DOWNEY FIREFIGHTERS TO CITY: RETHINK DISBANDING FIRE DEPARTMENT, CONTRACT WITH COUNTY

DOWNEY – The city’s fire union on Tuesday asked the City Council to consider disbanding the fire department and instead contract fire service to the county.

Steve Davis, the president of the city’s firemen’s association, requested that Downey commission a feasibility study on going with county services.

“We are asking for the City Council to consider contracting services with the county fire department,” Davis said.

The move could save the city money and possibly roll back recent cuts to fire service, he said.

“We believe it could save Downey taxpayers millions of dollars a year,” Davis said.

“I don’t understand why we would not even be able to look into it,” he said.

In most cases when a city contracts its fire service to the county, the city’s firefighters are absorbed into the county’s force.

Councilman Mario Guerra said that he would not consider a study, pointing out that Downey’s residents in 1998 by a percentage of 85-15 passed a ballot measure mandating that any change in emergency services go to a vote of the people.

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