By Sophia Kazmi
The Contra Costa Times
LIVERMORE, Calif. — A fire station near the city’s airport has become the latest victim of budget cuts — at least for now.
Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Station 10 on Airway Boulevard closed July 1, and the three firefighters there have been reassigned to another Livermore station. Service calls for Station 10’s area have been diverted to nearby stations.
The closure, which Fire Chief Jim Miguel described as temporary, was instituted to help meet the $1.3 million in cuts — about 10 percent of the department’s budget — that the city asked the department to make this fiscal year.
“It’s a closure that is awaiting further analysis "... we are working toward another solution,” said Miguel, who did not elaborate.
To balance its $70 million operating budget, the city made a number of cuts that included reduced library hours at satellite locations, decreased landscape and streetlight maintenance, and a slowdown in replacing police officers.
As part of the cuts, six firefighters normally based at Station 10 — three captains and three engineers — have been eliminated, and three remaining firefighters have been relocated to Station 8, on Scenic Avenue. That station will now have four firefighters on duty per shift, just like the other stations, Miguel said.
No one was laid off, Miguel said. The eliminated positions are ones that were left unfilled or that were vacant because of long-term absences.
Station 10 had the lowest call volume among all the firehouses and served largely an industrial area, making it an easier choice for a temporary shutdown, Miguel said.
The department operates 10 stations — five in Pleasanton and five in Livermore.
The now-vacant station is still being cared for and is housing equipment for the department for the time being, Miguel said. It is near Livermore Airport, and response times to incidents at the airfield will be affected, he said.
“Certainly it would be impacted,” Miguel said. “They had a fire station right there.”
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