Meeting Time: April 16, 2024 at 6:00pm PDT
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Agenda Item

N.1. 24-0303 DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE COMPARATIVE DEPLOYMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS PREPARED BY CITYGATE ASSOCIATES, LLC. OF THE REDONDO BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT AS COMPARED TO THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE DISTRICT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE REDONDO BEACH FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MASTER PLAN DIRECTION ON NEXT STEPS (IF ANY) REGARDING THE REPORTS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS

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    Kate Hairrell 8 months ago

    Please keep RB Fire department local! I stand with so many other residents, we are so fortunate to have our services local. Nothing positive about the proposed change. Keep RB Fire department local!

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    Matt Puterbaugh 8 months ago

    Keep Redondo Beach fire department local! The only benefit would be that the firefighters would be eligible for more overtime, there is no cost benefit to Redondo. It is understandable the firefighters want higher pay, it should only be done if everybody benefits, not just a select view. We have an outstanding fire department that should be compensated accordingly. By losing our local fire department, people will have longer wait times when they call 911 and it is potentially life-threatening. Please do the right thing and keep our fire department local. It makes no sense to pay more to get less. Keep Redondo Beach fire department!

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    Ashley Hingley 8 months ago

    I value the Redondo Beach firefighters and first responders. I have had personal experience with them ariving at our home within five minutes to help our son who was having an emergency health need. Please maintain our highly qualified and extremely responsive firefighters and first responders. The are quick to respond and extremely professional. My father had a similar need just outside of our town and it took the county responders 30 minutes to respond. The response time can be a life or death difference. Please continue to fund our fire department and RB emergency responders. A fire department so close to our home is one of the main reasons why we chose to live in Redondo Beach. The beach cities all share DMV services with our neighboring cities. I want you all to think about your experiences at these shared DMV locations. A simple drivers license renewal took me over three trips and a total of 4 hours to resolve. A renewal is a three step process and the shared DMV response time was a over an hour a task. Please let that sink in and think about your child having a medical emergency or a fire that requires a quick response.

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    Andre Leroux 8 months ago

    It is critical to keep our Redondo Beach Fire Department. Once we lose local control, we can never regain it. It would be cost prohibited to even consider return to local control.

    Local control is crucial for fire departments because it ensures quick response times tailored to each community's needs. By being situated within their areas, firefighters can swiftly reach emergencies, minimizing damage. Tailoring services to local risks, whether it's wildfires in rural areas or high-rise fires in cities, enhances effectiveness. Moreover, local control fosters community engagement, enabling firefighters to educate residents on fire prevention and disaster preparedness. It also ensures accountability and transparency in resource allocation, with residents having a say in decision-making. This autonomy allows fire departments to adapt swiftly to new challenges, such as investing in updated equipment or adjusting staffing levels. Furthermore, it promotes cultural sensitivity, ensuring emergency responses are inclusive and respectful of community norms. Overall, local control empowers fire departments to provide efficient, community-oriented services, enhancing public safety and resilience.

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    Charlie Ball 8 months ago

    Why should we spend more money for worse services, and needlessly degrade quality of life for everyone in Redondo Beach? Keep our local FD!!

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    Nico Acosta 8 months ago

    Absolutely not. This is a hard-to-reverse decision to fix something that is not broken. Let's build forward not backward.

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    Mariam Butler 8 months ago

    Now that the study is done, we can rest assured knowing the local RB fire department can stay local! It makes sense financially both short and long term. We don’t want worse service for more money. Local control is always better. Keep RBFD local!!

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    Tonya McKenzie 8 months ago

    There is no good reason to continue to revisit something that the residents have stated over and over again that they did not want to see happen. Other than those that have ulterior motives, there is no support for getting rid of our fire department. Drop this terrible idea and move on to doing something positive for the city.

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    Dixie Duncan 8 months ago

    I oppose contracting with Los Angeles County Fire. Please keep Redondo Beach Fire Department local.

