Daly City celebrated the reopening Thursday of Fire Engine 95, a fire and paramedic company that was shuttered by budget cuts four years ago.
The fire company, part of the North County Fire Authority, was among the casualties of the 2017-18 fiscal year budget as deficits following the Great Recession led the city to cut nine personnel and eliminate the fire engine at the time.
But in 2020, voters approved Measure Q, the city’s “Local Recovery and Relief Measure,” a half-cent sales tax measure to help fund paramedic, fire and 911 emergency response efforts.
Funds from Measure Q made it possible to restore Engine 95, which has been the city’s top priority over the last four years, according to Daly City Mayor Juslyn Manalo, who was among the dignitaries to make comments during the Thursday ceremony.
“Today is a day of celebration,” Manalo said, “for our community is going to reinstate and restore Engine 95 – having Engine 95 back is crucial to the safety of our communities, both residents and businesses. Fire Engine 95 is here. It’s here today, and it is here to stay in our community!”
During its March 8 meeting, the city council voted to allocate almost $2.9 million of city funds to restore Fire Engine 95.
“Over the last year and a half, we have been reminded just how important our emergency response capacity is to our resilience,” Manalo said in a news release. “Now we will be better prepared for future medical emergencies, fires, and other natural disasters.”
Thursday’s event was livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.