By Mona Raskin

If a city survey were to be taken at this time, Monterey Park would have solved the Fire Department issue on whether they be allowed to go “county”! Most residents have viewed the recent city council’s continuous arguments on this subject either by cable TV at home while many others personally attended the council meetings on this controversy.

Our city planners had created and financed our firehouse, equipment and service personal.  The community felt secure in the knowledge that their welfare and safety would be quickly cared for. The response time would be from 3 to 5 minutes only.  Should we carelessly allow our fire crew go county?  It can surely affect the response time from LA. County to our community.

I’m afraid our city council (except for two} have attempted to sell us a sale of false reasons as to why we should allow our fire fighters to go “county”. If we should go “county”!  If we should, the entire community could eventually suffer! It’s our city, we must keep it safe and to do so, keep our firefighters here where our founders intended them to be close to our homes!

The survey of our city residents revealed that our present firemen & women should be as close to our property as possible and not somewhere else that might make it impossible to be available as quickly as they are supposed to be. They also believe that once the firefighters should leave, they would not return to our city again!

Our message to our city council is to stop and consider all the above statements. Believe me when I say, “You too may find yourself in an urgent and serious situation someday and wish you had the need to enlist the aid of a nearby firefighter for their help and assistance!   The first and most important part of your council seat is to serve and protect your city’s welfare!