Long Beach Fire Chief Dennis Buchanan says he does not want to make the millions of dollars in cuts proposed for his department, but understands the difficult financial position facing the city.
“Do I want to do this? Absolutely no, but I understand the seriousness that we are in right now,” Buchanan told NBC4 in an exclusive interview.
Long Beach is trying to close a budget deficit of nearly $60 million. As part of that effort, Buchanan said he was directed to find $11.1 million in reductions from the Long Beach Fire Department.
The proposed cuts would eliminate 29 sworn positions and 4.5 civilian positions and take Engine 14 out of service.
Buchanan said the reductions are not ones he would recommend under ordinary circumstances, but believes the proposal represents the least impact on the community while meeting the city’s budget target.
Still, the chief says the uncertainty is already taking a toll inside the department.
“The morale is not good. Anytime you have reductions, it just puts additional workload on our personnel,” Buchanan said.
What happens to Engine 14?
Under the proposal, Fire Station 14, which serves the Colorado Lagoon area, would remain open. However, Engine 14 would be taken out of service.
The engine currently responds to approximately 2,200 calls each year, according to Buchanan. Most are medical calls.
A paramedic rescue ambulance would continue operating from Station 14, but when an engine is needed, crews from surrounding stations would have to absorb those calls.
That could mean some firefighters have farther to travel.
“The engines will be responding from a distance away, and I do anticipate there will be an increase in response time,” Buchanan said.
The proposal has raised concerns among some members of the Long Beach City Council.
“The loss of Engine 14 will have a city wide response impact,” Councilmember Kristina Duggan said during the council’s budget discussion.
Mayor Rex Richardson acknowledged the difficult decisions facing the city.
“This is not a great budget year… This is a year we have make tough calls,” Richardson said.
Residents are also speaking out about the potential impact of reducing fire resources.
“When you remove resources to public safety and public health, nothing good happens,” Patrick Pianezza, who lives in Long Beach said during a public comments period.
Preparing for the 2028 Olympics
The proposed reductions also come as Long Beach prepares to host events during the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Buchanan told NBC4 the department is already looking beyond Long Beach for additional resources to handle the increased demand expected during the Games.
“The goal is to have an incident management team come into Southern California and to coordinate additional staffing and additional resources.”
The chief said the additional resources would come from agencies outside the city as Long Beach prepares for an expected increase in calls during the Olympics.
Should Long Beach residents feel safe?
With fewer firefighters and one fewer engine among the proposed reductions, NBC4 asked Buchanan directly, “Should the people of Long Beach feel safe after these budget cuts?”
“Yes, I think the people of Long Beach should feel safe,” Buchanan responded.
But Buchanan also acknowledged that operating with fewer engines creates concerns when the department is confronted with multiple emergencies at once.
“Do I have a concern? Yes. Less engines in the city does concern me for large emergencies or simultaneous fires or rescues.”
The proposed cuts are not final, and Buchanan said he hopes there can be additional dialogue between elected officials and the community regarding Engine 14.
The budget will ultimately determine whether the engine remains in service — and how deeply the Long Beach Fire Department will have to reduce its workforce and resources.