NATOMAS BUZZ readers take note:
Hello,
My name is Jaymes Butler and I represent Sacramento Area Fire Firefighters, Local 522. I’m also the captain at Station 18 on North Market Blvd off Northgate and I-80 and I’m a resident of Natomas Park on Ainger Cir. On Thursday, the city council will be voting on proposed cuts to the Fire Department which call for “Browning Out” closing 3 companies every day, one in the north area, one downtown and one in the south area on a rotational basis. In Natomas, the fire department has very poor coverage because of no fire house on the west side of I-5. My fire company, Engine 18 is the first up to respond to the west side of I-5 and it takes us 8 minutes to get there where the rest of the city has 4 minute response times. Imagine what the response times will be if they brown out my station or Station 30 on Club Center Drive or Station 15 on Truxel and Newborough.
Please show up to the City Council on Thursday, June 12th @ 6 pm at City Hall and voice your opposition to the cuts because truly it’s a matter of life and death.
Thank You For Your Consideration,
Jaymes Butler
Captain E18-A
Municipal Director
Sacramento Area Fire Fighters, Local 522
If you are available you may want to consider attending. If you are not available you may want to consider sending Mayor Fargo and Councilmember Tretheway and City Manager Ray Kerridge emails voicing your concern for public safety in our community.
“. . . I disagree that you [North Natomas]
don’t have adequate fire protection . . .”
So says Mayor Heather Fargo!
Where: South Natomas Community Center
What: Sacramento Mayoral Candidate Forum
When: May 21, 2008
Hear her say it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LANBvbQ7Rb8 (0:03:53-0:03:56)
Our mayor is in denial about our urgent need
for a fire station west of Interstate 5.
Well, the City of Sacramento Fire Department chief Ray Jones disagrees with our Mayor. She should ask him about Natomas and he will tell her that the lack of a station west of Interstate 5 is of critical concern to him, and rightfully so! He told me himself at the Public Safety Open House two months ago in the same building in which she denied the need!
We need to show up en masse on Thursday evening to stand up for our right to at least maintain the inadequate level of protection we currently have, and in fact to further press for the new station on the west side of Interstate 5!
Even if you don’t live on the west side of the freeway, please show up! We “westerners” need your support!
Heather Fargo knows NOTHING about Natomas except how many Natomas $$$ are going into her pet project coffers.
As for the Fire cuts, why did the city give out 10% raises across the board if there were jobs on the line? I don’t follow.
I am still shocked the city didn’t give Johnson enough votes to run away wit the election. What game are people watching?
I can’t make it to the council meeting, and as for emailing Fargo and Treadaway at city hall, it is no use because neither of them will reply to their emails.
Sorry about the cuts. High price to pay for an inept mayor and city council, huh? :(
I don’t expect them to email me back- I do expect the email to be part of the public record. Trixie
Maybe Fargo is reading the BUZZ. I got my first ever reply from her office today regarding my email on this subject. Another resident pointed out that we need to send our requests to ALL council members, not just the two (one + mayor) who are from Natomas. I did it, but probably too late. I wonder how they voted tonight. Trixie