Santa Rosa Fire: First day of nine-months of rolling station closures

First Santa Rosa fire station shuttered for two days to save money

By LAURA NORTON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Fire station 10, Santa Rosa’s outpost for fighting fires and providing medical aid, is shuttered today, the first day of nine-months of rolling station closures expected to save the city over $1 million.

The station on Corporate Center Parkway will reopen at 8 a.m. on Thursday. At the same time, fire station 11 on Lewis Road will close for 48 hours.

The stations will trade off closures through next spring.

Fire Chief Bruce Varner said the two stations were chosen for rotating closures because other fire stations are located close by, minimizing the impact of the closure.

“Every day signs will be posted and the barricades will be down over the doors showing the stations are closed,” Varner said.

The closures will increase sensitive response times to some emergencies because fire crews will be “coming from a farther distance.”

Varner discouraged anyone from going to a fire department for medical aid, as sometimes happens.

“It’s better to dial 911 rather than running to a fire station anyway,” he said.

Should a person arrive at a shuttered station for help, an emergency phone to call 911 is located outside each station, he said.

Original source article: Pressdemocrat.com - Link