DEAR EDITOR:
I am a citizen of Gilroy living in the Northwest Quad near the
soon to be built Sunrise Fire Station. But is it really going to be
a fire station?
DEAR EDITOR:
I am a citizen of Gilroy living in the Northwest Quad near the soon to be built Sunrise Fire Station. But is it really going to be a fire station? It has come to my attention that City Administrator Jay Baksa and the City Council have pulled the wool over our eyes out here. I recently discovered that there is not going to be a fire engine at the station – that there is going to be an ambulance at the station. Jay and the mayor are calling it a squad, but it will resemble more of an ambulance. It cannot put out a car fire, a grass fire or a house fire. It may be able to extinguish a garbage can fire.
I have also learned that this ambulance will not always be in my friendly neighborhood. This ambulance is going to be like any other ambulance in the area. If the local ambulance is out of the city and the county’s resources are low my ambulance will be going to calls in Morgan Hill! Was it intended for our tax dollars to pay for services in other areas? I don’t think this was ever made clear to the citizens of Gilroy when it was approved.
Do you know that I live outside the city’s 5-minute response area for fire service? Did you know that after they build the Sunrise Fire Station and put that ambulance in service I still will be outside the city’s 5-minute response area for fires. I really gained a lot of fire protection with this addition. In fact if the closest fire engine is on another call when my house, car or garbage can is on fire, the next closest engine is 10 minutes away! Wow! We have really improved service to the area.
But wait – our medical attention will be improved. Well maybe it will or maybe it won’t. I understand that there will be two people on that ambulance, compared to the four on a fire engine. Anyone who has had to dial 911 for medical care has seen how many people show up at their residence. In fact when my father had a heart attack and CPR was performed on him, I saw six people in my house and every one was as busy as could be. There were four firefighters and two ambulance persons. After going through that event and understanding how much needs to be done to save a life, I firmly believe that if that event were to happen to day the outcome would not be the same with only two firefighters responding.
So let me leave you with the facts as I have been told by City of Gilroy Officials.
1. There will not be a fire engine at the Sunrise Station.
2. There will be an ambulance at the Sunrise Fire Station.
3. There is no plan for a fire engine to be at the Sunrise Fire Station.
4. Fire service to the northwest quad will not be improved.
5. There will be times when the Sunrise Station Ambulance will not be in the city of Gilroy. It will be out somewhere else in the county.
6. Jay Baksa, the mayor and the City Council have fooled all of us.
Jay, Mayor Tom Springer and Council members have made all of us second-rate citizens. Our tax dollar is not equal to that of the rest of the community. We have paid the highest dollar for your impact fees and we have received the lowest increase in service. So answer this question. Why should the level of service in the Northwest Quad be lower than any other area of the city?
Wyatt E. Wheeler, Gilroy
Submitted Friday, May 23 to ed****@****ic.com
