When Craig Walters heard that La Verne was pursuing a contract with Los Angeles County to take over the city’s Fire Department and emergency medical services, he was heartbroken. As a third-generation family member to serve in the department, the City Council’s decision was personal to him.
“My relationship with the Fire Department goes back 70 years, me, my father and his father all served,” said Walters, a former La Verne City Councilman and now Cal Poly Pomona professor. “This department has always been a real part of the core of this community and it’s what makes it a special place.”
The 109-year-old locally operated department has been a community staple before the city was established in 1916. Traditional events like the annual Christmas day distribution of thousands of treats to children across La Verne also have been around for almost 100 years.
But as the city begins negotiations with the county, residents like Walters are demanding a say in what happens. Chris Gendreau, owner of Chase’s restaurant in Old Town La Verne, recommends the council leave it up to the residents to determine the department’s future. He says customers who come in bring up the issue frequently and it has become a flashpoint for debate in the small hillside city.
“It’s something that we should have a say in,” Gendreau said in a phone interview Thursday. “It’s an ugly scenario we have where a lot of residents are wanting to keep it local and not county.”
Gendreau’s biggest concerns are the service level of county-run fire departments and the possibility of fewer fire stations in the city. In January, La Verne announced it was temporarily closing Fire Station No. 3, at 5100 Esperanza Drive, until new hires were brought on board, which never happened.
“I’ve seen other cities transition to county operations and it’s never the same,” Gendreau said. “Once you go to the county you always regret it.”
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Mayor Tim Hepburn said while he understands the anger residents may have about the council’s decision to pursue a county contract, there are real concerns about the safety of not only residents but the firefighters themselves. The city currently has nine suppression staff on duty per shift, which is below the industry standard recommended 17 fire personnel for building fires. The city’s fully staffed operating model has stood at 11 for years but due to lack of employees on hand, the department had to adjust.
“Right now we are constantly using mutual aid with the county and we can’t just keep doing that,” Hepburn said by phone Friday morning. “This isn’t about finances, we just simply cannot afford to keep our residents and our fireman in constant danger.”
Hepburn expects L.A. County to have multiple study sessions with residents to discuss the quality of service that it will provide and reassure them that the department will continue with the same approach it has always had.
“The fact is that we have a small fire department in the middle of what is essentially an island,” Hepburn said. “We can’t keep kicking the can down the road with this.”
The La Verne Firefighters’ Association Local 3624 has supported a county contract. In a Facebook post, the union wrote it was happy to see the city begin contract negotiations that will include a cost analysis for converting the department to county control.
“We know it was a very hard decision that was based on hundreds of hours of research, conversations, studies and meetings. We applaud and thank the council for looking at the facts and not succumbing to emotions,” the post read.
If the city decides to contract with the county, a likely transition would come by the end of 2021 or early 2022, according to the city. Meanwhile, the city will look to recruit a new permanent fire chief after hiring its third interim in the past two years.
Tensions between the Fire Department and the city developed after years of constant turnover at the top in the organization, a $5.5 million lawsuit settlement and cutbacks in services due to personnel shortages. An independent evaluation of the department in August showed widespread mistrust and other negative cultural issues impacting operation.
Terry Prentice, a retired La Verne resident, said the years of turmoil and now the apparent transitioning of the Fire Department to county control, has been a “headache” in the community for too long. He said he sees the department as “part of the fabric of the city.”
“This upsets me, my wife has been previously taken to the hospital by La Verne ambulances and so have I, that service to me is very important,” Prentice said. “We just don’t want to lose this part of our town.”
