but Davis had closed it for 24 hours beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Christmas.

Three members of the five-member council said they plan to take steps at a meeting Tuesday to ensure the holiday closure is not repeated.

“I am not a professional firefighter, but it appears the damage to the home may have been greater� than if the fire station had been open, McConkey said.

“We have a first-class Fire Department and a first-class fire chief, but if a mistake was made in this case, or if the way we handle these kinds of situations has to change, we’re going to look into it.�

Council members said they want to require Davis to inform the council or other city officials before closing fire stations. They will also address portions of the city’s contract with the firefighters union that makes it more expensive to compel firefighters to work extra shifts when needed.

The homeowner, Michael Burrows, could not be reached Thursday.

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The Burbank Fire Department normally staffs 35 firefighters at its six stations around the clock, year-round. But only 29 firefighters were scheduled to work Christmas Day due to several recent retirements, sick leave and four firefighters who were on vacation. Two firefighters had volunteered to work an extra shift and receive overtime pay, leaving the force still four people short, according to the Davis memo.

The union’s contract contains a clause allowing the chief to compel more firefighters to work overtime in such situations, but they must be paid at a rate that is about 40% higher--or about $15 per hour more--than those who volunteer for extra work.

“A conscious decision was made not to force hire any additional personnel due to the budget impacts,� Davis stated in the memo.

Instead, he chose to close Station 16, which “traditionally has the fewest number of emergency calls.� Davis said the threat of fire had also been diminished because recent rains had left the brush wet.

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McConkey and council members Bob Kramer and David Golonski said they would have supported spending the extra money to keep the station open.

The city Fire Department now has 124 firefighters, seven less than its full staffing level, officials said. Kramer said the incident has drawn attention to the need to begin recruiting recruits and experienced firefighters.

“I think at the very minimum we will renew our interest in filling those vacant positions. It’s something that we have been working on, but I think this shows we need to get up to full strength as soon as possible,� Kramer said