Hemet City Council votes to shut down local fire department

HEMET, Calif. (KABC) -- Hemet City Council members voted Tuesday night to shut down the city's 106-year-old fire department. Council members voted 3 to 2 in favor of disbanding the department.

Council members say it's just a matter of the bottom line, to get the best fire service at the cheapest cost.

"We were determined from last night's staff report that we could not only provide those higher level of medical services, but we could also save about a half-a-million dollars going into this thing," said Hemet Mayor Larry Smith.

City leaders plan to replace its fire service with a county contract through the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), a deal they say will shore up a $2-million deficit.

"The way the fire department is doing business right now, this very minute today, is a half-a-million dollars cheaper than what the city is suggesting that this community change to," said Hemet Fire Captain Steven Sandefer.

Paramedic services is another sticking point. The city's fire department is not certified to provide advanced life support. Firefighters say that can be changed if they're given the opportunity.

"Our guys are paramedics. They could have functioned at that level for years. City council didn't want to pay," said Sandefer.

The union representing Hemet firefighters says it plans to file a restraining order to stop the action. They also want a ballot referendum allowing citizens to decide what happens to the local department.

In the meantime, the city says going forward they plan to have the Cal Fire transition completed by July 2015.