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AVENAL, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - The Kings County Professional Firefighters Association said Wednesday that "it's profoundly troubling" successful effect to what they said was the City of Avenal establishing its ain occurrence department.
Avenal's City Manager, Antony Lopez, said that connected Aug. 4, the City of Avenal voted unanimously 5-0 to o.k. and motion a three-year occurrence services declaration with Kings County done 2027, astatine a outgo $1,096,310 for the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years.
According to the metropolis docket for Sept. 11, the metropolis has been evaluating options to prosecute long-term, reliable occurrence extortion for Avenal. One of the viable options was creating a locally operated occurrence department.
In the agenda, it states, "With a stronger fiscal footing to put successful itself, the City is present positioned to statesman pursuing this enactment successful a mode that builds section capableness and creates semipermanent opportunity."
It besides states that the projected ordinance does not instantly make a caller occurrence section but alternatively establishes the ineligible model that volition let the metropolis to proceed to hole for the option. The docket besides states that successful the meantime, occurrence extortion services volition proceed without interruption done Kings County until a locally operated section is determined to beryllium afloat operational and ready.
The Kings County Firefighters Local 3747 said connected societal media that regarding the ballot connected the city's determination to found its ain occurrence department, it is "ending a decades-long concern with the Kings County Fire Department."
They said that contempt their efforts to negociate a contract, the city's leaders person chosen a way that would permission residents vulnerable.
"Professional occurrence extortion is not a work that tin beryllium replicated overnight, nor tin lives beryllium safeguarded done incomplete readying and mediocre communication. This determination could person profound consequences connected the information of Avenal families, businesses, and spot owners."
Lopez responded regarding what was being said, and helium said that helium was disappointed to spot however things were being "misconstrued" connected societal media regarding the resolution.
"The City has and volition proceed to wage the County for its services arsenic agreed upon successful that contract. Any proposition that Avenal is abandoning occurrence extortion overnight oregon without a program is simply false," helium said. "Our solution says it all, to proceed moving with the county."
To work Kings County Firefighters Local 3747's afloat statement, click here.
