Walnut Creek Will Lose Firefighters at its Civic Drive Station

UPDATE: The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to reduce the number of firefighters at Station 1 on Civic Drive from six to three.

The decision is part of an effort by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District to close a $12 million budget gap.

Station 1 is one of four stations in Walnut Creek but is the only one with two engine companies -- staffed by six firefighters -- on duty at all times.

The Contra Costa Times reports the supervisors voted to remove one of the engine companies from the station. This removal, which goes into effect Jan. 1, is expected to save $800,000 this fiscal year, a fire district assistant chief told the supervisors.

Fire Chief Daryl Louder has been looking at the possibility of closing up to eight stations throughout the district, which has 30 stations from San Pablo to Concord to Lafayette to Walnut Creek. 

Destaffing one of the two companies at Station 1 would have "the least impact to fire and emergency medical response within the district," according to Louder's recommendation, cited in the supervisors' agenda for their Tuesday meeting.

If the supervisors go along with Louder's recommendations, the reduction would go into effect Jan. 1. 

Like all local public agencies, the fire district has felt the impact of the housing crisis. Each engine company costs the district about $1.6 million per year, so closing one of the two companies at the Civic Drive station would save the district about $800,000 for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The recommendation to reduce the number of firefighters in Walnut Creek comes as Louder acknowledges the district is understaffed at the current service level and "as such often does not meet national and county response time goals."

Louder's solution to this revenue problem? Letting the district ask voters to weigh in on a new tax in June, before "significant cuts are made to fire and emergency medical services."