WEEK OF MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
WHAT’S INSIDE?
Black students feel ignored by CSUF.
Monday, September 12, 2022
The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton
Titans drop game against No. 1 UCLA. Sports
Opinion 8
6
Volume 112 Issue 4
City deficit threatens fire department; firefighters ready for county takeover
CAITLYN BARTUSICK / DAILY TITAN
Three Battalion officers are working over 100 hours a week, according to Fullerton Fire Chief Adam Loeser.
Lack of money leaves firefighters understaffed and overworked. CARLOS CORDOVA Staff Writer
Fullerton firefighters at last Tuesday’s city council meeting showed support for joining the Orange County Fire Authority, a decision that comes as the city faces severe financial concerns. During the meeting, the Fullerton City Council held a special study session to review a report on the Fire Authority’s proposal to take over Fullerton’s fire department, which has served the city since 1908. Fire Chief Adam Loeser explained
to the council that he is currently down about 25% of his staff and losing more in the coming months. He went on to say that three battalion officers are each working more than 100 hours a week, one administrative assistant is managing a $29 million budget and one person is trying to complete nearly 8,000 fire safety Inspections across the city. “I’m alarmed. I am extremely alarmed as a cooperator and a neighbor of Fullerton,” said OCFA Fire Chief Brian Fennessy. “If 25% of my fire department was vacant, we would be using words like ‘crisis,’ ‘emergency,’ those sorts of things.” Cal State Fullerton does not have its own fire department. Campus fires are handled by the city fire department, but will be taken care of by the Fire Authority should the City
Council agree to the proposal. Fullerton can not afford to keep its fire department, according to Management Partners and the Fullerton Fire Department staff. “The lack of a direction right now is hampering me from bringing in people for my clerical side to support the fire department, for my fire prevention people because what person is going to go to an organization that they don’t know if it is going to be around tomorrow,” Loeser said. According to the Adopted Operating & Capital Improvement budget, the city of Fullerton budgeted for about $243 million in revenue but plans about $248 million in expenses. This means the city will losing about $5 million. Mayor Fred Jung and the council now have to make one of two
decisions: Jjoin the county fire authority or give the Fullerton Fire Department more money. Due to these factors, the city is struggling to keep firefighters on staff, but a significant issue is a pay disparity between Fullerton and neighboring cities. Compared to county fire authority and other cities in the county, Fullerton pays its firefighters 16% below average salaries, according to Carol Jacobs, a consultant at Management Partners. Newer firefighters are gaining experience at Fullerton for the first few years of their career and moving onto better paying agencies. “It is highly unusual in the fire industry for, even young people today, jumping jobs. That’s just not typically what firefighters do. That becomes
their homes and becomes their careers,” Jacobs said.“In our opinion you would have to get much closer to the average pay and benefits in order to stabilize your workforce.” The Fullerton fire department’s budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year was $29.2 million. This is a $3.7 million increase from the 2020-2021 budget, according to the department. The budget is meant to accommodate about 87 full-time employees and two unfunded positions. Given a chance to state his case in front of the city council, Fennessy raised concerns about where the Fullerton Fire Department stands today. More than 17 firefighters and their SEE EXPENSES 2
Bicycle theft arrest leads to wanted man VANESSA SIGUENZA Asst. Editor
A man was arrested for the seventh time for bike theft on Nutwood Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue by University police during their Pedestrian Safety Week campaign on Thursday afternoon. He was charged for failure to appear on felony charge and vandalism. The 34-year-old suspect, Ryan Aiello, was sitting on a stolen bike and disguised himself as a Cal State Fullerton student. Officer Kashe
VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM
recognized Aiello and stopped him under the suspicion of possessing a stolen bike, due to his prior arrests. Aiello dropped the bike and fled onto moving traffic before running into the men’s restroom on the first floor of College Park, but was quickly taken into custody by Fullerton PD, turning the case over to the CSUF Police Department. Kaylee Castillo, a communications major, watched the chase unfold from the outdoor tables at College Park. “I saw cops rush inside and then even ask the different people on the patio if they had seen someone. ”
Castillo said. “It was scary though because they were pulling up on the actual lawn, there was so many and it was just for one person.” When Aiello ran into the first floor of College Park, he dumped his backpack in a trash can, CSUF PD Capt. Scot Willey said. CSUF PD later retrieved the backpack and found a meth pipe, but no bolt cutters used to steal the bike, Capt. Willey said. He added that Aiello claimed to have cut the cable with his teeth. Capt. Willey said that the police aim to promote their bike app, where
students can easily register them to prevent bike theft. In the meantime, students can bring their completed bicycle registration form, Titan card and bicycle to the police department. “It’s important to understand that this is why sometimes we do have to stop good people. We actually might stop someone that is an actual student,” Capt. Willey said. Capt. Willey emphasized calling 657-278-2515 to contact a police dispatcher if anyone appears suspicious on campus.
VANESSA SIGUENZA / DAILY TITAN
New CSUF PD app aims to protect student property on campus.
FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN