SAN DIEGO (FOX 5\/KUSI) \u2014 San Diego Fire union leaders warn proposed job cuts in the city\u2019s 2027 draft budget could strain crews and impact public safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cSan Diego fire is already stretched thin. Our members are working full throttle. We care deeply about the service we provide the citizens so any cuts that potentially could be made it\u2019s just going to stretch us thinner,\u201d said Derrick Loustalet, a division director with IAFF Local 145.<\/p>\n
When he\u2019s not fighting fires, Loustalet fights for his members.\u00a0He\u2019s on the executive board for the union representing San Diego fire and EMS personnel.<\/p>\n
The department faces a possible overhaul to save city money.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all share a responsibility for enacting a balanced budget that protects essential services,\u201d said Mayor Todd Gloria during a council presentation on Monday.<\/p>\n
To address a $146 million deficit, Gloria proposes nearly $27 million in additional fire-rescue funding, which would total $547 million. However, there\u2019s a tradeoff.<\/p>\n
Youth service leaders speak out over defunding of Office of Child and Youth Success in city\u2019s budget cuts <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt implements cross-staffing for the bomb squad unit and reduced positions in NPE that are associated with training, recruitment, and community engagement,\u201d said Rolando Charvel, the city\u2019s Chief Financial Officer.<\/p>\n Currently, the bomb squad is based downtown and focuses on training and responding to over 100 calls a year.<\/p>\n Under the change, bomb squad members would join one of three response apparatus.<\/p>\n \u201cUntil they clear from that emergency response, they can\u2019t respond on that bomb squad, so they\u2019ll be a delay on the bomb response,\u201d said Loustalet.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also another side to it.\u00a0\u201cIf the bomb technicians are out on a call, depending on the way staffing is that day, there\u2019s potential for a unit to go down,\u201d said Loustalet.<\/p>\n That means workload would be shifted to other units \u201cand so that could extend response times depending on how busy it\u2019s getting downtown,\u201d Loustalet added.<\/p>\n