Fire Engines in Elk Grove Will Face Rotating Brown-Out

Fire engines in Elk Grove will soon take turns being removed from service to save the Cosumnes Fire Department money.

The rotating brown-out is a measure designed to meet a budget shortfall created by a drop in property tax revenue, according to a press release. It means three fire stations–Stations 72, 74 and 76, according to the Elk Grove Citizen–will take turns unstaffing one fire engine, starting next month.

"The medic units and truck company assigned to their respective stations will remain in service and fully staffed during the engine company closure; therefore no stations will ne closed under these recommended options," Fire Chief Tracey Hansen said in the press release.

A station in Galt would also have been included, but officials in that city worried they would only have one fire engine in service during the brown-outs, putting their area at risk.

"We would be at an unfair disadvantage," Galt City Council Member Curt Campion said, according to the Lodi News-Sentinel. "This would leave Galt in a precarious position if there were two calls."

The brown-outs, which will last 48 hours at a time and won't include layoffs, will affect these stations in Elk Grove:

• Station 72: 10035 Atkins Drive
• Station 74: 6501 Laguna Park Drive
• Station 76: 8545 Sheldon Road

The Elk Grove Citizen has more details here on the budget shortfall that led to this action.

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