EDITORIAL : FIRED UP; THE CITY RESPONDED TO CALL FOR BETTER FIRE AND PARAMEDIC SERVICE IN THE VALLEY. WELL DONE.MAYOR Richard Riordan and Los Angeles Fire Chief Bill Bamattre listened to the hue and cry hue and cry, formerly, in English law, pursuit of a criminal immediately after he had committed a felony. Whoever witnessed or discovered the crime was required to raise the hue and cry against the perpetrator (e.g., call out "Stop, thief !") and to begin pursuit; all persons within hearing were under the same obligation, and it was a punishable offense not to join in the chase and capture. from the San Fernando Valley asking for more responsive service. They listened, and then they responded to make sure the Valley gets a fairer share of fire services. New resources in the Valley include an aerial ladder truck, six basic life-support ambulances, seven paramedic ambulances, and the creation of a full-time urban search and rescue unit. In order to provide personnel for the additional ambulances, the department is reducing staffing elsewhere. Through redeployment, Bamattre said, fire officials hope to improve response time so they are at the scene within five minutes 90 percent of the time. A Daily News series in October 1996 showed the Valley was not getting its fair return on its tax dollars in services. There are 1.58 fire stations for every 10 square miles in the Valley, compared with 2.59 stations for every 10 square miles in the rest of the city. Because stations are farther apart in the Valley, it takes paramedics on average 7.6 minutes to get to most Valley emergencies, compared with a response time of 7.2 minutes in the rest of the city. The situation was worse for homes located in Valley mountainous areas - 8.3 minutes compared to 6.9 minutes in hilly city neighborhoods. Riordan and Bamattre worked to rectify that inequity. They are to be commended for making the Valley a safer place to live. |
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