By Marc Benjamin
The Fresno Bee
FRESNO, Calif. — Six unincorporated neighborhoods within the city of Fresno could soon be assured fire protection from the Fresno Fire Department in a shuffling of services.
The neighborhoods are within the boundaries of the Fresno County Fire Protection District today. But in an emergency they receive services from city firefighters by way of an aid agreement with the county district.
That agreement will expire in March and the city of Fresno no longer was willing to provide services under the agreement.
The change, which will be discussed by the Local Agency Formation Commission’s board Wednesday, involves more than 1,000 registered voters on 273 acres in a variety of neighborhoods surrounded by the city of Fresno.
If the proposal is approved, it will go into effect next month.
No opposition has surfaced, said Darrell Schmidt, LAFCO’s deputy executive officer.
Last year, Fresno city officials threatened to stop providing services in the six neighborhoods but both departments agreed to a one-year extension of the agreement.
During the past year, both agencies negotiated the annexations and agreed to place the six neighborhoods into the North Central Fire Protection District, which receives fire services under contract with the city of Fresno.
The change in service will mean a continued fast response to emergencies, said Joel Aranaz, Fresno’s deputy chief.
“We have a fire station within two miles of any of those islands and put a full-alarm assignment with 14 firefighters in eight minutes,” Aranaz said.
By comparison, the county district’s nearest stations are five miles away.
With the greater distance between stations, ratings used to determine insurance premiums would change and premiums would rise, Aranaz said.
The city also is in the process of considering annexation of the Fort Washington subdivision, which also is within the borders of the county fire district.
Copyright 2008 The Fresno Bee