San Jose firefighters press city leaders to prioritize public safety amid $32M deficit

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Nestled in San Jose's Communications Hill neighborhood is the shuttered Fire Station 33.

The station, which opened in 2007, was closed four years later due to a city budget crisis. On Wednesday, first responders used it as a backdrop to deliver a clear message to city leaders.

Sharp message

What they're saying:

"We're here today to talk about service cuts and what this actually looks like to our city. Having to close fire stations has an impact on our community and the constituents that we serve, and we're deeply concerned," said Jerry May, a fire department captain and president of San Jose Fire Fighters Local 230.

Members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 21 joined union firefighters in urging city leadership to prioritize fire protection, especially in light of the recent natural disaster in Los Angeles.

"We're here to tell you today that your public safety is in jeopardy with closed fire stations," said May. "Your public safety is in jeopardy when you don't have enough firefighters. And time and time again we've continued to raise the red flag."

Last month, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan stressed the need for a laser focus on efficiency to address a $32 million budget gap.

"Rather than having Groundhog Day every year, we need to simply embrace reality," Mahan stated during a February news conference.

For Mahan, that reality involved changing how Measure E funds for the care of the city's approximately 6,300 unhoused residents are allocated. This adjustment helped bridge part of the shortfall, but the remainder will depend on the city manager's office's strategies to avoid painful cuts in city services.

A hiring freeze is currently in place, and there are concerns that layoffs could eventually be considered.

Firefighters have sounded the alarm that public safety could be compromised if future plans include a reduction in their rank.

"We need to focus on staffing our fire department and the growing need for public safety for our residents," said Ryan Gilbert, a fire union member.

By comparison

Dig deeper:

An unidentified SJFD battalion chief added, "We 0.6 firefighters for every 1,000 residents. By comparison, the city of San Francisco has nearly two firefighters for every 1,000 residents. Again, these staffing levels are an issue for us."

Mayor won't support fire department cuts

What's next:

Mahan told KTVU, "I will not support any cuts to our fire department's current service level...We can close our small remaining deficit by getting creative — not cutting services that save lives."

The city manager's office will release a memo in May detailing spending options and the choices available to the mayor.

Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on Instagram @jessegontv and on Facebook @JesseKTVU.

Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on the Instagram platform, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU.