Report: La Verne Fire Department Continues To Lose Personnel

LA VERNE, CA — The La Verne Fire Department continues to lose personnel after city officials nixed a proposal that would have provided additional funding for the agency to hire more staff and reopen a fire station, according to a report from the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

Four firefighters have left the agency after the City Council turned down Mayor Tim Hepburn’s $1.5 million proposal in May that would use La Verne’s reserve funds to pay for additional staffing. Councilmembers said at the time they would rather find a more stable, ongoing source of money than to dip into its rainy day fund.

As a result, the La Verne Firefighters’ Association passed a vote of no confidence against the council and members have even picketed in front of City Hall, the Daily Bulletin reported.

“When [the City Council] choose to not adequately fund the fire department, there are real consequences,” a post on the firefighters' union’s Facebook page read. “Firefighters will continue their mass exodus — sad times.”

The department currently has 28 eight people on staff and five vacancies, according to the paper.

The La Verne City Council unanimously adopted its $63.4 million budget for the 2021 to ’22 fiscal year June 21, which allocates $10.3 million for the fire department.

City officials told the Daily Bulletin that a “Standards of Response Coverage report” will be conducted on the fire department before it can begin considering finding additional funding for the agency. The process is expected to begin sometime in July.

Visit the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin's website to read its story on the La Verne Fire Department.