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    Kim Binegar 8 months ago

    Loss of control will negatively impact our quality of service, response times, and level of service. Not the right move for our great community.

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    Tara James 8 months ago

    Strongly oppose eliminating RBFD and contracting LA County.

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    Jennifer Embler 8 months ago

    Keep RB fire local

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    Alisa Beeli 8 months ago

    Clearly there is overwhelming resident support to keep our beloved Class 1 Redondo Beach Fire Department local. If resident support is not enough reason to keep our fire department intact, then please adhere to the findings in the $97K Citygate study. The study states that “…a contract with County-fire is more expensive for fewer personnel on duty in the City limits considering the reduction of a three-firefighter engine company”. This engine and 3-firefighter staff elimination would be taken from the North Redondo station on Grant Ave. Why would we consider DECREASING the number of engines and fire personnel on duty in North Redondo, particularly when there are plans to INCREASE housing and density in the same part of the city? This makes no sense. City Council, you have done your due diligence and now it is time to put this matter to rest. Keep our fire department local. It’s what the residents want, it’s fiscally responsible and it’s likely the safer route as well.

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    Daniel Elder 8 months ago

    Local control over public safety is important to our community. Outsourcing them should have very clear benefits to our community but there's not even a financial benefit based on the results in this study.

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    Betsy Pioletti 8 months ago

    I oppose any action that would cause Redondo Beach to lose its local fire department. It is not financially sound

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    Ana Mendoza 8 months ago

    I absolutely OPPOSE this change. We want our own Fire Department and especially not sharing it with this LA County.

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    Theresa Cannon 8 months ago

    Please do not do this. It is shortsighted. We will lose local control and jeopardize our excellent fire department. Please vote NO.

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    George Bradbury 8 months ago

    I am not sure why this is coming back again, the answer before was no, and continues to be no. I opposed eliminating RBFD, or moving to LA County.

    Thank you

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    Sandy Marchese 8 months ago

    Having a Fire Department that is dedicated to our city is important. Should there be a major event (earthquake or other event) having our own Fire Department will be important. There will not be the need of a Fire Department deciding which City is more important to help. Additionally, if fire personnel and equipment are located outside our City the delay in getting to a problem can be detrimental. Minutes are important when life and property are at stake. As a property owner having our own Fire Department is important on why I live in this city. Additionally, this is a big decision. Choosing to go to a County plan it is highly unlikely that it can ever be reversed! Also our City Fire Department reports to our City and answers to our City officials. We will lose control of accountability if we transfer to L.A. County.

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    Yamina Jordan 8 months ago

    Dear Council Members and Redondo Beach Residents;
    Our local Fire Department makes our families the priority, by responding rapidly, 24/7, and within minutes of receiving a call for help. This beautiful community prides itself on quality, cleanliness, and safety. We pay higher property taxes, rents, and due to increasing population density - those rates are increasing steadily. A major benefit of living in this residential community is knowing that your local fire and police departments are just minutes away. Furthermore, the South Bay is very inclusive. We all know each other and have grown up here. With so many new residents entering and Senior Citizens who have lived here their entire lives, how would the city propose taking away the very foundational Service Men, which we rely on every day to keep us safe? The local Redondo Beach Fire Departments are made of our own family members, which our community of affluent peoples have become accustomed to trusting with their/ our lives. To consider these Men of Service as replaceable, poses a great insult to the very history of where we live - furthermore, it marks steps towards destroying what future is ahead.
    Our local Redondo Beach Fire Departments are irreplaceable. Do not make the mistake of considering otherwise. A bold decision such as this, will cause current residents to mistrust the direction of our local government. This is not Los Angeles. We live in beautiful Redondo Beach; a destination. A place where people flock to year round, for peace, calmness, fresh ocean, night life, and good vibes. Changing any part of it would be a mistake.

    Sincerely,
    Resident & and First Time (local) Home Buyer