Fire Dept. Merger With County Goes to Voters
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Residents will vote today on a proposal to merge the city Fire Department into the county fire system, a move supported by firefighters but bitterly opposed by their chief and local officials.
West Covina firefighters gathered more than 3,500 signatures to place the issue on the ballot.
The battle over Measure B has carved deep divisions over issues of cost, the level of service and the need for local control.
Last week, the Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs Assn. accused the county fire union of orchestrating a campaign with local fire unions to switch municipalities to the Los Angeles County fire district. The union denies the allegation.
Response times and cost savings are the major issues. Firefighters maintain that the merger will save money and give the city access to greater firefighting resources.
Opponents contend that the West Covina Fire Department has quicker response times and argue that firefighters support the merger because they would earn more working for the county.
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