(July 21, 2015, 11:55 a.m.) -- LBREPORT.com has learned that this morning's two alarm fire in the 1400 block of Atlantic Ave. -- FOR VIDEO CLIP (source: LBFFA Facebook page) CLICK HERE -- didn't include a response from Engine 101 (100 Magnolia Ave.) because the City Council under Mayor Robert Garcia has failed to restore that Engine, and as a result had to draw units from other LB neighborhoods. In addition, eastside stations 8 (Belmont Shore, 5365 E. 2nd St.), 17 (2241 Argonne Ave.) and 18 (Palo Verde/Wardlow) remain without fire engines, likewise unrestored by the Council.

LBREPORT.com has further learned that although a proposed "First Responder Fee" ($250 per call), agendized for possible Council approval at tonight's City Council meeting (July 21) would allocate sums to LBFD, there's no commitment that sums raised would restore any of the fire units previously cut from taxpayers.

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Management's agendizing memo doesn't indicate how the sum -- which would be General Fund money and could be spent by the City Council on multiple items -- will in fact be spent. It indicate that it will be allocated to LBFD but management plans to evaluate the amount of revenue actually raised by the fee for the next year and then decide -- for FY17 -- how the actual sum raised should be budgeted. The Council could "on any Tuesday" seek to change the current budget and allocate and prioritize LBFD additional sums from currently budgeted sums (currently allocated to other items) but no Councilmember(s) have seriously pursued this since the Council enacted (without dissent) the current FY15 budget in September 2014.

Engine 101 was one of two engine companies provided for years at Station 1 (100 Magnolia) out of concern for battling fires in the densely populated downtown core and its multiple high rise buildings. In addition, previous Council actions (under what Mayor Foster called "proportional budget reductions") left eastside stations 8, 17 and 18 without the ability to deploy a fire engine capable of spraying water on a fire. As reported in early 2014 by LBREPORT.com, a residence burned across the street from Station 17 until a fire engine arrived from further away [with the fire doubling in size every minute.]

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Management's request for July 21 Council approval of the new fee seeks implementation in the current FY15 budget...and comes just days before Mayor Garcia is scheduled to publicly release his recommendations for a FY16 budget proposed by city management.

Below is LBFD's release on this morning's (July 21) fire...in which one firefighter was injured and suffered first and second degree burns:

[LBFD release text] At approximately 4:16 AM, Long Beach Fire units responded to reports of a structure fire on the 1400 block of Atlantic Avenue. Fire units arrived onscene four minutes later and reported heavy smoke and fire coming from the front of a 2.5 story single family dwelling. Firefighters initiated an aggressive fire attack and confined the fire to the involved structure. There was an immediate exposure concern to the south of the address and a subsequent 2nd alarm response was requested at 4:25 AM to support fire operations. Knockdown of the fire occurred at approximately 4:50 AM.

Upon completion of the primary search at 4:36 AM, it was determined that the building was vacant. However, there is evidence of homeless occupancy. It is unknown if there was anyone in the building at the time of the incident. The building appears to have been unoccupied for an undetermined period of time. According to Fire Investigators, this is the second fire at this address in the last year.

One firefighter was injured during suppression operations and was transported by Fire Department paramedics to a local area hospital for further evaluation. The firefighter sustained first and second degree burns to the back of his neck.

At the height of the fire, there were 50 firefighters assigned to the incident. The cause of the fire is undetermined.

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Below is the agendizing memo accompanying tonight's (July 21) Council item seeking Council approval to impose a "First Responder Fee" (effective in the current FY15 budget.)

LB Fire Chief proposes "First Responder Fee"

On April 17, 2015, LBREPORT.com was first (again) to report LBFD Chief DuRee's publicly stated intention to propose a "first responder fee" in testimony to the Council's Public Safety Committee. Public Safety Committee chair Councilwoman Suzie Price and vice-chair Councilman Al Austin (member Mungo absent) had invited testimony from LBPD and LBFD management on measures their Departments recommend to deal with budget reductions that city management said (March 3, 2015 study session) would be required if a City Council majority were to continue "proportionate share" budget cuts (which have had significant impacts on LBPD and LBFD service levels for taxpayers.)

Neither chair Price nor Vice Chair Austin questioned continuation of "proportionate share" budget reductions; the Committee item was agendized to discuss "alternate funding sources" for public safety and city efforts to "come up with innovative ways to address public safety needs."

At that meeting, Chief DuRee stated that he planned to propose to the full Council in the coming weeks consideration of a "first responder fee"...and neither Price nor Austin expressed any disapproval of this.

During the roughly nintety days that have elapsed since then, not one Counci incumbent (Supernaw took office in early May 2015) or Council Committee (Public Safety or Budget Oversight) has taken any steps to seek alternatives that could avoid imposing the "First Responder Fee" (whose impacts would be felt most heavily by individuals and families with limited resources.) (However the Council did find time in May 2015 to debate and approve a "Meatless Monday" resolution (approved 7-2, Supernaw and Mungo dissenting) and then voted in June 2015 to adopt the actual resolution.)

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LBREPORT.com plans (as always) to carry tonight's Council meeting LIVE on our front page. Tonight's meeting is scheduled to start later than usual at 6:30 p.m. following a lengthy Council closed session.

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