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Published on 08/11/1997 All articles from this issue

Perhaps County Fire is better, after all

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Editorial

Last December, some Los Altos City Council members and residents alike feared the worst as the city prepared to finalize a contract with the Santa Clara County Fire Department for fire protection.

Detractors were concerned that the loss of a locally controlled fire department would translate into more bureaucracy and at best, a distancing of relations between firefighters and Los Altos residents. At worst, opponents pictured decreased response time - a vital concern, considering the frequency of first-aid calls our local fire department had been receiving.

Six months down the road, however, the alleged evils of county-controlled fire services in Los Altos are apparently non-existent. In fact, many people, including some early doubters, are satisfied about the level of Santa Clara County fire service.

The department is performing some tasks that were not done before the transition, such as fire hydrant testing - measuring the volume of water to ensure these things work when the time comes.

In Los Altos Hills, the department is drawing raves from residents for such functions as removing obstructing brush from emergency access roads.

Another major development that has improved service is employing the concept of automatic aid - meaning the closest fire station goes to the fire or other emergency. Agreements inked earlier this summer with neighboring Palo Alto and Mountain View allow such aid to occur.

The county has retained firefighters already familiar with the area to ensure prompt response time. The firefighters themselves have been thrilled about the change all along, because they have more resources, more training opportunities and more money.

Even the recent 13 percent budgetary shortfall for the county fire department has not affected Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, thanks to a good contract. For instance, capital improvements, put on a two-year hold for other areas, won't hurt Los Altos because the city retained ownership of its fire stations - Los Altos is seeking its own funding for station renovations independent of the county.

As for the distancing concerns, county fire responded to initial complaints of having to call "long distance" by offering an 800 number for Los Altos residents.

All the above, in addition to saving Los Altos money, makes for a wise decision, in hindsight, to go with the county. It appears our only real loss is the romantic, yet impractical appeal of running our own fire department.