Crime & Safety

San Marino Considering Sharing Fire Dept. Command Staff with South Pas, San Gabriel

The plan is still in the negotiating stage.

By Ajay Singh and Craig Clough

Among the items up for discussion at the San Marino City Council meeting Wednesday is a possible cooperative agreement between the cities of San Marino, San Gabriel, and South Pasadena for the sharing of fire department management and command staff. 

The plan is still in the negotiating stage, and the council will be discussing the city staff's recommendation that the council authorize the city manager and fire chief to continue the negotiations.

On Nov. 6, the South Pasadena City Council held a study session on the subject.

"The first and most important thing we want our residents to know is that the City of South Pasadena is not compromising safety in any way," City Manager Sergio Gonzalez told the council during an hour-long special meeting held just before the council’s regularly scheduled bimonthly meeting at 7:30 p.m.

Gonzalez also said that the new model under discussion would allow for quicker response time “based on the fact that the system dispatches fire engines and ambulances that are closest to the scene [of a fire] regardless of their city of origin."

In the long run, South Pas will experience significant savings with the new fire command staff model, Gonzalez said.

"Also, if we’re successful in negotiating a tri-city agreement, fire operations will be even more efficient because we have moved to a borderless system and our firefighters regularly train with their counterparts in San Gabriel and San Marino," Gonzalez said. 

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